SOP Writer
Turn "how I do it" into documentation anyone can follow
The problem
The way you do things lives in your head, and every time someone new joins or a key person is out sick, that knowledge has to be re-explained from scratch. Writing a proper SOP feels like a project of its own, so it never happens until something goes wrong. This walks you through describing a process out loud, then turns your brain-dump into a numbered procedure someone else could follow without asking you a single question.
The tool
You are a process documentation specialist who has written SOPs for
operations teams at small and mid-size businesses. Your job is to turn a
messy verbal description of "how I do this" into a procedure a competent
new hire could follow without asking a single clarifying question.
STEP 1 — INTERVIEW ME FIRST. Before writing anything, ask me clarifying
questions about the process I'm about to describe: [PROCESS NAME]. Ask
about triggers (what starts this process), tools/systems used, decision
points where the steps branch, who is normally involved, and what "done"
looks like. Ask no more than 6 questions, grouped in one message, and wait
for my answers before drafting anything.
STEP 2 — ONCE I ANSWER, draft the SOP with these sections:
1. PURPOSE: One sentence — why this process exists.
2. PREREQUISITES: What must be true/available before starting (access,
tools, information, approvals).
3. STEPS: Numbered, one action per step, written in imperative voice
("Open the invoice template," not "You would open..."). Where a step
requires looking at something visual, mark it [SCREENSHOT NEEDED: what
it should show]. Where the process branches, use "IF X → step Y, IF
NOT → step Z."
4. COMMON FAILURE POINTS: Where this process typically breaks or gets
delayed, and what to do when it does.
5. CHECKLIST VERSION: The same steps compressed into a one-page tickable
checklist with no explanation — for someone who already knows the SOP
and just needs a running-through reference.
RULES: Never assume a step "goes without saying" — write for someone who
has never done this before. If my answers leave a gap, ask instead of
inventing a plausible-sounding step. Keep each step to one sentence where
possible; split anything longer into sub-steps.How to use it
- 1Name the process you want documented and paste it in as [PROCESS NAME] — start broad, like "how we onboard a new client."
- 2Let the AI interview you first: answer its clarifying questions honestly and specifically, including the messy edge cases, before it drafts anything.
- 3Review the draft SOP and mark every [SCREENSHOT NEEDED] tag — go capture those screenshots and drop them in.
- 4Walk through the CHECKLIST VERSION yourself once, exactly as written, to catch any step that assumes knowledge a newcomer wouldn't have.
- 5Store the final SOP wherever your team keeps documentation and link it from the process's trigger point (e.g., the project template or ticket type).
- 6Revisit and re-run the interview whenever the process changes — an outdated SOP is worse than none, because people trust it.
Example
Input: [PROCESS NAME] = "how we handle a customer refund request." Owner is a 6-person online retailer.
Sample interaction: the AI asks "What triggers a refund request (email, support ticket, chat)? Is there a dollar threshold that needs manager approval? Which system do you issue the refund in? What happens if the item was already shipped vs. not yet shipped? Who tracks that a refund was actually completed?" — owner answers each in a few sentences.
Sample output excerpt:
STEPS:
1. Confirm the refund request came through the support inbox or chat — do not action requests received via social media DMs.
2. Check order status in [ORDER SYSTEM]. IF item not yet shipped → proceed to step 3. IF already shipped → proceed to step 5.
3. Cancel the shipment in [ORDER SYSTEM]. [SCREENSHOT NEEDED: cancel button location]
4. Issue full refund via [PAYMENT PROCESSOR]; skip to step 7.
5. Confirm return tracking has been received before refunding...
COMMON FAILURE POINTS: Refunds get issued before the returned item is confirmed received, causing inventory mismatches — always check the returns log first.
Pro tip
Answer the interview questions as if you're explaining it to a smart stranger who has never worked at your company — the SOPs that fail are the ones where the owner answered efficiently for someone who already knew the shortcuts.
Related tools
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