---
title: Capabilities
description: Playbooks give agents, fulfillers, and technicians the structure and information they need to work through a process consistently and completely. These integrated technical capabilities work together to provide that guidance.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/customer-relationship-management/capabilities.html
release: australia
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-07-06"
reading_time_minutes: 3
keywords: [Playbook Capabilities]
breadcrumb: [Playbooks, Workspace experience, Customer Relationship Management]
---

# Capabilities

Playbooks give agents, fulfillers, and technicians the structure and information they need to work through a process consistently and completely. These integrated technical capabilities work together to provide that guidance.

<table id="table_gx5_zg2_vjc"><thead><tr><th>

Capability

</th><th>

Description

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

Create a record using a playbook

</td><td>

Users can create a record directly from a playbook instead of a form. Creating a record opens the playbook and starts the first activity, which users complete as part of the record creation process. This guides users through gathering information and configuring the record in a structured way.

 Creating an onboarding case opens the onboarding playbook. The playbook leads the user through each stage required to complete the onboarding process.

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

See the entire end-to-end workflow using the stage picker and activity picker

</td><td>

The stage picker and activity picker enable users to see:

-   The end-to-end workflow.
-   The stages in the playbook.
-   The activities in the current stage.
-   Stage and activity progress indicators.
-   Details of the current activity displayed in the activity viewer.

 In a work order playbook, you can expand the stage picker to see all stages from diagnosis through resolution and track your progress.

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

Use the contextual side panel to view additional information

</td><td>

Playbooks can display the following information in the contextual side panel:

-   Activity stream
-   Ribbon information such as the case overview, customer details, timeline, and SLAs
-   Dynamic related records
-   Related Items tab

 While completing an enrollment case, the contextual side panel shows the applicant's history and related documents.

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

Display dynamic related records

</td><td>

Display records in the contextual side panel that dynamically change based on the context of the current record or playbook activity.

 In a complaint case, related customer cases automatically appear in the side panel based on the customer you're working with.

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

Use a playbook in compact mode

</td><td>

Compact mode displays the playbook in the contextual side panel. Users can complete playbook activities in the contextual side panel while viewing other information on the record page.

 An agent can view case details on the main screen while completing playbook activities in the compact side panel.

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

View the SLA widget on playbook activity cards

</td><td>

Activity cards in the playbook can display an SLA widget showing the time remaining for the activity's SLA.

 On a service request activity card, an SLA widget shows how much time remains before the SLA deadline.

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

Follow conditional branching

</td><td>

Playbooks can follow different paths based on conditions—such as user responses or record values—guiding users down the appropriate workflow.

 In a complaint playbook, if the customer has already received a refund, the playbook skips the refund approval stage and moves directly to resolution.

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

Use optional activities

</td><td>

Users can insert optional activities within a playbook stage based on their specific needs.

 In a case playbook, an agent can add an optional 'Escalation' activity when a case requires additional handling.

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

View page variants

</td><td>

Different playbook layouts can render based on user role, device, or other conditions to optimize the experience.

 A complaint playbook displays a different layout for supervisors compared to standard agents, showing additional approval actions.

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

Save and resume progress

</td><td>

On portals and embeddables, users can save their progress and return later to complete the playbook.

 A customer submits a benefit application on the portal, saves progress, and returns the next day to complete and submit the application.

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

Trigger automated actions

</td><td>

Playbooks can automatically execute backend processes—such as sending notifications, creating records, or updating fields—based on workflow conditions or user actions.

 When a complaint case reaches the 'Resolution' stage, the playbook automatically sends a resolution email to the customer and updates the SLA.

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

Access playbooks on mobile devices

</td><td>

Users can access and complete playbooks on mobile devices through the Now Mobile Agent application.

 A field technician can view and complete a work order playbook directly on their mobile device while on-site.

</td></tr></tbody>
</table>