---
title: "How do I run a playbook?"
description: "TL;DR: Open a playbook, go to the Play tab, fill in any required inputs, and click Run. Watch step-by-step progress on the visual graph. When the run completes, inspect logs and outputs for each step. You can also Pause a running playbook and Continue later on the same run."
canonical_url: "https://docs.ballet.dev/articles/how-do-i-run-a-playbook-dChtouCzok"
md_url: "https://docs.ballet.dev/articles/how-do-i-run-a-playbook-dChtouCzok.md"
---
# How do I run a playbook?

**TL;DR:** Open a playbook, go to the **Play** tab, fill in any required inputs, and click **Run**. Watch step-by-step progress on the visual graph. When the run completes, inspect logs and outputs for each step. You can also **Pause** a running playbook and **Continue** later on the same run.

## Who this is for

Builders and Members with access to the playbook.

## How do I start a manual run?

1. Open a playbook from **Collections** or the Member **Playbooks** list.
2. Switch to the **Play** tab.
3. Enter any required **inputs** (parameters the playbook expects).
4. Click **Run**.
5. Watch the graph as each step executes — green for success, red for failure.

## What happens during a run?

Each step runs in order. You see:

- **Status** — pending, running, success, failed, or **Paused** (`suspended`)
- **Logs** — stdout, errors, and debug output
- **Outputs** — data produced by each step, passed to the next

## Can I pause a run?

Yes. Click **Pause** while a run is in progress — Ballet finishes the current step, then parks before the next one. Click **Continue** to resume on the **same run ID**. A Code step can also park mid-step with `metaphor.waitForInput` for human approval. See [How do I pause and resume a playbook run?](/articles/how-do-i-pause-and-resume-a-playbook-run-TK6ueiBF0d).

## What if a step fails?

Click the failed step to read the error log. Builders can switch to the **Code** tab to fix the step, or ask the Console for help debugging.

## Can I run the same playbook again?

Yes. Each new Run starts a new execution. Previous runs (including ones that were paused and continued) are saved in the **History** tab — Continue keeps the same History row.

## Related articles

- [How do I pause and resume a playbook run?](/articles/how-do-i-pause-and-resume-a-playbook-run-TK6ueiBF0d)
- [How do I read runs and run history?](/articles/how-do-i-read-runs-and-run-history-WukfYP5du3)
- [What triggers can start a playbook?](/articles/what-triggers-can-start-a-playbook-manual-schedule-webhook-P4mdwPZDGg)
- [Build your first automation with Ask Ballet](/articles/build-your-first-automation-with-ask-ballet-zfkqVlu4cC)