SOP Template You Can Copy, Plus an AI Prompt to Fill It In
A copy-ready SOP template, a worked mailroom procedures example, an office manager daily checklist, and the AI prompt that turns rough notes into a clean SOP.
For Managers, Operations and Accounting
What is an SOP template?
An SOP (standard operating procedure) template is a fill-in-the-blank document that captures how one recurring task gets done: why it exists, who owns it, what you need, the steps in order, what to do when something goes wrong, and how to know it was done correctly. A good template is one page for simple tasks and a few pages for complex ones. Below you get the template itself, two worked examples (a mailroom procedure and an office manager daily checklist), and an AI prompt that turns your rough notes into a finished draft.
TL;DR
- Use one template for every procedure so readers always know where to look for the owner, the steps and the exceptions.
- Write steps as single actions that start with a verb, with the expected result when it isn't obvious.
- Give AI your raw material (messy notes, a recorded walkthrough transcript, an old email thread) and tell it to flag gaps instead of filling them in.
- Never publish an AI-written SOP unchecked. Someone who actually does the work must walk through it once, step by step.
- An SOP needs an owner and a review date, or it quietly becomes wrong within a year.
- A daily checklist is a different document from an SOP. The checklist is the short list you tick off; the SOP explains how to do each item.
The SOP template (copy this)
Paste this into a Word doc, Google Doc, Notion page or wiki. Everything in brackets is yours to replace.
SOP TITLE: [Verb + object, e.g. "Process incoming mail and packages"]
DOCUMENT CONTROL
Owner: [Name and role]
Backup: [Name and role]
Last reviewed: [Date]
Next review due: [Date, usually 6 to 12 months out]
Version: [1.0]
1. PURPOSE
Why this procedure exists, in one or two sentences.
2. SCOPE
Who this applies to, which locations or teams, and what it does NOT cover.
3. WHEN THIS RUNS
Trigger or schedule (e.g. "Every weekday at 9:00" or "When a new hire is approved").
4. ROLES
Who does what. One line per role.
5. WHAT YOU NEED
Tools, systems, access, forms, supplies. Include where to find them.
6. PROCEDURE
Step 1. [Verb + action.] Result: [what you should see]
Step 2. [Verb + action.]
Step 3. [Verb + action.]
(Keep each step to one action. Use sub-steps only when needed.)
7. EXCEPTIONS AND ESCALATION
If [problem], then [action]. If unresolved after [time], contact [name/role].
8. QUALITY CHECK
How you know it was done right. What gets recorded, and where.
9. RELATED DOCUMENTS
Links to policies, forms, other SOPs.
10. CHANGE LOG
[Date] [Name] [What changed and why]
Two notes on the structure. Section 7 is the one most teams skip, and it is the one people open the document for at 4:45 on a bad day. Section 2 (scope) prevents most arguments, because it states what the procedure does not cover.
How do you write an SOP with AI?
AI is good at the part people dislike: turning messy material into a clean, consistently formatted draft. It is bad at knowing how your workplace really operates. So the split is simple. You supply the facts. AI supplies the structure and the wording. You verify.
- Collect raw material. Any of these work: bullet notes from the person who does the task, a transcript of them talking through it (most video meeting tools can produce one), an old email explaining the process to a new hire, or screenshots with captions.
- Check what you are allowed to paste. Many companies restrict which AI tools can see internal information. Use the tool your company approves. Remove personal data (employee home addresses, customer names, account numbers) before pasting.
- Paste the template and the prompt below, followed by your raw material.
- Answer the questions AI asks. A good prompt makes it list gaps rather than guess.
- Walk the draft. Have someone who does the task, or a new person, follow it literally. Fix every place they hesitate.
- Publish with an owner and a review date.
The AI prompt to paste
You are helping me write a standard operating procedure (SOP) for people who
are not experts in this task. Use the template below exactly, in the same order.
RULES
- Use only the information in my raw notes. Do not invent steps, names, systems,
deadlines, or policies.
- Where information is missing or unclear, write [CONFIRM: what is needed]
in that spot.
- Write each step as one action starting with a verb. Add "Result:" when the
outcome is not obvious.
- Use plain language. Define any abbreviation the first time.
- Put anything that sounds like a legal, safety, financial-control or
compliance requirement in a separate list at the end called
"Items a human must verify."
- After the SOP, list the 5 questions a new employee would most likely still
have after reading it.
TEMPLATE
[paste the template from above]
RAW NOTES
[paste your notes, transcript, or email thread here]
What to check in the answer
- Every [CONFIRM] tag. These are the gaps. Resolve them with the person who knows.
- Step order. AI sometimes reorders steps into what sounds logical rather than what actually happens.
- Invented detail. Look for specific times, system names, approval limits or phone numbers that were not in your notes. Delete or verify them.
- Missing exceptions. Ask the doer, "What goes wrong most often?" and make sure it is in section 7.
- Tone. SOPs should read like instructions, not policy statements.
Where not to trust AI
Do not rely on AI for anything with legal, safety or financial consequences: handling hazardous packages, cash handling limits, record retention periods, approval thresholds. It can write these sections fluently and still be wrong for your company or jurisdiction. Get them from the policy owner (legal, finance, safety, HR) and cite the policy in section 9.
What does a filled-in SOP look like? (Mailroom procedures example)
People searching for a mailroom procedures SOP usually want to see a real one. Here is a shortened, filled-in version. Treat the specifics (times, locations, carriers) as placeholders for your site.
SOP TITLE: Receive, log and deliver incoming mail and packages
DOCUMENT CONTROL
Owner: Facilities Coordinator
Backup: Office Manager
Last reviewed: [date] Next review due: [date] Version: 1.2
1. PURPOSE
Make sure every item delivered to the building reaches the right person,
with a record of who received it and when.
2. SCOPE
Applies to letters, parcels and courier deliveries at [location]. Does not
cover outgoing shipping or hazardous materials (see Safety SOP-07).
3. WHEN THIS RUNS
Carrier deliveries arrive between [window]. Mail is sorted by [time] each
business day. Final delivery rounds at [times].
4. ROLES
Mail handler: receives, logs, sorts and delivers.
Recipient: collects or signs for items.
Office Manager: resolves unclaimed or damaged items.
5. WHAT YOU NEED
Package log [link], label printer, scanner, storage shelves, delivery cart.
6. PROCEDURE
Step 1. Check the carrier's ID or uniform before accepting a delivery.
Step 2. Inspect each item for visible damage. Photograph any damage before
signing. Result: damage is documented before you accept it.
Step 3. Sign for items only if the addressee or company name matches
someone at this location.
Step 4. Log each package in the package log: date, carrier, recipient,
item count, condition.
Step 5. Attach a recipient label and place it on the correct shelf by
floor or department.
Step 6. Send the recipient a notification [by email/chat template link].
Step 7. Sort letters into department slots.
Step 8. Run the delivery round at the scheduled times. Get a signature or
scan for items marked "signature required."
Step 9. Update the log with the pickup or delivery time.
7. EXCEPTIONS AND ESCALATION
- Addressee not found: check the employee directory, then ask the Office
Manager. Hold for 2 business days, then return to carrier.
- Package damaged: photograph, notify the recipient and the Office Manager,
keep the packaging.
- Package leaking, smelling unusual, or otherwise suspicious: do not open
or move it. Follow the Safety SOP-07 and contact [security contact].
- Wrong-location delivery: notify the carrier the same day.
8. QUALITY CHECK
End of day: every item in the log has a status of delivered or held.
Weekly: Office Manager reviews items held more than 5 business days.
9. RELATED DOCUMENTS
Safety SOP-07, Outgoing shipping SOP, Employee directory.
10. CHANGE LOG
[date] [name] Added step 2 photo requirement after damaged delivery dispute.
Notice what makes this useful: each step is one action, the dangerous case points to a separate safety document instead of improvising, and the change log shows why a step exists.
What goes on an office manager daily checklist?
An office manager daily checklist is a short, tickable list organized by time of day. It points to SOPs for the details. Most office managers cover the same four areas: the space, supplies and vendors, people and visitors, and admin. Here is a starting point to edit.
OFFICE MANAGER DAILY CHECKLIST
Date: ______ Completed by: ______
OPENING (before staff arrive)
[ ] Open the doors, disarm alarm, turn on lights and HVAC as needed
[ ] Walk the floor: reception, kitchen, meeting rooms, restrooms
[ ] Check kitchen and restroom supplies; restock
[ ] Check meeting room bookings; set up rooms for early meetings
[ ] Check the facilities and IT request inbox; triage anything urgent
[ ] Review today's visitors and deliveries; prepare badges
MORNING
[ ] Receive and log mail and packages (see Mailroom SOP)
[ ] Confirm catering or deliveries for today's events
[ ] Respond to staff requests received overnight
[ ] Check on any open vendor or repair tickets
MIDDAY
[ ] Walk the floor again; reset meeting rooms
[ ] Process invoices or expense items due today
[ ] Follow up on anything waiting on a vendor reply
AFTERNOON
[ ] Final mail and package delivery round
[ ] Confirm tomorrow's visitors, room bookings and deliveries
[ ] Reorder supplies that hit the reorder level
CLOSING
[ ] Final walk-through: lights, equipment, windows, kitchen
[ ] Secure restricted areas; lock up and arm alarm
[ ] Note issues for tomorrow: ______________________
Add weekly and monthly lists separately (fire extinguisher and first aid checks, supplier invoice review, seating changes). Putting everything on the daily list makes people stop reading it.
How to build this checklist with AI
Give AI your real week, not a generic job description:
Here is what I did last week as an office manager at a [number]-person office
at [type of company]. Turn it into a daily checklist grouped by time of day,
plus separate weekly and monthly lists. Mark each item with the SOP it should
link to, and list any recurring tasks that have no SOP yet. Do not add tasks
I did not mention; instead, list "Commonly missed tasks to consider" at the
end so I can decide.
MY NOTES
[paste a rough list of what you did each day]
The last instruction matters. AI will often suggest safety checks and compliance items that sound right but may not apply to your building. Keeping those in a separate list lets you decide.
How do you make people actually use an SOP?
Most SOPs fail because nobody can find them or nobody trusts them. A few habits fix both.
- Store them in one place with a clear naming pattern (verb first: "Process vendor invoices").
- Link to the SOP from where the work happens: the ticket, the form, the checklist.
- Keep them short. If a procedure runs past two or three pages, split it into separate SOPs.
- Use screenshots for software steps, but caption them in words so the SOP survives a screen redesign.
- Ask new hires to follow the SOP on their first attempt and mark where it confused them. They find gaps experienced people cannot see.
- Fix the SOP when someone finds a mistake. Put the date in the change log so people see it is maintained.
How often should you review an SOP?
Review at least once a year, and sooner whenever the tool, the vendor, the policy or the team changes. High-risk or high-volume procedures deserve a six-month check. Put the next review date in the document header and put the reminder in the owner's calendar, because a date in a header that nobody sees does nothing. AI can help here too: paste in the current SOP and a description of what changed, and ask it to propose edits and update the change log. Review the edits as you would any other draft.
SOP vs checklist vs work instruction: which one do you need?
| Document | Use it when | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Checklist | The person already knows how; they need to remember everything | Under a page |
| SOP | The task recurs, has several steps, and must be done consistently | 1 to 3 pages |
| Work instruction | A single step needs detail, such as configuring one system | Short, often with screenshots |
| Policy | You are stating a rule, not a procedure | Varies |
Most teams need checklists that link to SOPs, and SOPs that link to policies.
Could you build your own SOP tracker instead of managing it in a spreadsheet?
Once you have ten or more SOPs, the weak point is usually not the writing but the upkeep: who owns which one, which are overdue for review, who has read the latest version. Many teams track this in a spreadsheet nobody updates. With Remy, you can describe that tool in plain English and get a working app: an SOP library with owners and review dates, sign-in with roles so only owners can edit, a "request a new procedure" form, and scheduled email reminders when a review is due. Remy builds and deploys full-stack apps from a description, and the code stays yours in a git repo. It is a paid product with a 30-day free trial, so check the pricing page before you plan around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an SOP include at a minimum?
At minimum: a title, an owner, the purpose, who it applies to, the steps in order, and what to do when something goes wrong. Add a review date so it does not go stale. Everything else in the template above is useful but secondary.
Can AI write an SOP from a video or meeting recording?
Yes, if you have a transcript. Walk through the task out loud while recording, get the transcript, and paste it with the prompt above. Expect gaps and some wrong ordering, since people skip steps they do by habit. Have someone follow the draft to catch them, and check that your company allows recordings to be processed by the AI tool you use.
How long should an SOP be?
As short as it can be while still letting a new person do the task correctly. One page covers most routine tasks. If you pass three pages, split the procedure into parts, each with its own SOP, and link them.
Who should own an SOP?
The person closest to the work, ideally the one who does it most often, with a named backup. Managers approve it, but they should not be the only author. A procedure owned by someone who never performs it tends to drift away from reality.
What is the difference between an SOP and a daily checklist?
An SOP explains how to do a task and why, including exceptions. A daily checklist is a short list of tasks to confirm were done, often with one line per item. Use the checklist for the routine and link each line to an SOP for the details.
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