> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.icustomer.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.icustomer.ai/plays/what-is-a-play.md). # What a play is Play, run, activation: the three words, and how a motion actually executes. Three words, one chain: **Play → runs → activations.** * A **play** is a named, proven motion, "Convert Anonymous Traffic," "Find More Like Your Best Customers", with what it does and what it needs. Plays live in the [library](/reference/play-library.md); selecting one opens a chat where iHarness makes it yours: your audience, your channels, your goal. The play stays editable through that same chat: swap Instantly for a different sender, retarget it, tune it. * A **run** is one execution of the play. Scheduled plays run on their cadence; each run is ledgered. * An **activation** is what a run delivers into a destination: the audience pushed to LinkedIn, the sequence started in Instantly, the list synced to your CRM. One play can hold several activations, and each contact's activation history is tracked individually. You run a play, it leaves behind activations, and when those activations need you, they raise a hand in [Pulse](/pulse/queue.md). ## Plays are how automation happens Anything scheduled or recurring is a play; a one-time export is just an export. Buyer-facing automation lives here; internal alerts live in Pulse. That split keeps one place to look for "what is running against my audience." ## Nothing activates itself Creating a play never spends money on its own. Activation, committing budget, sends, and credits, always requires your explicit confirmation. After that, the play works within your [guardrails](/plays/guardrails-and-suppression.md), including the platform-wide rule that one contact is in at most one active cadence at a time. ## And every play accounts for itself A running play produces [decisions](/concepts/decisions-and-traces.md), each with its spend and its expectation on record. Browse what exists in the [Play library](/reference/play-library.md); set one up in [Setting up a play](/plays/setup.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.icustomer.ai/plays/what-is-a-play.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.