Free template
Free SOP template: hand off a task without explaining it three times
Fill it in for one task in about 20 minutes. Copy it, print it or download the Word file, free and with no email.
Most SOP templates are built for an audit: a cover page, a scope statement and ten headings. This one is built for the person doing the task. It has the steps, the logins, what done looks like and when to stop and ask, on one page.
The SOP template: fill it in for one task in about 20 minutes
SOP: [task name]
Owner: [your name]. Runs it: [name or role]. Version: 1. Last checked: [date].
What this is for
- [One sentence: what gets done, and for whom.]
- Done means: [what finished looks like, so the person can check their own work]
When to run it
- [The trigger or the schedule, e.g. every Monday by 10 am, or when a new order comes in]
- Time it takes: about [__] minutes
Before you start
- Logins and tools: [apps, and how access is shared]
- Files and links: [where the inputs live]
Steps
- [One action per step, starting with a verb.] (about [__] min)
- [Next action.] (about [__] min)
- [Next action.] (about [__] min)
- [Next action.] (about [__] min)
- CRITICAL: [a step that must never be skipped, marked so nobody misses it]
Check before you finish
- [The two or three things to look at before calling it done]
Stop and ask if
- [The moments you want a message, not a guess: an amount over a limit, an upset customer, a missing file]
- Ask: [name], on [channel]. Expect a reply within [time].
Common mistakes
- [What went wrong last time, and how to avoid it]
Change log
- Version 1, [date]: first written by [name]
How to write an SOP someone else can follow, in 6 steps
Write it with the task open in front of you.
- Pick one task that happens every week and that you've explained more than once.
- Do the task yourself and write each step as you go, one action per line, starting with a verb.
- Add the logins and files they'll need, and where to find them.
- Write what done looks like, so they can check their own work.
- List the moments you'd want a message instead of a guess.
- Hand it over, watch them run it once, and fix any step they had to ask about.
An SOP example an assistant could run tomorrow
Mei and her invoices are made up, to show the format.
SOP: Send reminders for overdue invoices
Owner: Mei Tan. Runs it: assistant. Version: 3. Last checked: 6 October 2026.
What this is for
- Every client with an invoice past its due date gets one polite reminder a week, so cash comes in without Mei chasing it.
- Done means: every overdue invoice has a reminder sent this week, logged in the tracker, and anything over 30 days is flagged to Mei.
When to run it
- Every Monday, finished by 11 am
- Time it takes: about 40 minutes
Before you start
- Logins and tools: Xero (invoices), the accounts@ inbox in Gmail, the shared Overdue tracker sheet
- Files and links: reminder A and reminder B wording, in the Templates folder
Steps
- In Xero, open Invoices and filter to Overdue. (about 2 min)
- Copy the list into this week's tab of the Overdue tracker. (about 5 min)
- For each invoice 1 to 14 days late, send reminder A from the accounts@ inbox. (about 15 min)
- For each invoice 15 to 30 days late, send reminder B and copy in the client's main contact. (about 10 min)
- CRITICAL: skip anyone marked "Payment plan" in the tracker. They get no reminder.
- Log the date sent in the tracker, one row per invoice. (about 5 min)
- Message Mei one line: how many reminders went out, the total owed, and anything over 30 days. (about 3 min)
Check before you finish
- The reminders logged match the overdue invoices in Xero, minus payment plans
- Every reminder went from accounts@, not a personal address
Stop and ask if
- A client replies with a dispute, or says they've already paid
- One invoice is over $5,000 or more than 30 days late
- Ask: Mei, on the workspace chat. Expect a reply the same day.
Common mistakes
- Sending a reminder to a client on a payment plan. Check the tracker column first.
- Answering a dispute yourself. Forward it to Mei instead.
Change log
- Version 3, 6 October 2026: added the payment-plan check after a client on a plan got a reminder
- Version 2, 4 August 2026: split reminders into A and B by days late
- Version 1, 2 June 2026: first written by Mei
Five mistakes that make an SOP come back with questions
Each one turns into a message in your inbox.
- Steps that hold two actions. "Check the invoices and email the late ones" is two steps.
- No done line, so the only way to know it worked is to check it yourself.
- Missing logins. The first message you get back is "I can't get in".
- Writing from memory. You'll skip the step you do without thinking.
- Never updating it. When the task changes, change the SOP and add a line to the change log.
Hand the SOP to an assistant and check the work, not the person
The template is free. If you'd like an assistant to run it, that's what Catalyst does. If you work with a Catalyst assistant, this SOP goes into your client workspace, attached to the task it belongs to.
- We're the employer, so payroll and equipment are ours to run.
- Plans start from around $8.80 an hour, billed monthly per assistant.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SOP template?
A blank page with the parts every standard operating procedure needs: what the task is for, when to run it, what you need before you start, the steps, the checks and who to ask. You fill in one copy per task.
What should an SOP include?
The purpose, when it runs, the tools and logins, numbered steps with one action each, what done looks like, when to stop and ask, and a change log. The template above has a line for each.
How long should an SOP be?
One page for most tasks. If yours runs past two pages, it's probably two tasks, so split it.
Which SOP format should I use?
Numbered steps suit most office tasks. Use a checklist when the person already knows the task and mustn't skip anything, and a flowchart when the next step depends on a yes or no.
Can I use this SOP template in Google Docs?
Yes. Copy it into a new Google Doc, or upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs.
Who should write the SOP?
The person who does the task today, while they do it. Then the person taking it over runs it once while you watch, and you fix any step they had to ask about.
How often should I update an SOP?
Whenever the task changes, and whenever someone asks a question the SOP should have answered. Add a line to the change log each time.
Is the template free?
Yes. Copy it, print it or download it. No sign-up and no email.
Write the SOP, then give the task away
The template stays free either way.