> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wayak.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a playbook

> How to build an automated workflow in Wayak

This guide walks you through creating a playbook from scratch — defining a trigger, adding steps, and activating it.

## Step 1: Create a new playbook

1. Go to **Playbooks** in the Wayak dashboard
2. Click **New playbook**
3. Give it a name and description

## Step 2: Set a trigger

Choose what kicks off the playbook:

| Trigger type | Description                                                                       |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Schedule** | Runs at a set time — daily, weekly, monthly, or custom cron                       |
| **Event**    | Runs when something happens — a new record, a threshold crossed, a sync completed |
| **Manual**   | Runs when a user or agent explicitly triggers it                                  |

## Step 3: Add steps

Build the workflow by adding steps in sequence. Each step performs one action:

1. **Data step** — query a data source or search a knowledge base
2. **Logic step** — filter, branch, or loop based on conditions
3. **Skill step** — execute an agent skill
4. **Action step** — send an email, post to Slack, call a webhook, update a record

Steps pass data forward. The output of one step becomes available as input to the next.

## Step 4: Test and activate

1. Click **Test run** to execute the playbook with live data
2. Review the output of each step to verify correctness
3. When satisfied, click **Activate** to put it on its trigger schedule

Activated playbooks run automatically. You can monitor runs, view logs, and pause or edit playbooks at any time from the dashboard.