How To Write a Standard Operating Procedure (2026)

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a written document that outlines the steps a team needs to follow to complete a task. This helps outcomes stay consistent no matter who’s doing the work. Retailers use them for opening a store, restaurants use them for closing checklists, and manufacturers use them for operating equipment safely.

This guide covers what an SOP is and how it differs from a policy or process, the benefits of documenting procedures, common SOP formats, and how to write your own SOPs. It also includes a free SOP template and three real-life examples for retail and ecommerce.

What is a standard operating procedure?

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a team document that lays out step-by-step instructions for a routine task, ensuring that the task gets done the same way every time, regardless of who’s doing it. Documenting business operations in this way means that a forklift operator, customer service rep, or line cook can all follow a consistent process instead of relying on memory or whatever they picked up from a coworker.

A good SOP is specific and easy to follow. A step like “handle customer complaints professionally” leaves too much room for interpretation; a better instruction would be to name the exact refund threshold a customer service representative can approve without escalating.

A good SOP also names who’s responsible for each task or step, undergoes a review on a consistent basis, and gets updated the moment anything in the process changes, so employees are never working from an SOP that’s out of date or inaccurate.

SOP vs. policy vs. process vs. work instruction

The terms SOP, policy, process, and work instruction often get used interchangeably, but they’re actually different pieces of the puzzle necessary for creating repeatable tasks for a business.

This table covers the differences:

Benefits of standard operating procedures

Not every task needs a formal SOP, but you’ll want one when a task meets any of the following conditions:

• More than one person performs it
• It happens often enough that inconsistency could cost an organization time or money
• A mistake would create safety, legal, or compliance risk

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the retail turnover rate at 3.1% a month as of July 2026, compared to 2.1% across all private industries. When you have a high rate of employees leaving and new hires arriving, having documented procedures can make all the difference in ensuring processes are still done correctly. Here are some additional benefits of SOP documentation.

Standardized employee training

A well-written onboarding SOP trains new team members against the same standard, so every new hire learns the same protocols when they join, regardless of who’s training them. As your new employee gets up to speed, they have a document they can refer to.

SOPs can help during busy times, like a product launch, as Cat Goetze, founder at Physical Phones, found out.

“Maggie was heading up all of our customer service for the duration of the initial launch, which was a bear,” says Cat. “We had no SOPs in place and no external customer service team. When things finally calmed down, and we were able to outsource that, she had to write an ungodly number of SOPs and macros for the new team to take over.”

Documenting a process like customer service management before you scale means that training and handoff don’t fall entirely on one person.

For in-person retailers, Shopify’s staff training checklist builder gives you a place to build a custom onboarding checklist from topics like processing sales, handling returns, and using card readers. You can then print or export it for each new hire.

Workplace safety

SOP documents can include health and safety warnings as well as guidance on how to properly carry out a task. SOPs help maintain regulatory compliance in workplaces like restaurant kitchens, factories, warehouses, and labs, where protocols are essential to the safety of employees and customers alike. 

For example, OSHA’s lab safety standard requires any workplace using hazardous chemicals to maintain a written Chemical Hygiene Plan that includes SOPs for handling those chemicals safely. Restaurants have a similar requirement in the FDA Food Code, which lists sanitation SOPs as a core inspection item.

Data protection procedures can also apply to small businesses. Under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, any business that processes card payments has to maintain documented security policies and procedures covering how cardholder data is accessed, stored, and protected.

Quality control

Quality control isn’t just for physical products. Documenting a process with clear instructions ensures a task gets done the same way each time, improving the overall quality of your processes.

If your store uses Shopify Collabs to recruit partners, you can write an SOP for reviewing creator applications, including what criteria to check, who approves an offer, and when to decline. A consistent approval process helps make sure every partnership fits the brand before it goes live, rather than leaving it up to the discretion of whoever’s reviewing applications that day.

Formats for standard operating procedures

There are many ways to create a standard operating procedure, but most fall into one of three formats. The right choice for your organization depends on whether the task has a fixed order and how many possible outcomes it can branch out to.

Checklist

A checklist is the most basic SOP format, involving a list of tasks that need to happen, but without a required order. It works well for a job that’s repeated often and doesn’t demand a specific sequence, like closing a retail store or restocking a display.

For example, someone might prefer to start with the bathroom when cleaning a store, while another employee might start in the stockroom. Either sequence is fine, as long as everything on the list gets done.

Checklists reduce errors in far higher-stakes settings, too. A 2009 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that introducing a 19-item surgical safety checklist across eight hospitals cut the rate of major complications from 11% to 7% and the rate of in-hospital deaths from 1.5% to 0.8%. The guiding principle is that a simple, visible list catches steps a busy person might otherwise skip, something that works across industries, whether in hospital processes or retail and warehouse tasks.

In addition, checklists don’t have to be text-only. If a task is easier to show than describe, like how to fold a garment for a display or which cable connects where on a POS terminal, add a photo or a simple diagram next to the relevant step.

Flowchart

The flowchart SOP format works best for a procedure with multiple possible outcomes, like a customer service phone call. It typically follows an “if this, then that” structure, branching out to different sequences and responses depending on the task at hand.

For example, a customer service script might branch off into different paths depending on the type of query, like a return, an exchange, or a general question. If the call is about a return, there might be different responses based on when the customer made the purchase and whether the item is defective.

Hierarchical

The hierarchical SOP format emphasizes the order of certain steps over others, and it works well for complex procedures that need to be completed in a specific sequence. 

Receiving inventory is a good example. A warehouse team can’t log a shipment into the system before checking it against the purchase order, and it can’t put the stock away before logging it. Operating a forklift is hierarchical for the same reason. A driver can’t lift a load before starting the engine, and they can’t leave the vehicle before setting it in park.

How to write a standard operating procedure

Whether the task is operating a piece of machinery, processing a return, or handling an invoice process, writing an SOP follows the same seven steps.

1. Define objectives

Start by clarifying why the SOP needs to exist. Is it to prevent injuries, meet a regulatory requirement, or improve consistency in the way a task gets done? There also may be multiple reasons. If so, list them separately so the finished document can be checked against them all.

Next, define exactly where the SOP starts and stops. A product returns SOP might start when a customer initiates a return request and end when the item is marked as received in inventory. It wouldn’t end when a refund is issued, as that would belong to a separate procedure. Also note any procedures this one depends on or feeds into, so a team member who may need an earlier or later step knows where to find it.

Involve the employees who perform the task in the overall development of the SOP, as they can help define objectives and ensure every step gets covered.

2. Understand your audience

The SOP’s audience shapes how much of the procedure needs to be explained. For example, if the SOP is meant to train a brand new hire, take the time to spell out each step of the process in detail. A longer-tenured employee may already know the internal shorthand or acronyms (like “TMT” means “the marketing team” on the floor), but you need to make the SOP accessible to someone who’s just joined the team.

The best practice is to write for the least experienced person in your intended audience. This can improve business efficiency, as it’ll cut down on the questions a new hire has to ask when they have everything spelled out in front of them.

3. Select your format

Based on your objectives and audience, determine whether it would be most helpful to format your SOP document as a checklist, a flowchart, or a hierarchical structure. Refer back to the format comparison earlier in this guide to match your SOP format to the task. You might also choose to combine formats, like arranging a workplace safety procedure and its associated hazards into a table for easy review.

4. Choose your template

Starting from a template saves time and keeps every SOP in your organization consistent. It also makes it easier for different people to write SOPs and still feel like they belong to the same company.

Match the template to the task. A general-purpose template works for most retail and ecommerce procedures, while a task with strict regulatory requirements, like a workplace safety procedure, benefits from a template with a dedicated field for hazards and required certifications.

If your organization writes multiple SOPs, adopting one shared template keeps them consistent enough that any employee can jump right in without relearning the layout.

5. Draft the SOP

Write the exact steps required to complete the task, in the order the team member needs to perform them. Number the steps for a hierarchical or checklist SOP, or use an if/then structure for a flowchart.

Use active voice with the reader as the subject: “Scan the item’s barcode,” not “The item’s barcode should be scanned.” Define any acronym, tool, or internal term on the first use, especially if the person following the SOP might be new to the team. Include all information needed to make each step as specific as possible, rather than a general instruction.

Once your step-by-step draft is done, add any supporting sections necessary, such as a plain statement of what the SOP covers, definitions for any terms or equipment it references, and a list of related SOPs or processes the reader might also need.

6. Solicit and implement feedback

Before publishing, share the draft with someone who doesn’t already know the process (ideally someone who’ll use it) and watch where they hesitate, get confused, or have questions. That means the SOP needs more detail before it’s ready to be used.

Review SOPs on a set schedule, at least once a year, as well as whenever something changes in the underlying process, like getting new equipment, a new regulation passing, or a switch in suppliers. You’ll also want to review your SOP if you notice repeated errors that seem to trace back to the document itself.

When a procedure becomes irrelevant, whether because a tool got replaced or a step got automated, retire the SOP and place a note in its revision history explaining why it’s no longer active so employees don’t keep referencing an expired process.

For retail teams, Shopify POS keeps an activity log of high-risk register actions, including voids, refunds, and manual discounts, along with the staff member who performed each one. Checking that log against a documented approval process is a quick way to confirm whether an SOP for discounts or refunds is being followed.

7. Publish, store, and train

Publishing an SOP means more than just saving the file to your desktop. Store every SOP somewhere where every employee who needs it can access it, like a shared drive, an internal wiki, or even a printed version posted at the relevant station. Keep SOP locations consistent so employees always know where to look.

Use version control to keep track of the most up-to-date SOP. Date each revision, make notes about what changed, and archive outdated copies so the current version is primary. A version number and a date in the header are usually enough to denote the right version.

Incorporate the SOPs into your training so each team member is trained on the process directly. Walk new hires through SOPs during onboarding and cover any major revisions with existing staff before they go into effect.

Employees at surveyed US organizations with 100 or more employees received an average of 40 hours of training per year in 2025, down from 47 hours in 2024. Keeping SOPs up to date can help your team cut down on training time while maintaining high standards.

For steps that follow a strict, rule-based sequence, like tagging orders that meet certain criteria or sending a follow-up email after a specific trigger, Shopify Flow can automate the step instead of an employee needing to manually complete it every time.

Standard operating procedure template

Download this free SOP template and copy it into a document, spreadsheet, or SOP management tool. The template starts with just the most basic fields, and you may need to add or remove fields as you build out each SOP.

Here are the fields you may need to include within your SOP to make sure every piece of the process is covered:

• Title. The task the SOP covers, specific enough to distinguish it from similar documents (“Process a customer return by mail,” not “Returns”).
• Objective(s). One or two sentences stating what completing the SOP accomplishes.
• Scope. Where the procedure starts and stops and what it doesn’t cover, so it’s clear when a different SOP takes over.
• Definitions. Any acronyms or technical terms used in the steps, spelled out for someone seeing them for the first time.
• Materials and equipment. Everything the person needs before starting, whether that’s a specific tool, system access, or password.
• Roles and responsibilities. Who performs the task day to day, and who approves exceptions or has final sign-off. For a task that touches more than one role, list each one separately with its own piece of the procedure.
• Procedure. The numbered, bulleted, or flowchart steps, written in the order they’re performed.
• Safety and compliance notes. Any warning, regulatory reference, or required certification tied to the task.
• Related documents. Other SOPs, policies, or processes this SOP connects to, so a reader can quickly find the next step.
• Revision history. The date, version number, and a short summary of what changed with each update.
• Approval. The name and title of the person who signed off on the current version, and the date that approval was given.

Standard operating procedure examples

These three examples show what a finished SOP looks like across a checklist, a flowchart, and a hierarchical procedure, using tasks common to retail and ecommerce stores.

Retail store opening checklist

Objective: Prepare the store to open safely and accurately for the day’s first customers.

Scope: Begins when the opening associate arrives and ends when the front door unlocks.

• Disarm the security system and turn on all sales floor and stockroom lighting.
• Open the register in Shopify POS and count the starting cash drawer to make sure it matches the store’s starting dollar amount.
• Check the overnight order queue for any online orders ready for in-store pickup.
• Walk the sales floor and restock any items below the display minimum.
• Check that all card readers and receipt printers are powered on and connected.
• Update the whiteboard or POS note with the day’s promotions or callouts.
• Unlock the front door at the posted opening time.

Ecommerce return processing SOP

Objective: Process a mailed customer return accurately and issue the correct resolution.

Scope: Begins when a returned package arrives at the warehouse and ends when the order status is updated in Shopify.

1. Match the returned item to its original order number using the packing slip or the customer’s name and email.
2. Inspect the item’s condition and compare it against the store’s return policy for eligibility.
3. Photograph any damage or missing components before proceeding.
4. Approve the return if it meets policy, or flag it for manager review if it doesn’t.
5. Restock the item if it’s sellable, or route it to the damaged-goods area if it isn’t.
6. Issue the refund, store credit, or exchange according to the customer’s original request and company policy.
7. Mark the return as received and closed in Shopify.

Customer service escalation SOP

Objective: Route an incoming customer service request to the correct resolution path.

Scope: Begins when a customer contacts support and ends when the request is resolved or escalated.

• If the request is a general question, answer using the approved response library and close the ticket.
• If the request is a return or exchange, confirm the order falls within the return window.
• If it does, follow the ecommerce return processing SOP above.
• If it doesn’t, offer the store’s standard exception options before declining.
• If the request involves a damaged or defective item, request photos and open a supplier claim if applicable.
• If the customer expresses dissatisfaction after two exchanges, escalate the ticket to a manager rather than continuing to respond directly.