25 Tips for Writing Process Docs, SOPs, and How-to Guides

Click on any of these tips to learn more…

1. Keep things simple — most people make things too complicated.
2. Make them visual — nobody wants to read text.
3. Start with the basics — a title, description, and video is all you need.
4. Prioritize and ship — focus on what moves the needle the most first.
5. Establish an “ask the KB” policy — this saves everyone a headache.
6. Use templates — don’t reinvent the wheel.
7. Stop bottlenecking the process — don’t do everything yourself.
8. Use (a lot) less words — refine your brain dumps.
9. Make them easy to find — stop using folders; use libraries instead.
10. Leverage existing assets — don’t recreate; repurpose.
11. Use the best tools — hint: it’s not Google Docs.
12. Ensure they look good on all devices — this should be automatic.
13. Embed into existing workflows — embed inside the workflow.
14. Empower your team to create — create a culture of documentation.
15. Create a source of truth — versions are your enemy.
16. Professional docs are better — design matters.
17. Provide quick reference guides — nobody remembers everything.
18. Make them engaging — people don’t have attention spans.
19. Limit access — stop overwhelming people with info.
20. Iterate — your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect.
21. Use bite-size pieces — make it easy for everyone.
22. Create reusable resources — don’t repeat yourself.
23. Capture knowledge from key team members — no time like the present.
24. Get feedback — be open to improvement.
25. Write subtractively — start with a lot and subtract as much as possible.

‍