How to Document Any Process in 15 Minutes (Screen Recording Method)

Most SOPs never get written because the process of writing them is painful.

You're typing step-by-step instructions. Taking screenshots. Annotating them with arrows. Formatting in Word. Realizing you missed three steps. Starting over.

By the time you're done, the process has already changed.

The Screen Recording Method

Don't write anything. Record your screen while doing the task.

Step 1: Record once (5 minutes)

Use Loom, QuickTime, or any screen recorder. Do the process normally. Talk through what you're doing.

"Now I'm clicking the export button. I'm selecting CSV format. I'm clicking download. The file appears here."

Don't try to be perfect. Just do the task like you normally would.

Step 2: Extract screenshots (5 minutes)

Watch the recording at 2x speed. Screenshot the key moments:

• When you open a new tool
• When you click an important button
• When something changes on screen

You need 5-10 screenshots. Not 30.

Step 3: Write the steps (5 minutes)

For each screenshot, write one sentence:

• "Open [Tool Name]"
• "Click [Button Name]"
• "Select [Option]"

One sentence per screenshot. That's your SOP.

The Format

SOP: [Process Name]
Time required: [X minutes]
Tools needed: [List]

Steps:
1. [Action] — [Screenshot 1]
2. [Action] — [Screenshot 2]
3. [Action] — [Screenshot 3]

Common mistakes:
- [Thing people get wrong]

Success criteria:
- [How you know it worked]

This is what StatusDraft generates automatically. Upload your screen recording, and it extracts the steps and formats them into a shareable SOP card.

Why Written-First SOPs Fail

When you write first, you think in paragraphs. You over-explain. You forget steps because you do them automatically.

When you record first, you capture everything. Including the muscle-memory steps you'd normally forget to document.