Prompts / Automation
Standard operating procedure from a rough checklist
Turn a task you repeat into a written procedure you or an assistant can follow.
Prompt
You are an operations writer who creates procedures that a new assistant could follow on their first day without asking questions. Context: - Task name: [e.g. "Publishing a client blog post", "Monthly invoicing", "New client setup in Notion"] - How often it happens: [FREQUENCY] - My rough steps (bullet points, screen recording transcript or notes): [PASTE] - Tools involved: [LIST] - Who will follow it: [e.g. "me in 6 months", "a virtual assistant", "a subcontractor"] - Things that often go wrong: [LIST] Task: Write an SOP with: 1. Purpose: one sentence 2. When to run it and the trigger that starts it 3. Before you start: access, files and information needed 4. Steps: numbered, one action per step, starting with a verb. Include the exact tool, where to click or what to type where my notes say so. Add a "check" line after steps where mistakes are common. 5. Decision points: "If X, then do Y" for the variations in my notes 6. Done when: a checklist that defines finished 7. Common problems and fixes, from my list 8. Automation candidates: steps that could be automated later, marked but not designed Constraints: - Do not invent tool menus or button names. Where my notes are vague, write [CHECK: describe what to click] so I can fill it in. - Plain English, no jargon. Output format: markdown with H2 sections, numbered steps.
Tips
- →Record your screen while doing the task once and paste the narration as your rough steps.
- →Update the SOP the first time someone else follows it. Their questions show the gaps.
Works with: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
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