Guide · Operations
How to Write an SOP
To write an SOP, pick one repeatable task, perform it while recording each action, then write those actions as numbered single-verb steps with an owner, prerequisites, decision points and a definition of done. Test it with someone who has never done the task, fix what confused them, and set a review date.
Updated August 2026
Step by step
1. Choose the right task first
Start where the pain is measurable. Good candidates are tasks done at least weekly, tasks where mistakes cost money, and tasks only one person can currently perform. Resist the urge to document everything; five useful procedures beat forty abandoned ones.
2. Capture the process as it actually runs
Do the task with the template open, or watch someone do it and narrate. Record the real sequence, including the workarounds. Documenting the idealised version produces a procedure nobody follows and everyone quietly ignores.
3. Write steps as single actions
- Start each step with a verb: open, check, record, confirm, send.
- One action per step. Split anything containing "and".
- Put decisions in if/then form so the reader is never stuck.
- Add a photo or screenshot wherever a description would need three sentences.
4. Add the frame around the steps
Steps alone are not an SOP. Add purpose, scope, owner by role, prerequisites, quality checks, escalation path, version and review date. This frame is what makes the document usable by someone who was not there when it was written.
5. Test it on a beginner
Hand the draft to someone who has never performed the task and watch without helping. Every pause, question or wrong turn marks a defect in the SOP, not in the person. Fix those points and the procedure is usually finished.
6. Publish, own and review
Store it where the work happens and name it predictably. Assign an owning role, set a review date, and update it as part of resolving incidents. An SOP with no owner has a shelf life of about one quarter.
Worked example
Example
Worked example: turning a messy task into a procedure
- Task chosen — month-end invoicing, currently done by the owner from memory in three hours.
- Capture — recorded 14 actions, 3 of which were undocumented workarounds around the accounting software.
- Rewrite — 11 numbered steps, 2 if/then decisions for disputed jobs and retainer clients.
- Frame — owner: Finance Admin; prerequisites: completed job sheets and approved timesheets; done when: all invoices issued and the aged debtors report is refreshed.
- Test — administrator ran it unaided in 95 minutes, flagged two unclear steps about credit notes.
- Result — task delegated permanently; the owner now reviews the exception list only.
Common mistakes
- Trying to document the entire business in one project.
- Writing in paragraphs rather than numbered actions.
- Assuming knowledge the reader does not have, especially software navigation.
- No owner, no version, no review date.
- Storing procedures somewhere nobody opens during the work.
Use the free template
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to write one SOP?
- Between 45 minutes and two hours for most operational tasks, including the beginner test. Anything taking a full day is usually several procedures bundled together.
- What should an SOP contain at minimum?
- Purpose, scope, owner, prerequisites, numbered steps, definition of done and a review date. Everything else is optional.
- Should SOPs be written by the owner or the team?
- By the person doing the task, edited by someone who does not do it. That combination catches both inaccuracy and assumed knowledge.
- How often should SOPs be reviewed?
- Every six to twelve months, plus immediately after any incident the procedure failed to prevent.
Related resources
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