---
sourceDocument: Australia Build workflows
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/build-workflows

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Build workflows

ft:clusterId :

    - crworkflow

bundleId :

    - crworkflow

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# Optional activities

# Optional activities {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated March 12, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

Enable your agents and fulfillers to add additional activities as they go through a playbook.

## Overview {#optional-activities__section_kyz_fnb_xzb}

Admins enable and add optional activities in the Workflow Studio
Playbooks builder, while agents and fulfillers add and complete optional activities in Playbook Experience.

As an example, if you have a playbook for a Security Incident, a playbook admin could add an optional activity for a virus scan. When the activity runs, the optional virus scan activity would take the parent Security Incident record and run third-party virus
scanning integrations on Configuration Management Database (CMDB) assets associated with the parent record. The security analyst can decide at runtime whether to run a virus scan based on their assessment of the situation.  
The flow of working with optional activities:

1. Turn on and add optional activities to a playbook in Workflow Studio.
2. Optional activities are configured like other activities. To see [design an automated process](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/owHMJBg5o6XDX9thzofjKQ "Create a sample playbook to standardize and automate how Service Desk agents handle chat interactions with VIP users.").
3. Agents add optional activities in Playbook Experience.
{#optional-activities__ol_br2_bqb_xzb}

## Add an Optional Activity to a playbook {#ariaid-title2}

As a Playbooks administrator, add an optional activity to a playbook that Playbook Experience agents and fulfillers can choose to add and complete during the playbook runtime.

### Before you begin

Role required: playbook.admin or pd_author

### Procedure

1. Navigate to AllProcess AutomationWorkflow StudioPlaybooks.
2. Open the playbook that you want to add an optional activity to.
3. Switch to Board view.  
   ![Toggle for Diagram and Board views]()  
4. In the upper right-hand corner, toggle on Optional activities.  
   ![Toggle on Optional activities]()  
   The optional activities swimlane opens.
5. Add an optional activity.  
   Global optional activities can be inserted by the agent or fulfiller anywhere in the playbook, while a stage-specific optional activity can only be inserted within its specific stage.
6. Configure your activity the way that you would configure a regular activity.

*[\>]: and then