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SOP Template: Free Standard Operating Procedure Template for Word and Google Docs

This free SOP template is a complete standard operating procedure for one routine task, with its purpose, who does it, what you need, numbered steps, exceptions, a done check and a revision history. Download it for Word, or open it in Google Docs.

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Standard operating procedure: [Task name]

SOP details

SOP number
Process owner
Version
Status
Effective date
Next review
Kept in

Purpose

[What this task gets done, and why it matters, in one or two sentences.]

When to use this

Use this procedure every time [what starts the task, such as a request arriving by email].

  • Who does it: [Role]
  • Who approves: [Role]
  • Who reads this guide: [Role, and what they already know]
  • Not covered: [Related cases this guide leaves out]

Inputs

Have these ready before step 1:

  • [Information you need, such as dates, names or amounts]
  • [Tools, files and forms, by their exact names]
  • [Access you need, such as edit rights to a shared calendar]

Steps

  1. [Role] [does the first thing] in [tool]. Result: [what is true when it’s done].
  2. [Role] checks [what]. If [something is missing], see Exceptions.
  3. [Role] [does the next thing]. Result: [what is true when it’s done].
  4. [Approver] approves [what] before [the step that can’t be undone].
  5. [Role] [finishes the task] and tells [who]. Result: [the task is done].

Exceptions

When the task can’t go on as written, stop and follow this table. Don’t work around a required check.

IfThenWho decides
[Something is missing][What to do, such as ask for it and wait][Role]
[A case with no rule yet][Stop and ask before doing anything][Process owner]

Done check

The task is done when:

  • [What is recorded, and where]
  • [Who has been told]
  • [What has been approved, and by whom]

Revision history

VersionDateWhat changedApproved by
0.1[Date]First draft

The whole template. Replace the words in [brackets] with your own. Updated 14 Nov 2026.

What goes in each section

SOP detailsThe number, if you number your SOPs, and the process owner: the one person who keeps it right. Status stays Draft until someone new has tried it and the owner approves it. Next review is an event, such as a new tool, or a date. Kept in is where your team finds it.
PurposeOne or two sentences on what the task gets done and why it matters. Leave out the background.
When to use thisWhat starts the task, who does it, who approves it and who will read the guide. Say what it doesn’t cover, so nobody stretches it to fit.
InputsEverything to have before step 1: the information, the tools, files and forms by their exact names, and any access. Never write down passwords.
StepsOne action a step, in order. Start with who does it and end with what is true when it’s done. Put each approval where it happens, before anything that can’t be undone.
ExceptionsWhat to do when the task can’t go on as written: what went wrong, what to do and who decides. A case with no rule yet goes here too, with who to ask.
Done checkHow anyone can tell the task is finished: what is recorded, where, and who has been told.
Revision historyOne row for each version: what changed and who approved it. Number drafts 0.1, 0.2 and so on, and the first approved version 1.0.

Example: SOP, filled in

A fictional example, filled in. The names and details are made up.

Standard operating procedure: Room booking requests

SOP details

SOP number
OPS-01
Process owner
Noor
Version
1.0
Status
Approved
Effective date
2026-11-09
Next review
When there is a rule for groups above 8, or on 2027-05-09
Kept in
Office procedures folder

Purpose

Book the meeting room for requests that fit, with Noor’s approval, so that every request gets an answer and no booking is confirmed without her.

When to use this

Use this procedure every time a room booking request arrives.

  • Who does it: the office coordinator
  • Who approves: Noor, before any booking is confirmed
  • Who reads this guide: a new coordinator, or anyone covering for one
  • Not covered: groups above 8 people, which have no rule yet (see Exceptions)

Inputs

Have these ready before step 1:

  • The request’s date, start time, end time and headcount
  • The shared Room Calendar
  • Noor, to approve each booking

Steps

  1. The coordinator checks that the request has a date, start time, end time and headcount. If any is missing, see Exceptions.
  2. The coordinator looks up the date and times in the shared Room Calendar.
  3. If the room is free and the headcount is 8 or fewer, the coordinator prepares the booking and sends it to Noor. Result: a booking waiting for approval.
  4. Noor approves the booking. Nothing is confirmed before she does.
  5. The coordinator records the approved booking and confirms it to the requester. Result: the requester has a confirmed room.

Exceptions

When the task can’t go on as written, stop and follow this table. Don’t work around a required check.

IfThenWho decides
A date, start time, end time or headcount is missingAsk the requester for it. Don’t book until it arrives.The coordinator
The room is busy at that timeDon’t offer another time yet. Ask Noor.Noor
The group is larger than 8No rule yet. Don’t book or decline it. Ask Noor.Noor

Done check

The task is done when:

  • Noor has approved the booking.
  • The approved booking is recorded.
  • The coordinator has confirmed it to the requester.

Revision history

VersionDateWhat changedApproved by
0.12026-11-02First draft, from Noor’s description of the task
0.22026-11-05Named who records the approved booking, after a colleague tried the guide on a made-up request
1.02026-11-09Approved for useNoor

Tips

  • Write the steps the way the task is done today, not the way it should be done. Improve it in the next version.
  • Use the exact names of your tools, forms and folders, so nobody has to guess which one you mean.
  • Write down each case that has no rule yet, and who decides it. Don’t make up a rule to fill the gap.
  • Before you approve it, ask someone who doesn’t know the task to try it on a made-up example. Fix every place where they get stuck.

SOP questions

Is this SOP template free?
Yes. Download it and use it as you like. There is no signup.
Does it work in Word and Google Docs?
Yes. The Word file opens in Word. For Google Docs, upload it to Google Drive and open it there. The headings, numbered steps, tables and highlighted placeholders come across.
How long should an SOP be?
As short as the task allows. For one routine task, one or two pages is usually enough. If one step needs a page of detail, such as which buttons to press, write it as a separate work instruction and point to it.
What’s the difference between an SOP, a work instruction and a policy?
A policy sets a rule and says why it exists. An SOP says who does what, in what order, to carry out a task. A work instruction shows how to do one step in detail.
How often should you review an SOP?
Whenever the task changes, such as a new tool, a new rule or a new person doing it. Also set a date, so it gets checked even when nothing seems to change. Write both under Next review.