---
title: "Add Steps to a SQL Server Agent Master Job | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: ssms
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.assetid: 9cc1e8ab-7ddc-427b-859e-203aa7e24642
author: stevestein
ms.author: sstein
manager: craigg
---
# Add Steps to a SQL Server Agent Master Job
  This topic describes how to add steps to a SQL Server Agent master job in [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../../includes/sscurrent-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] or [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)].  
  
 **In This Topic**  
  
-   **Before you begin:**  
  
     [Limitations and Restrictions](#Restrictions)  
  
     [Security](#Security)  
  
-   **To add steps to a SQL Server Agent master job, using:**  
  
     [SQL Server Management Studio](#SSMSProcedure)  
  
     [Transact-SQL](#TsqlProcedure)  
  
##  <a name="BeforeYouBegin"></a> Before You Begin  
  
###  <a name="Restrictions"></a> Limitations and Restrictions  
 A [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent master job cannot be targeted at both local and remote servers.  
  
###  <a name="Security"></a> Security  
  
####  <a name="Permissions"></a> Permissions  
 Unless you are a member of the **sysadmin** fixed server role, you can only modify jobs that you own. For detailed information, see [Implement SQL Server Agent Security](../agent/implement-sql-server-agent-security.md).  
  
##  <a name="SSMSProcedure"></a> Using SQL Server Management Studio  
  
#### To add steps to a SQL Server Agent master job  
  
1.  In **Object Explorer,** click the plus sign to expand the server that contains the job to which you want to add steps.  
  
2.  Click the plus sign to expand **SQL Server Agent**.  
  
3.  Click the plus sign to expand the **Jobs** folder.  
  
4.  Right-click the job to which you want to add steps and select **Properties**.  
  
5.  In the **Job Properties -**_job_name_ dialog box, under **Select a page**, select **Steps**. For more information on the available options on this page, see [Job Properties:New Job &#40;Steps Page&#41;](../agent/job-properties-new-job-steps-page.md).  

6.  When finished, click **OK**.  
  
##  <a name="TsqlProcedure"></a> Using Transact-SQL  
  
#### To add steps to a SQL Server Agent master job  
  
1.  In **Object Explorer**, connect to an instance of [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)].  
  
2.  On the Standard bar, click **New Query**.  
  
3.  Copy and paste the following example into the query window and click **Execute**.  
  
    ```  
    -- creates a job step that changes database access to read-only for the Sales database.   
    -- specifies 5 retry attempts, with each retry to occur after a 5 minute wait.   
    -- assumes that the Weekly Sales Data Backup job already exists  
    USE msdb;  
    GO  
    EXEC sp_add_jobstep  
        @job_name = N'Weekly Sales Data Backup',  
        @step_name = N'Set database to read only',  
        @subsystem = N'TSQL',  
        @command = N'ALTER DATABASE SALES SET READ_ONLY',   
        @retry_attempts = 5,  
        @retry_interval = 5 ;  
    GO  
    ```  
  
 For more information, see [sp_add_jobstep &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](/sql/relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-add-jobstep-transact-sql).