documenting-workflows
The documenting-workflows skill writes down a process that exists only in someone’s head. It interviews you about the process and turns the answers into a procedure that someone doing the task for the first time can follow.
When Claude Uses It
Section titled “When Claude Uses It”Claude loads the skill when you say “document this process”, “write an SOP”, “create a checklist”, “write a procedure”, “document how we do” followed by a task, “onboarding guide” or “create a playbook”.
Document Types
Section titled “Document Types”| Type | Purpose | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| SOP | Step-by-step procedure for one task | 1 to 5 pages |
| Checklist | A list to confirm nothing was missed | 1 page |
| Playbook | A guide covering several related processes | 5 to 20 pages |
| Onboarding guide | Orientation for a new starter in a role or system | 3 to 10 pages |
| Process map | The steps and decision points of a workflow, written out | 1 to 2 pages |
| Runbook | A technical operating procedure, such as incident response or maintenance | 2 to 5 pages |
What Claude Asks First
Section titled “What Claude Asks First”Before it writes anything, Claude gathers six pieces of information. It asks for any you have not given.
- Which process you are documenting.
- Which role performs it. The skill asks for roles, not names of people.
- How often it happens, whether daily, weekly, monthly or when needed.
- Any compliance or audit requirements.
- The tools and systems involved.
- What starts the process and what shows it is finished.
If your description is vague, Claude asks about the triggers, steps, decision points and end state before it writes anything.
How It Works
Section titled “How It Works”- Claude gathers the process details from you.
- Claude drafts an outline in the right format.
- Claude shows you the outline for approval.
- Claude writes the full document.
- Claude shows you the document for approval.
- Claude saves it.
Both approval points use the Review checkpoint format, where you approve, ask for changes or reject. See Checkpoint Protocol.
What an SOP Contains
Section titled “What an SOP Contains”| Part | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Title | A specific name, such as “Processing Monthly Invoices” rather than “Invoice Procedure” |
| Purpose | One sentence on why the procedure exists |
| Scope | Who it applies to and when |
| Owner | The role that keeps the procedure up to date |
| Prerequisites | What must be in place before starting |
| Steps | Numbered steps, each one action with one outcome |
| Decision points | Where the process branches, with the criteria for each path |
| Exceptions | What to do when the standard process does not apply |
| Outputs | What the process produces |
| Review schedule | When the document is reviewed, and by whom |
The skill writes each step so it starts with a verb and holds one action. It names the system in the step, so a step reads “Open the invoice in your accounting system”, not “Open the invoice”. Where a screenshot would help, it leaves a marker such as [Screenshot: description] for you to fill.
A checklist groups items by phase, makes each item a yes or no check, names the responsible role, and includes columns for who completed it and when.
Output
Section titled “Output”The default output is markdown, with a version number and a last-updated date in the header. The skill does not fix a save location, so tell Claude where the document belongs, for example Domains/10 Operations/10.2 Processes/.
Where It Takes Its Context
Section titled “Where It Takes Its Context”The skill reads .claude/company/industry.md for regulations that affect your procedures and .claude/company/team.md for role names. If those files still hold placeholder text, the skill uses generic roles such as “Team Lead” and asks you to replace them with your own titles. See Company Context Files.
When to Use Something Else
Section titled “When to Use Something Else”The skill is for business procedures. Technical notes about a project belong in that project’s CLAUDE.md, and articles or marketing copy need a writing skill. A process with many branches is better split into several linked procedures, and Claude does this when it meets one.