---
title: Generate a playbook from text or image
description: Generate a playbook using AI by providing text directions or an image.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/generate-a-playbook-outline.html
release: australia
product: Workflow Studio
classification: workflow-studio
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-06-25"
reading_time_minutes: 5
keywords: [ServiceNow Otto, AI Agents, generative AI, agentic AI]
breadcrumb: [Playbook generation from text prompt or image, Creating and managing Playbooks, Build Playbooks, Playbooks, Workflow Studio, Build workflows]
---

# Generate a playbook from text or image

Generate a playbook using AI by providing text directions or an image.

\[Omitted video\] Description: Generate a playbook outline and get recommendations for placeholder activities

## Before you begin

Verify that the ServiceNow Otto for Creator plugin is installed and the **Playbook generation** and **Playbook generation with images** skills are turned on. For more information about turning on the AI skills for Playbooks, see [Turn on AI skills for Playbooks](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/turn-on-playbook-generation-skill.md).

**Note:** AI skills are available in **Admin** > **AI Admin Hub** > **AI Skills** > **Creator**.

For information about installing ServiceNow Otto for Creator, see [Install ServiceNow Otto for Creator](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/application-development/install-now-assist-for-creator.md)

Learn how to write prompts to generate better playbooks. For more information, see [Writing prompts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/playbook-assist.md).

Role required:

-   admin, playbook.admin, pd\_author, or a delegated developer permission

## Procedure

1.  Navigate to **All** > **Process Automation** > **Workflow Studio**.

2.  From the **New** drop-down menu, select **Playbook**.

3.  On the **Create with AI** tab, fill in the following fields.

    \[Omitted image "new-playbook-otto.png"\] Alt text: Build a new playbook using AI.

<table id="id_pyq_lnx_rjc"><thead><tr><th>

Field

</th><th>

Description

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>

**Type**

</td><td>

Type of the playbook you want to create.Select **Standard playbook** for most day to day processes.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Playbook name**

</td><td>

Unique, user-facing name for your playbook. This name also appears to agents and fulfillers during runtime.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Application**

</td><td>

Application scope that you want your playbook to run in. Selecting **Global** lets your playbook run in any application scope. For more information, see [Application scope](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/application-development/c_ApplicationScope.md).**Important:** You can't change the application scope of a playbook after you've generated a preview for it.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Describe the playbook using these inputs**

</td><td>

Directions for the playbook that you want to create.-   **Image**

Attach a high quality, clear image of the process. You can compliment the image with text instructions as well. For example, if you attach an image of a flow chart, you can add additional information about the process as text directions.

-   **Knowledge Article**

Select a knowledge article based on which you want to generate a playbook. Additionally, you can add instructions in the text box to compliment the knowledge base article.

-   **Instructions only**

Provide only text instructions to generate the playbook.

    -   Describe each stage and activity in as much detail as you can.

    -   Specify the order that stages and activities run in.

    -   Specify if any stages or activities run at the same time.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Execution type**

</td><td>

The type of playbook you want to create.-   **Record driven**

The playbook is tied to a record. It is triggered on demands, or automatically based on the record operations. Any data that comes from the playbook will also be stored on that record.

-   **Standalone**

Single session playbook that don't store data to a record. These must be manually triggered or called from another playbook.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Parent table**

</td><td>

In case of a record driven playbook, the table where the record resides. This option is not relevant for a standalone playbook.

</td></tr><tr><td>

**Additional properties**

</td><td>

Option to allow the playbook to be publicly accessible. Once embedded it is set to available to unauthenticated users, as long as there aren’t additional restrictions preventing the user from accessing the playbook. **Note:** Playbooks must be tied to a public parent table for unauthenticated users to see it in runtime.

</td></tr></tbody>
</table>4.  Select **Generate playbook preview**.

    Based on your instructions, AI generates a preview of the playbook with all the elements and displays the preview in the diagramming view. AI adds a placeholder activity wherever a relevant activity is not found.\[Omitted image "playbook-preview-otto.png"\] Alt text: Preview the generated playbook.

5.  Review the generated playbook preview for accuracy.

    If the generated playbook doesn't meet your requirements, try rephrasing your prompt according to [Writing prompts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/playbook-assist.md), and select **Regenerate preview**.

6.  Select **Save and edit playbook**.

7.  Configure your trigger.

    For more information about triggers, see [Configure your trigger.](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/add-configure-trigger.md)

8.  If the playbook contains placeholder activities, configure the placeholder activities manually.

    **Tip:** To generate recommendations for activity definitions from AI instead, see [Generate recommendations for placeholder activities](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/generate-playbook-recommendations.md).

    1.  Select a placeholder activity that you want to configure \( \[Omitted image "placeholder-activity-icon.png"\] Alt text: Placeholder activity icon.\).

        You can also select the **replace activity** icon \(\[Omitted image "replace-activity-icon.png"\] Alt text: Icon for replacing an activity\) in the mini-picker to directly open the activity picker.

    2.  Update the **Label** and **Description**, if needed.

    3.  Under the **Activity definition** field, select the edit button \(\[Omitted image "playbook-edit-button.png"\] Alt text: Edit icon in the playbook builder.\).

        The activity picker opens.

    4.  In the activity picker, search for the activity, subflow, or action to add.

        **Note:** Select the application first, and then the activity from the resulting list. For more information about subflows or actions, see [subflow, or action](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/automation-assets.md).

    5.  Configure the activity inputs.

        For more information about common activities and their inputs, see [Playbooks reference](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/process-automation-designer-reference.md).

9.  If you don't see the activity that you want to add in the activity picker, create an activity definition.

    For more information, see [create an activity definition](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/create-activity-definition.md).

10. After you configure all your stages and activities, test the playbook.

11. Select **Activate** in the header.

    Activating your playbook publishes it so that it runs when triggered.

    **Note:** When you change your playbook after activating it, the system saves your changes but deactivates your playbook.

    To publish any new changes to your playbook, you must activate the playbook again. For more information, see [Playbook statuses and activation states](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/process-status-activation-state.md).


## Result

When the trigger conditions of your playbook are met, playbook runs. As a result, the system creates a Process Execution record and renders user-facing configurations for Playbook Experience. For an example of how to digitize a manual business process that renders as a playbook, see [Create a sample playbook](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/design-automated-process.md).

## What to do next

Design the Playbook Experience for your agents and fulfillers in UI Builder. To learn how to design and customize the runtime playbook experience in UI Builder, see [Customizing the Playbook Experience](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/playbook-customize-playbook.md).

**Parent Topic:**[Playbook generation from text prompt or image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/playbook-assist.md)