Coda AI Prompt for Process Documentation

This prompt helps you document internal processes into clear SOPs that anyone on your team can follow. Perfect for operations managers, team leads, and anyone responsible for training or onboarding. Coda AI will transform messy workflows into step-by-step guides that maintain consistency across your team.

Works Best With: Coda AI | Also works with: Notion AI, ChatGPT, Claude

The Prompt

Create a standard operating procedure (SOP) for [PROCESS NAME].

Process context:
– What this process does: [PURPOSE AND OUTCOME]
– Who performs it: [ROLE OR TEAM]
– How often: [FREQUENCY – daily, weekly, quarterly, as-needed]
– Why it matters: [BUSINESS IMPACT IF DONE WRONG]
– Current pain points: [WHERE PEOPLE GET CONFUSED OR MAKE MISTAKES]

Document structure:
1. Overview (what this is, why we do it, expected outcome)
2. Prerequisites (access needed, tools required, knowledge assumed)
3. Step-by-Step Process (numbered, detailed, actionable)
4. Decision Points (if X happens, do Y; if Z happens, do A)
5. Quality Checks (how to verify it was done correctly)
6. Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
7. Troubleshooting (what to do when things go wrong)
8. Who to Ask for Help (escalation contacts)
9. Related Processes (what comes before/after this)

For each step include:
– Action verb (what to do)
– Expected outcome (what success looks like)
– Screenshots or visual references needed (note where)
– Estimated time

Write for someone doing this for the first time.
Use simple language, avoid jargon.

When to Use This Prompt

• You’re onboarding new team members and need repeatable training materials
• You’re the only person who knows how to do something and need to document it
• Processes are done inconsistently across your team and causing errors
• You want to reduce dependency on tribal knowledge and “ask Sarah” situations

What You’ll Get

The AI will generate a comprehensive SOP with a clear overview explaining purpose and importance, prerequisites that ensure people are prepared before starting, detailed step-by-step instructions using action verbs and clear outcomes, explicit decision trees for when processes branch, quality control checkpoints to verify work, common mistake warnings that prevent errors before they happen, troubleshooting guidance for when things go wrong, escalation contacts for help, and links to related processes for workflow context. Everything is written assuming zero prior knowledge.

Why This Prompt Works

• Pain point focus: Knowing where confusion happens ensures documentation addresses actual problems, not theoretical ones

• Decision point clarity: Explicitly documenting if/then branches prevents people from getting stuck at forks in the process

• First-timer assumption: Writing for beginners creates docs that work for everyone, not just experts

• Troubleshooting inclusion: Anticipating problems and solutions reduces support requests and frustration

How to Customize This Prompt

1. [PROCESS NAME] — Specific workflow: “monthly invoice processing,” “customer onboarding,” “blog post publishing”
2. [PURPOSE AND OUTCOME] — Why this exists: “ensures customers get activated within 24 hours”
3. [ROLE OR TEAM] — Who does this: “customer success team,” “finance coordinator”
4. [FREQUENCY] — How often: affects detail level—daily processes need more brevity
5. [BUSINESS IMPACT] — Consequences: “delayed payments affect cash flow,” “poor onboarding causes churn”
6. [PAIN POINTS] — Where people struggle: “always forget step 5,” “unclear when to escalate”

Pro Tips

• Add video walkthrough: Request “note where to add Loom videos” for complex steps that benefit from visual demonstration

• Template inclusion: Include “create checklist or template people can copy” for processes with repetitive components

• Version control: Add “include last updated date and owner” at the top so people know it’s current

• Feedback loop: Request “add section for people to suggest improvements” to keep docs evolving