---
title: "How does the Plan vs Build flow work?"
description: "TL;DR: When you ask Ask Ballet to create or change a playbook, it first proposes a Plan — an outline of steps and changes. After you review and confirm, Build executes the plan and modifies the playbook. Always review the plan before confirming, especially for production workflows."
canonical_url: "https://docs.ballet.dev/articles/how-does-the-plan-vs-build-flow-work-fS39QIPJyt"
md_url: "https://docs.ballet.dev/articles/how-does-the-plan-vs-build-flow-work-fS39QIPJyt.md"
---
# How does the Plan vs Build flow work?

**TL;DR:** When you ask Ask Ballet to create or change a playbook, it first proposes a Plan — an outline of steps and changes. After you review and confirm, Build executes the plan and modifies the playbook. Always review the plan before confirming, especially for production workflows.

## Who this is for

Builders using Ask Ballet on Home or inside a playbook Console.

## What is Plan?

**Plan** is a read-only proposal. Ask Ballet shows:

- Steps it will create or modify
- Connectors or secrets it will reference
- The overall workflow structure

Nothing changes in your playbook until you confirm.

## What is Build?

**Build** executes the approved plan. Ask Ballet:

- Creates or edits steps
- Wires up connections
- Writes code in the sandbox

You can inspect results in the **Code** and **Play** tabs immediately after.

## When should I use Plan vs skip straight to Build?

Always start with Plan for:

- New playbooks from scratch
- Changes affecting production workflows
- Automations involving external systems or credentials

For small edits inside an existing playbook, Ask Ballet may propose changes directly — still review before accepting.

## What if the plan is wrong?

Tell Ask Ballet what to change before confirming Build. You can ask it to revise the plan — add steps, remove steps, or change the approach — without executing anything.

## Related articles

- [How do I build a playbook with the Console?](/articles/how-do-i-build-a-playbook-with-the-console-ask-ballet-oHptRP9mI4)
- [What are Allow vs Ask permission modes?](/articles/what-are-allow-vs-ask-permission-modes-GYMSyh6ZZI)
- [Build your first automation with Ask Ballet](/articles/build-your-first-automation-with-ask-ballet-zfkqVlu4cC)