A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a written set of instructions that explains how to do a routine task the same way every time. Good SOPs make work predictable, cut down on "how do I…?" questions, make onboarding faster, and keep knowledge in the company when people move on.
The problem is that most SOPs are either never written or written once and never read. This guide shows you how to write an SOP that people actually follow, with a simple template you can copy.
What is an SOP?
An SOP describes who does a task, when and why it's done, and exactly how to do it, step by step. It's narrower than a policy (which says what must happen) and more detailed than a process map (which shows how work flows between people).
Common examples:
- Processing a refund in your billing system
- Onboarding a new employee in your HR tool
- Running month-end close in accounting software
- Resetting a user's password in the identity portal
- Publishing a blog post in your CMS
If a task is repeated, has a right and wrong way to do it, or causes problems when someone forgets a step, it deserves an SOP.
What to include in an SOP
A useful SOP fits on a few pages and covers these parts:
- Title and ID. A clear name such as "Process a customer refund", plus a number if you track documents.
- Purpose. One or two sentences on why the task matters.
- Scope. When the SOP applies, and when it doesn't.
- Roles. Who does the task and who approves it.
- Prerequisites. Access, tools or information needed before starting.
- Procedure. The numbered steps, each with one action and, ideally, a screenshot.
- Expected result. What "done" looks like, so the reader can check their work.
- Troubleshooting. The two or three things that usually go wrong, and what to do.
- Owner and revision history. Who keeps it up to date, and when it last changed.
How to write an SOP in 7 steps
1. Pick one task and define the outcome
Start small. "Customer support" is too broad for one SOP; "Issue a partial refund in Stripe" is right. Write down the result the reader should end up with.
2. Talk to the person who does it best
The best SOPs come from watching an expert do the task, not from memory. Ask them to do it while you watch, and note the decisions they make along the way, not just the clicks.
3. Capture every step as it happens
This is where most SOPs fall apart. Doing the task takes five minutes; taking screenshots, cropping them and describing every click can take an hour. The easiest approach is to record the task once and turn the recording into steps.
On a Mac, a tool like Steppr does this automatically: press a shortcut, do the task, and every click and keystroke becomes a numbered step with a screenshot. If you prefer to do it by hand, see how to make a step-by-step guide in Word.
4. Write one action per step
Each step should start with a verb and describe a single action:
- Good: "Click Refund in the payment details panel."
- Not good: "Go to the payment, find the refund option and enter the amount, then confirm."
Use the exact names of buttons and fields as they appear on screen, in bold, so readers can match words to what they see.
5. Add screenshots and highlight what matters
A screenshot for every step removes guesswork. Highlight the button or field the step refers to with a box or circle, and blur or crop anything sensitive, such as customer names or emails.
6. Test it with someone who's never done the task
Hand the SOP to a colleague who has never done the task and watch them follow it without help. Every time they hesitate or ask a question, fix that step.
7. Publish it where people look, and set a review date
An SOP nobody can find is useless. Store it in the shared place your team already uses, link to it from the tools where the task happens, and put a review date on it, for example every six months or whenever the software changes.
A simple SOP template
Copy this structure for your next SOP:
Title: Process a customer refund
Purpose: Refund customers correctly and consistently, and keep records for finance.
Scope: Full and partial refunds for card payments. Not for chargebacks.
Roles: Support agent (performs), support lead (approves refunds over $500).
Prerequisites: Admin access to the billing system; the customer's order number.
Procedure: 1. Open the order. 2. Click Refund. 3. Enter the amount. 4. Choose a reason. 5. Click Confirm refund. 6. Add a note to the ticket.
Expected result: The customer receives a refund confirmation email; the order shows "Refunded".
Troubleshooting: If Refund is greyed out, the payment is still pending. Wait 24 hours.
Owner: Support lead. Last reviewed: (date)
SOP formats: which one to use
- Step-by-step list. Best for software tasks and short, linear procedures. This is the format most teams need.
- Hierarchical steps. Main steps with sub-steps, for longer tasks with several parts.
- Flowchart. For tasks with decisions, such as "if the refund is over $500, ask for approval".
- Video. Great for showing a task in motion. Ideally, pair it with a written version people can skim.
With Steppr, one recording can be exported as a PDF, as one image per step, or as an MP4 video, so you don't have to choose.
Common SOP mistakes
- Too much at once. One SOP per task. Link related SOPs instead of combining them.
- Written from memory. Steps get skipped. Record or watch the task being done.
- No screenshots. Readers lose their place. Add one per step.
- Never updated. Software changes. Give every SOP an owner and a review date.
- Hidden away. Put SOPs where the work happens, not in a folder nobody opens.
Write your next SOP in minutes
The slowest part of writing an SOP is capturing the steps. Steppr removes that part: record the task once on your Mac and it writes the numbered steps, adds a screenshot for each one, and turns your narration into the descriptions. Everything runs on your Mac, and it costs $9.99 once. Try it free for 14 days.