DevNet Professional study guide
DevNet Professional · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The DevNet Professional credential - also searched as CCNP Automation or Cisco Certified DevNet Professional - is Cisco's professional-level certification for network engineers who design, build, and operate automated network infrastructure. It sits above associate-level automation study and targets practitioners who already write code, consume APIs, and want to demonstrate job-ready automation skills across Cisco platforms and delivery pipelines. This independent study page organizes preparation around four equally weighted domains: network automation and programmability fundamentals; Cisco platforms and API usage; automation development and CI/CD pipelines; and network automation design and operations. Each domain carries 25 percent of the blueprint, so no single topic can be skipped - candidates who over-invest in Python syntax while neglecting platform APIs or pipeline design tend to lose points evenly across the exam. The DevNet Professional study guide has 4 sections and about 1,558 words.
01Network automation and programmability fundamentals
Network automation and programmability fundamentals covers the data formats, API styles, and model-driven interfaces that make network devices programmable. DevNet Professional candidates must distinguish device-level APIs from controller APIs and know when a model-driven workflow is declarative rather than a scripted sequence of CLI commands.
419 words, about 2 min02Cisco platforms and API usage
This domain checks that you can choose the right Cisco platform API for a task and handle its authentication, pagination, rate limits, and error model. The exam expects working knowledge of DNA Center, Meraki Dashboard, IOS XE, NSO, SD-WAN vManage, ACI, Webex, Intersight, and FTD.
377 words, about 2 min03Automation development and CI/CD pipelines
Automation development and CI/CD pipelines covers Python automation, Git workflows, infrastructure as code, testing, and pipeline design for network changes. The exam focuses on repeatable, reviewable changes with automated verification, not on writing a single script.
393 words, about 2 min04Network automation design and operations
Network automation design and operations covers designing automation that operates safely at scale: source of truth, intent, workflow, observability, and operational handoff. It tests architecture decisions and failure behavior, not just API calls.
369 words, about 2 min