Why a runbook, and what it is not
A runbook is the one page someone reads when an automation breaks and the person who built it is unavailable. It answers: what is this for, what starts it, what does it touch, who gets told when it fails, and how do I undo a bad run. It is not a tutorial and not a copy of every module setting; Make already stores those in the scenario itself.
The test of a good runbook is simple: could a competent stranger pause, diagnose and safely restart the scenario in 15 minutes without messaging the builder? The fields below are chosen for that test.
Where to keep it in Make
Make lets you attach notes to any module or route: right-click, choose Add a note, type, and click OK. Notes show as markers on the canvas, and a sticky-note icon in the toolbar opens a panel previewing every note in the scenario. [1] Each note holds up to 10,000 characters, and a module or route can carry up to 200 notes. [1] Make stores notes as HTML, so heavy formatting, emoji and links eat into the character limit faster. [1]
Put the full runbook in a note on the trigger module, and short notes on any module that does something surprising, such as a filter that drops records or a router with an order that matters.
Keep a second copy outside Make. Make says scenario notes are not included when you clone a scenario or share it via a link. [1] A shared document or wiki page with the same fields, plus an exported blueprint, survives cloning, team moves and account changes. [9]
The runbook fields
Copy this table into your note or document and fill in the right-hand column. The middle column says where in Make to find the answer, so the runbook can be checked against reality.
| Field | Where to find it in Make | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Scenario name and trigger note [1] | One sentence in business terms: "Adds paid webinar registrants to MailerLite and the CRM" |
| Trigger and schedule | Trigger module; schedule settings | Webhook or polling, interval, organization time zone it runs in [10] |
| Owner and backup | Team roles [11] | Named owner and a backup who has at least an Operator role to pause it |
| Connections | Connections page; My connections filter [3] | Each connection, which login created it, and where the key or grant lives |
| Data touched | Modules in the scenario | Systems read, systems written, personal data fields; whether Keep data confidential is on [2] |
| Failure alerts | Profile email preferences; error routes [5] | Who receives Make's error and deactivation emails, plus any error-route alert |
| Recovery settings | Scenario settings [2] | Store incomplete executions on or off; errors before deactivation; process data in order |
| Rollback | Exported blueprint; History tab [8][9] | Last known good blueprint file and date; how to undo writes in each target system |
| Monthly credit budget | History tab operations; Credits [6][7] | Expected credits per run and per month, and the figure that should trigger a review |
| Change log | History tab change log entries [8] | Date, who, what changed, why |
Worked example: a webinar signup scenario
Scenario: a Google Sheets Watch New Rows trigger polls every 15 minutes, then three actions run per new row: create or update the subscriber in MailerLite, add the contact to a CRM, and post a Slack message.
Make counts an operation as a single module run to process data or check for new data. Triggers run once per check regardless of how many rows come back, and each action module runs once per bundle. [6] By default, one operation equals one credit. [7] Polling every 15 minutes is 96 checks a day, about 2,880 a month. At 20 signups a day, the three actions add 20 x 3 x 30 = 1,800 a month. The runbook figure is about 4,680 credits a month, and a review trigger of, say, 7,000 catches a runaway loop early.
Failure alerts: Make's email notifications for errors, warnings and deactivations are configured per person on their Profile page. [5] If only the builder receives them, nobody else learns that the scenario stopped. Name who receives them in the runbook, and if the owner changes, have the new owner turn them on in their own profile. Make also has organization-level Notification options, under Org, that control how team members are notified about warnings and errors; record who manages those too. [11]
Rollback: before every edit, export the blueprint, which downloads a .json file containing modules, module settings and mapped values but not connections. [9] Note the filename in the change log. The History tab also records scenario edits, scheduling changes and activations, and lets you open the details of a run to check a module's output bundles. [8]
Recovery settings to record
Three scenario settings change what a fixer should do, so write their values into the runbook. Store incomplete executions pauses a failed run in the Incomplete executions folder so it can be fixed and resumed. [2] Errors before deactivation sets how many failed attempts are allowed before Make switches the scenario off, and Make says scenarios with instant triggers deactivate after the first error. [2] Keep data confidential tells Make not to retain run data, which protects privacy but leaves less to inspect after a failure. [2]
Also record the organization time zone. Make uses it for scenario execution and for date functions such as formatDate and parseDate, while each user's own time zone only changes how times are displayed. [10] A runbook that says "runs at 9:00" should say 9:00 in which zone.
Runbook checklist
- Full runbook in a note on the trigger module, under 10,000 characters. [1]
- A copy outside Make, because notes do not travel with clones or shared links. [1]
- Every connection listed with the login that created it. [3]
- For webhook triggers, the webhook name and every app that sends to its URL; Make deactivates webhooks left unconnected to any scenario for more than 5 days. [4]
- Named owner and backup, each with a team role that can at least pause the scenario. [11]
- Alert recipients named, with error and deactivation emails turned on in their profiles. [5]
- Store incomplete executions, errors before deactivation and data confidentiality values recorded. [2]
- Latest blueprint exported and its filename noted in the change log. [9]
- Monthly credit budget and review threshold written down and checked against the History tab. [6][8]
- Organization time zone stated next to any scheduled time. [10]
Questions before you decide
Where should I store automation documentation in Make?
In scenario notes, attached by right-clicking a module or route and choosing Add a note. Each note holds up to 10,000 characters. Keep a copy elsewhere too, because notes are not included when a scenario is cloned or shared via a link.
Do Make error emails go to everyone on the team?
Make's error, warning and deactivation emails are configured on each person's Profile page. Record who receives them, and have any new owner turn them on in their own profile. Make also has organization-level Notification options, under Org, for how team members are notified about warnings and errors.
How do I estimate monthly credits for a Make scenario?
Count one operation per trigger check plus one per action module per bundle, and one credit per operation by default. A 15-minute poll is about 2,880 checks a month before any actions run.
Does an exported blueprint include my connections?
No. Make's blueprint contains modules, module settings and mapped values; whoever imports it must create their own connections.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Make Help: Scenario notes Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Scenario settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Connect an application Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Webhooks Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Manage your email preferences Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Operations Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Credits Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Scenario history Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Blueprints Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Manage time zones Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Make Help: Teams Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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