Configure guided selling activities in a playbook
Define the mandatory activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage by configuring a playbook. Agents cannot advance an opportunity to the next stage until all activities for the current stage are complete.
Before you begin
The opportunity stages for your sales cycle must be defined before you configure guided selling activities. For more information, see Create opportunity stages.
Role required: sn_opty_mgmt_core.opportunity_admin
About this task
Guided selling uses a playbook to define the activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage. When an agent tries to advance an opportunity to the next stage, the system checks whether all activities for the current stage are complete. If any activities are incomplete, the system prevents the stage change and displays the outstanding actions.
The default playbook is configured for opportunities with a sales cycle type of New Business. You can configure additional playbooks for other sales cycle types. Each stage in a playbook requires a stage entry automation activity at the start and a stage exit automation activity at the end. Between these two automation activities, you can add any combination of activities based on your business requirements.
The system records activity completion state in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table. When an agent tries to advance an opportunity, the system checks this table to determine whether all activities for the current and preceding stages are complete.
Procedure
-
Navigate to All > Playbooks Designer.
-
Open the Sales essentials playbook.
The default playbook is triggered when an opportunity is created or updated with a sales cycle type of New Business. Configure the trigger condition to match the sales cycle type you want to support.
-
Add and configure a stage in your playbook, for more information, see Add and configure a stage in a playbook.
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Select the stage for which you want to configure activities, for more information see Add and configure an activity in a playbook.
The playbook displays each opportunity stage as a lane. Each lane must contain a stage entry automation activity as the first activity in the stage lane and a stage exit automation activity as the last activity in the stage lane.
This activity creates a record in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table to track activity completion for the stage.
-
Add the mandatory and optional activities between the stage entry and stage exit automation activities.
You can use the following default activity definitions to build activities for common use cases.
Activity definition Description Required Fields Activity Definition Fields specified on the opportunity record must not be empty. Use when agents must complete required fields, such as owner or short description, before advancing. Related Records Activity Definition One or more related records must exist on the opportunity. Use when agents must add a related record, such as a contact or team member, before advancing. For standard playbook activity types such as questionnaires and instructions, add the Playbook Activity Event Create subflow immediately before the activity and the Playbook Activity Event Update subflow immediately after it. These subflows track completion state in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table.
-
Save and activate the playbook.
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Enforce the win or loss reason fields when agents close an opportunity by enabling the corresponding system properties.
By default, agents can move an opportunity to a closed stage without completing the win or loss reason fields. Enable one or both of the following system properties to make these fields mandatory. Both properties are set to
falseby default.System property Description sn_opty_mgmt_core.enable_mandatory_fields_on_closed_wonWhen enabled, requires agents to complete the Win reason and Outcome notes fields before they move an opportunity to the Closed Won stage. sn_opty_mgmt_core.enable_mandatory_fields_on_closed_lostWhen enabled, requires agents to complete the Loss reason, Outcome notes, and Lost to fields before they move an opportunity to the Closed Lost stage. When a required field is empty, the system prevents the stage change and displays a message that names the mandatory field and the target stage.
Result
The playbook is active. When an opportunity with the configured sales cycle type is created or updated, the playbook triggers and displays the configured activities to the sales agent in the guided selling panel. Agents must complete all activities for a stage before the system allows them to advance the opportunity.
Related topics
---
title: Configure guided selling activities in a playbook
description: Define the mandatory activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage by configuring a playbook. Agents cannot advance an opportunity to the next stage until all activities for the current stage are complete.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/order-management/configure-guided-selling-exit-criteria.html
release: brazil
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 4
keywords: [guided selling, playbook, stage exit criteria, opportunity stages, process compliance, mandatory activities]
breadcrumb: [Opportunity Management, Sales automation apps, Configure, Sales Customer Relationship Management]
---
# Configure guided selling activities in a playbook
Define the mandatory activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage by configuring a playbook. Agents cannot advance an opportunity to the next stage until all activities for the current stage are complete.
## Before you begin
The opportunity stages for your sales cycle must be defined before you configure guided selling activities. For more information, see [Create opportunity stages](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/order-management/opportunity-management-opportunity-stages.md).
Role required: sn\_opty\_mgmt\_core.opportunity\_admin
## About this task
Guided selling uses a playbook to define the activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage. When an agent tries to advance an opportunity to the next stage, the system checks whether all activities for the current stage are complete. If any activities are incomplete, the system prevents the stage change and displays the outstanding actions.
The default playbook is configured for opportunities with a sales cycle type of **New Business**. You can configure additional playbooks for other sales cycle types. Each stage in a playbook requires a stage entry automation activity at the start and a stage exit automation activity at the end. Between these two automation activities, you can add any combination of activities based on your business requirements.
The system records activity completion state in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table. When an agent tries to advance an opportunity, the system checks this table to determine whether all activities for the current and preceding stages are complete.
## Procedure
1. Navigate to **All** > **Playbooks Designer**.
2. Open the **Sales essentials playbook**.
The default playbook is triggered when an opportunity is created or updated with a sales cycle type of **New Business**. Configure the trigger condition to match the sales cycle type you want to support.
3. Add and configure a stage in your playbook, for more information, see [Add and configure a stage in a playbook](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/build-workflows/add-configure-stage.md).
4. Select the stage for which you want to configure activities, for more information see [Add and configure an activity in a playbook](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/build-workflows/add-configure-activity.md).
The playbook displays each opportunity stage as a lane. Each lane must contain a stage entry automation activity as the first activity in the stage lane and a stage exit automation activity as the last activity in the stage lane.
This activity creates a record in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table to track activity completion for the stage.
5. Add the mandatory and optional activities between the stage entry and stage exit automation activities.
You can use the following default activity definitions to build activities for common use cases.
|Activity definition|Description|
|-------------------|-----------|
|**Required Fields Activity Definition**|Fields specified on the opportunity record must not be empty. Use when agents must complete required fields, such as owner or short description, before advancing.|
|**Related Records Activity Definition**|One or more related records must exist on the opportunity. Use when agents must add a related record, such as a contact or team member, before advancing.|
For standard playbook activity types such as questionnaires and instructions, add the **Playbook Activity Event Create** subflow immediately before the activity and the **Playbook Activity Event Update** subflow immediately after it. These subflows track completion state in the Sales CRM Progression Checkpoint table.
6. Save and activate the playbook.
7. Enforce the win or loss reason fields when agents close an opportunity by enabling the corresponding system properties.
By default, agents can move an opportunity to a closed stage without completing the win or loss reason fields. Enable one or both of the following system properties to make these fields mandatory. Both properties are set to `false` by default.
|System property|Description|
|---------------|-----------|
|`sn_opty_mgmt_core.enable_mandatory_fields_on_closed_won`|When enabled, requires agents to complete the **Win reason** and **Outcome notes** fields before they move an opportunity to the Closed Won stage.|
|`sn_opty_mgmt_core.enable_mandatory_fields_on_closed_lost`|When enabled, requires agents to complete the **Loss reason**, **Outcome notes**, and **Lost to** fields before they move an opportunity to the Closed Lost stage.|
When a required field is empty, the system prevents the stage change and displays a message that names the mandatory field and the target stage.
## Result
The playbook is active. When an opportunity with the configured sales cycle type is created or updated, the playbook triggers and displays the configured activities to the sales agent in the guided selling panel. Agents must complete all activities for a stage before the system allows them to advance the opportunity.
**Related topics**
[Guided selling on opportunities](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/order-management/explore-guided-selling.md)
[Create opportunity stages](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/order-management/opportunity-management-opportunity-stages.md)
[Configuring Opportunity Management](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/order-management/configure-opportunity-mgmt.md)
| title | Configure guided selling activities in a playbook |
| description | Define the mandatory activities that sales agents must complete at each opportunity stage by configuring a playbook. Agents cannot advance an opportunity to the next stage until all activities for the current stage are complete. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/order-management/configure-guided-selling-exit-criteria.html |
| release | brazil |
| topic_type | task |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 4 |
| keywords | guided sellingplaybookstage exit criteriaopportunity stagesprocess compliancemandatory activities |
| breadcrumb | Opportunity ManagementSales automation appsConfigureSales Customer Relationship Management |