Write a Standard Operating Procedure from a Brain-Dump
Use this prompt immediately after pasting or dictating a rough brain-dump description of a weekly business task. It converts your unorganized description into a structured, one-page SOP a staff member can follow without asking questions.
The Prompt
You are helping me document a business process as a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). I've described the task above in rough terms. Turn it into a structured SOP with the following sections: 1. Title — a plain-language name for the task 2. Purpose — one sentence explaining why this task matters 3. Scope — who runs this task and how often 4. Required tools and materials — list every tool, login, template, or resource needed to complete this task 5. Step-by-step instructions — numbered, one action per step, written so a new team member with no prior context can follow them without asking questions 6. If something goes wrong — list the 2–3 most likely problems and what to do about each Keep the total length to one page. Use plain language. Do not include steps I didn't mention — if you're unsure about a detail, flag it with [OWNER TO CONFIRM] rather than guessing. Format for [Google Docs / Notion / plain text — choose one].
From the guide
How to use AI to write a simple Standard Operating Procedure for a task your business does every week so any staff member can run it without you →Related Prompts
Format an SOP for Google Docs with Headings
Use this after generating your SOP draft when you want to store and share the document in Google Docs. Paste the existing SOP text and add this instruction to get properly formatted output.
Format an SOP as Notion Markdown
Use this after generating your SOP draft when you want to store and share the document in Notion. Paste the existing SOP text and add this instruction to get properly formatted output.
Shorten an SOP to Fit on One Page
Use this as a follow-up prompt when the AI returns an SOP that is too long — typically because your brain-dump covered multiple sub-tasks or you didn't include a length constraint in the original prompt.
Revise SOP Steps to Be More Specific
Use this as a follow-up message when the initial SOP draft comes back with generic steps that don't match your actual process. Add your specific details in place of the bracketed placeholder.