--- title: "Virtual Assistant SOPs: How to Write Ones They Can Run" description: "Learn how to write an SOP for a virtual assistant: which tasks to document first, a copyable template, screen recordings and how to keep SOPs current." url: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/virtual-assistant-sops publisher: Peachtree VA book: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact --- # How to Write SOPs a Virtual Assistant Can Run Peachtree VAUpdated October 29, 20267 min read The short answer An SOP for a virtual assistant is a short, written, step-by-step guide to one task, with the goal, tools, steps, examples and a check for done. Start with tasks that repeat weekly. Use the template in this guide, add a screen recording, and review each SOP every quarter. ## One task, one SOP A short SOP for a single task is used. A long manual is not. ## Document what repeats Start with weekly tasks that take under 30 minutes and follow clear steps. ## Copy the template Goal, trigger, tools, steps, examples, edge cases and a done check. ## Let the VA write it Record the task once, then have your VA turn it into text and keep it current. Copyable SOP template: fill in each row for one task Field What to write Example Name A clear task name Weekly client invoice reminders Owner Who maintains this SOP VA, reviewed by owner Goal The result in one sentence No invoice is more than 7 days late without a reminder Trigger What starts the task and how often Every Monday at 9 a.m. Tools and access Where the work happens Accounting report, email templates Steps Numbered actions, one verb each 1\. Open the aging report. 2. Filter 7+ days. 3. Send template A. Examples A finished, correct example Link to a sent reminder Rules and limits What needs approval Anything over 30 days goes to the owner Done check How to know it is finished Reminder log updated, owner receives the summary Last reviewed Date and reviewer 2026-10-29, owner Copy this table into a doc and make one page per task. ## What is an SOP for a virtual assistant? An SOP, or [standard operating procedure](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/standard-operating-procedure), is a written, step-by-step guide for doing a task the same way each time. For a [virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/virtual-assistant), an SOP holds the goal, tools, steps and checks, so the work does not depend on your memory or mood. Good SOPs do three jobs: - **They teach.** A new assistant can run the task from the page. - **They protect quality.** The task is done the same way each time. - **They free you.** You stop answering the same question. One Peachtree VA client, Jason Henderberg, Founder, Henderberg Business Solutions, said this about the process: “I wasn’t documenting processes because I’m just working by myself. But letting her document my process as part of her training for customers has boosted our level of work quality for our clients.” Writing steps down makes you clearer too. Our post on [from chaos to clockwork: SOPs](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/from-chaos-to-clockwork-sops) gives more background. This guide gives you a template you can copy today. ## Which tasks should you document first? Document tasks that repeat weekly, take 10 to 30 minutes and follow clear steps. These give the fastest payback. Rare or creative tasks can wait. Start with three SOPs, not thirty, and write each after you have done the task once with your assistant. Rank your tasks with this table: Question Yes means Does it repeat at least weekly? Document now Can a new person do it after reading? Good SOP candidate Does it touch a customer? Add examples and tone notes Does it involve money or private data? Add approval rules Is it a one-off? Skip the SOP, write a checklist Pull candidates from [what to delegate to a virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/what-to-delegate-to-a-virtual-assistant). Common first SOPs: inbox rules, meeting scheduling, client onboarding, weekly reporting, invoice reminders and social media posting. ## What does a good SOP template look like? A good template has ten fields: name, owner, goal, trigger, tools, steps, examples, rules and limits, done check and last reviewed. The table at the top of this page is ready to copy. Keep each SOP to one page and one task. Here is the same template as a plain checklist you can paste into any document: 1. **Name.** Use a verb and an object, such as “Send invoice reminders.” 2. **Owner.** Who keeps this SOP up to date. 3. **Goal.** One sentence on the result. 4. **Trigger.** What starts the task, and how often. 5. **Tools and access.** Names of the tools, with links. 6. **Steps.** Numbered. One action per step. Start each with a verb. 7. **Examples.** At least one finished, correct example. 8. **Rules and limits.** What the VA can decide, and what needs approval. 9. **Done check.** How the VA knows the task is complete. 10. **Last reviewed.** Date and reviewer. ### How to write the steps Write steps as you would explain them to a smart new hire on day one. Use short sentences. Name the exact button, folder or field. Replace “send an update” with “email the update to the client list using template B.” Add a “if this happens” line for common problems. For example: “If the client replies with a question, forward it to the owner within one business hour.” Edge cases are where assistants stall. ## How do screen recordings help? A screen recording shows what text cannot: clicks, menus and the order of steps. Record yourself doing the task once while you talk through it. Your VA then writes the steps from the video, runs the task, and fixes any gaps. This takes about 20 minutes per task. Follow this routine: 1. Open the tool and state the goal out loud. 2. Do the task at normal speed and explain each choice. 3. Mention what could go wrong and how to fix it. 4. Save the video in a shared folder named for the task. 5. Ask your VA to write the SOP from it and run the task once. 6. Review the SOP and the result. Approve or correct. Keep videos under 10 minutes. Link each video at the top of its SOP. Text stays the main source because it is easy to search and update. Treat this as part of [onboarding](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/onboarding). By week two, your assistant should be writing SOPs as a normal part of learning each task. See [how to onboard a virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-onboard-a-virtual-assistant) for the full plan, and our post [onboarding guide part 1](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/onboarding-guide-part-1). ## Where should you store SOPs? Store SOPs in one shared, searchable place that both of you can edit, such as a shared drive folder or a team wiki. One location prevents version confusion. Use clear names and a simple index so anyone can find a procedure in under a minute. Item Rule Location One shared folder or wiki File names Verb plus object, such as “Send invoice reminders” Index One page that lists every SOP with its owner Access Your VA can edit. Share with the team as needed Sensitive data Never write passwords in an SOP. Name the password manager instead Never put passwords or private keys in an SOP. Describe where to find access and use a password manager. Our guide to [giving a virtual assistant access safely](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/give-a-virtual-assistant-access-safely) explains why. ## What does a finished SOP look like? A finished SOP reads like a short recipe. It fits on one page, uses numbered steps, links to an example and ends with a clear check. Here is one filled in, so you can see the level of detail that works. Field Entry Name Send weekly invoice reminders Owner Virtual assistant. Reviewed by the owner each quarter Goal No invoice sits more than 7 days past due without a reminder Trigger Every Monday at 9 a.m. Tools and access Accounting aging report (view only), email templates A and B Steps 1\. Open the aging report. 2. Filter for invoices 7 to 29 days late. 3. Send template A to each client. 4. For 30+ days, do not send. Add to the owner’s list. 5. Log each reminder in the tracker. Examples Link to a sent reminder and the tracker Rules and limits The VA may send template A. Template B and any call need owner approval Done check Tracker is updated and the owner has the Monday summary by noon Last reviewed 2026-10-29 Notice what the SOP leaves out. It does not explain accounting theory. It does not repeat the company mission. It tells one person how to do one task. If an assistant has a question that the SOP should have answered, add the answer. ## How do you test an SOP before you rely on it? Test an SOP by having someone who did not write it run the task from the page alone. Watch where they stop, guess or ask. Each of those points is a gap. Fix the gap, then test again. One test round catches most problems. Use this simple test: 1. Ask your assistant to run the task using only the SOP, with no help from you. 2. Note every question they ask. 3. Check the result against the example. 4. Add the answers to the SOP as new steps or edge cases. 5. Run the task a second time to confirm it works. If you are the one who wrote the SOP, ask a friend or a colleague to try it. You know the task too well to see the missing steps. A VA who is new to your business is the ideal tester, because they come with fresh eyes. This is one more reason to make SOP writing part of week two of onboarding. Keep one more test in mind: the “vacation test.” Could someone cover this task for a week using only the SOP? If the answer is no, the SOP needs more detail. This test also shows which tasks depend too much on one person. For more on that risk, see our guide to [how to delegate as a business owner](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-delegate-as-a-business-owner). ## How do you keep SOPs current? Review each SOP every quarter and whenever a tool, rule or person changes. Give your assistant ownership of updates, with your approval for changes to rules. An out-of-date SOP is worse than none, because people trust it. Build a light upkeep routine: - Add a “last reviewed” date to every SOP. - Ask your VA to flag any step that no longer matches reality. - Review the index each quarter and retire SOPs you no longer use. - Update the SOP the same day a tool or rule changes. - Keep a short change log at the bottom of each page. SOPs also protect you in [offboarding](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/offboarding). If a person leaves, the SOPs let the next person pick up the work with little loss. That is a major reason to keep them current. ## What mistakes make SOPs fail? SOPs fail when they are too long, too vague, hidden or never updated. Fix these four things and most problems disappear. - **Too long.** Split a long SOP into smaller ones. - **Too vague.** “Handle the inbox” is not a step. - **Hidden.** If your VA cannot find it, it does not exist. - **Stale.** Old steps teach wrong habits. Do not wait for perfect. A rough SOP that your VA tests and improves beats a perfect one that never gets written. Our post on [business process documentation](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/from-chaos-to-clockwork-business-process-documentation) covers the same idea for larger processes. ## Next step Pick one weekly task, record it and have your assistant draft the SOP this week. Learn about our [virtual assistant services](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/va-services) or [book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is an SOP for a virtual assistant? A standard operating procedure is a written, step-by-step guide for doing a task the same way each time. For a virtual assistant, it holds the goal, tools, steps, examples and a check for done, so the work does not depend on your memory. ### Which tasks should I document first? Start with tasks that repeat weekly, take 10 to 30 minutes and follow clear steps, such as invoice reminders, client onboarding emails and weekly reports. Document the high-volume tasks before the rare ones. ### How long should an SOP be? One page for most tasks. If it runs past two pages, split it into two SOPs. Short documents get read and followed. Long ones get skipped. ### Should I use text or video for SOPs? Use both. A short screen recording shows the clicks, and text gives the steps and rules. Record the task once, then ask your VA to write the steps from the video and check them by running the task. ### Who should write the SOP, me or my assistant? Do the task once on video, then have your assistant write it. They see the gaps you cannot. You review and approve. The VA then owns updates, which keeps the SOP true. ### How often should I update SOPs? Review each SOP every quarter and any time a tool or rule changes. Add a last-reviewed date to each one. Ask your VA to flag steps that no longer match reality. ## Terms in this article - [Standard operating procedure (SOP)](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/standard-operating-procedure) - [Virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/virtual-assistant) - [Offboarding](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/offboarding) - [Onboarding](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/onboarding) ## Keep reading - [### How to Give a Virtual Assistant Access to Your Accounts Safely Give a virtual assistant access safely in five moves. Sign an NDA first. Grant only the access the job needs. Use each tool's delegate or sharing feature instead of your password. Require a password manager and multifactor authentication. When the work ends, remove access using a written offboarding checklist. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/give-a-virtual-assistant-access-safely) - [### How to Onboard a Virtual Assistant in 30 Days Onboard a virtual assistant in four weeks. Prepare goals and access before day one. Week one covers context and tools. Week two uses supervised tasks. Week three moves to independent work. Week four is a review. Use one weekly check-in and written feedback throughout, then decide whether to add hours. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-onboard-a-virtual-assistant) - [### What to Delegate to a Virtual Assistant: 40 Tasks by Department Delegate tasks that repeat, follow clear steps and do not need your final judgment: email and calendar, data entry, scheduling, travel, invoicing support, social media posting and research. Keep strategy, hiring decisions, key relationships and anything that needs your signature. Start with three tasks, then add more. Read](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/what-to-delegate-to-a-virtual-assistant) ## Get your week back. Book a free, no-obligation strategy call. We will map out what to hand off first, and you leave with a plan whether or not you become a client. [Book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact)[or email info@peachtreeva.com](mailto:info@peachtreeva.com) ![Sarah Harlan, Client Experience & Operations Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/sarah-harlan.DtVquYwL_2b0Qn7.webp) ![Darleen Priday, Vice President of Business Development](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/darleen-priday.jiyh6aPr_1PLR4H.webp) ![November Lee, Marketing Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/november-lee.Cro_USs7_Z1Yhdwg.webp)