Add and configure an activity in your playbook.

Before you begin

Role required: pd_admin or pd_author

Review Stages and activities.

Procedure

  1. Add an activity.
    ViewSteps
    Diagram
    1. Select the + icon in the first stage.
    2. In the mini-picker, select the square icon Square activity icon in Diagram view mini-picker. to add an activity.
    3. In the activity picker, search for an activity to add.
      Note: Select the application first, and then the activity from the resulting list.
    Board
    1. Select + Add activity in the first stage.
    2. In the activity picker, search for an activity to add.
      Note: Select the application first, and then the activity from the resulting list.
    Your new activity appears in the stage, and the Activity properties panel appears.
  2. Under the Details tab, fill in the details of your activity.
    1. Provide the basic details of the activity.
      Table 1. Required inputs
      Label Enter a unique, user-facing name for your activity. This name appears to agents and fulfillers during runtime of your playbook.
      Description Optionally, enter some descriptive details about your activity.
      Start Rule Choose when you want your activity to start running. Options include:
      • When stage starts: Your activity starts running as soon as its stage starts running. Your stage starts running when your playbook is triggered.
      • After specific activities: Your activity starts running after specified activities have finished running.
    1. (Optional) Show additional options the activity for even more granular control.
      Warning: Changing the advanced property fields of an activity can potentially break your automation. Make sure you understand how the playbook and its activities flow before you make changes.
    OptionDescription
    Display order Define the order in which this activity will appear during a playbook run.
    Run condition After the activity starts, the activity runs only if specific conditions are met.
    Start with delay

    Specify a duration of time to wait before running an activity whose start rule and conditions have been met. For more information, see Start with delay input properties.
    Restart rules Choose what this activity does when a playbook is restarted:
    • Skip on restart: Skip this activity when the run is due to a restart.
    • Run always: Always run this activity, including first runs.
    • Skip on first run: Skip this activity during the first run.
    For more information, see Enable and Configure Restart for Playbooks.
  3. Open the Automation tab.
    Automation, inputs, and outputs sections appear.
    Automation
    See or open the action, subflow, or flow that drives the activity.
    Inputs
    Configure inputs for the action, subflow, or flow that is driving the activity. Not all activities require user input.
    Outputs
    Outputs of the action, subflow, or flow that is driving the activity.
  4. Under the Inputs section, define the values of the activity's inputs.

    Configure inputs with a hardcoded value, or by dot-walking to a data pill (Data pill picker icon) to use data from previous activities or the playbook trigger.

  5. Open the UI Layout tab.
    Depending on the UI Layout associated with the activity, different sections and fields appear under the activity definition's Activity Experience. These sections and fields let you set up the activity data that renders during the runtime Playbook Experience.
    Note: All UI Layouts, except for Record generator, display an Associated Record section. For information on how to set up or edit the Associated Record section in an activity definition, see Create an activity definition.
  6. Click Save and close to save the details of your activity.
    At any point while in the Playbooks builder, you can add more activities to a stage as described in the previous steps.
  7. (Optional) If the activity you want to add is not in the activity picker, create the activity definition.
    1. Under your stage, click + Add activity.
      The activity picker appears.
    2. Click the Create a new activity button.
    3. Fill in the following fields.
    OptionDescription
    Label Enter a unique, user-facing name for your activity. This name appears to agents and fulfillers during runtime of your playbook.
    Accessible From Where the activity is accessible from. Make the activity accessible to other applications by setting the Accessible from field to All application scopes. Restrict access by setting the field to This Application Scope Only.
    Table Optionally, set to the table associated with the activity.
    Application Read-only field that indicates which applications can use this activity.
    Description Optionally, enter some descriptive details about your activity.
    Automation Plan Select the subflow or action that you want to use to automate your activity.
    Activity Experience Optionally, set the activity's experience type, which helps to define how the activity renders in user-facing views of a playbook card at runtime.
  8. Click Submit to finish creating your activity definition.
    Your activity is defined.

What to do next

Set up the Playbook Experience for you agents and fulfillers.