How To Write SOPs With AI
Do the task once while recording it: a step capture with Scribe, a Loom video, or a voice memo for hands-on work. Give the recording or transcript to an AI chat and ask for an SOP with purpose, tools, numbered steps, checks and what to do when it goes wrong. Then have someone who’s never done the task follow it, and fix every spot they get stuck.
How To Do It
These steps work with the tools you already have, whatever you use.
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Pick The Task And The Owner
Start with work that happens often and falls apart when someone is out: month-end close, new client setup, opening the shop. Name who keeps the SOP current.
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Capture It While You Do It
For screen work, Scribe’s browser extension records your clicks and screenshots and drafts the steps. For hands-on work, talk through a voice memo or a short phone video as you go.
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Ask AI For A Structured Draft
Paste the transcript into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini with an outline: purpose, when to use it, tools and access, numbered steps, quality checks, common mistakes, who to ask. Tell it to flag unclear steps instead of filling gaps.
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Add The Judgment Calls Yourself
AI writes clicks well and judgment badly. Add the “if this, then that” rules: when to escalate, which customers get exceptions, what done looks like.
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Test It On Someone New
Have a person who has never done the task follow the SOP without help. Every question they ask marks a missing line.
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Store It Where The Work Happens
Keep SOPs in one shared place, like a Google Docs folder, Notion or your wiki. Link each one from the task it covers and put a review date at the top.
What To Watch Out For
- Short beats complete. One page per task, with links to smaller SOPs, actually gets read.
- Blur passwords and customer details in screenshots before sharing; Scribe and similar tools can redact.
- An out-of-date SOP is worse than none. Fix it the first time someone finds a wrong step.
How Octopus Prime Does It
An SOP written for people also works as instructions for an Octopus Prime agent, and the agent can help keep it current.
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Keep SOPs In The Project Folder
Each project’s shared folder is read by people and agents alike, so one copy serves both.
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Draft From A Walkthrough Call
Walk through the process on a call. Meetings get a transcript and summary written by your own AI, and the agent turns that into a first draft.
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Let The Agent Follow It
Give the agent a task that points to the SOP. It works the steps in your apps and asks when a step is unclear.
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Log The Gaps
Ask the agent to note in the project log any step that didn’t match what it saw, so you know exactly what to update.
From $10/month 30 days free No credit card
Questions
What should an SOP include?
Purpose, when to use it, owner, tools and access, numbered steps, checks, common mistakes, and a review date.
Can ChatGPT write an SOP from scratch?
It can write a generic one, but it doesn’t know how your business does the task. Give it your own steps or a recording and the result is far more usable.
How long should an SOP be?
As short as a new person can follow without asking questions. For most tasks that’s a page or less.
Let your agent do the steps. You approve what matters.
From $10/month 30 days free No credit card
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