Choose a useful task
Start with a short browser workflow with a clear result: an account setup, a customer handoff, or a record update. Prepare example data and decide who will maintain the procedure. Capture reduces blank-page work, but the author still needs to explain the purpose, responsibilities, and exceptions.
Install and connect
Open the SOP Recorder page for the Chrome Web Store link and the current manual download. Install one copy, pin the extension, and connect it to your SOPFlow workspace. The manual ZIP option requires Chrome Developer mode; follow your organization’s extension policy. Check the release notes and workspace allowance before recording.
Record, then review
Start recording on a supported website, perform the task, and stop. Compare captured events with the proposed draft steps in SOPFlow. Check sequence, labels, screenshots, and missing context. The released recorder captures browser workflows; native desktop applications and browser-restricted pages are outside its current scope.
Organize the draft before import
Use Review and organize to merge, split or reorder instructions, inspect source events and add roles, checklists and decisions. Use parameters for values that change between teams. Voice notes can add context through supported on-device dictation; review the transcript or type notes instead.
Import the useful steps
Edit the draft, select the steps you need, and choose a destination SOP and phase. Choose a new SOP or an existing draft. You can add steps or deliberately replace the selected destination content after reviewing the preview. Review the resulting draft and its attached images before requesting approval. Ask a teammate to follow it and record where they need help.
Connect the procedure to the work
Assign an owning team and publish an approved version. Use SOP-based training to check understanding and procedure runs to guide repeated work. Revisit the instructions when the application changes. A recording is a starting point for an accurate procedure, not a guarantee that the process is complete.
Use example data and review captures
Input masking helps reduce sensitive captured text, but it does not guarantee removal of private information from screenshots, URLs, or other page content. Use sample records, enable the available masking settings, and inspect captures before importing or sharing.
Resolve a capture or import problem
- The page cannot be recorded
- Chrome restricts extension access to some pages, including browser settings and Store pages. Use a supported website and check the extension’s site access. A native application needs a different capture method.
- An instruction or screenshot is incomplete
- Compare the draft with its source events. Edit the wording, remove irrelevant events and add missing context before import. Use example data when checking another recording.
- Dictation does not produce useful notes
- Check the browser’s supported on-device dictation and microphone settings. Review the transcript and correct it, or type notes directly. Notes do not prove that an unobserved action occurred.
- The import destination is wrong
- Check the selected SOP, draft and phase in the preview. Choose append or replace deliberately. After import, inspect the draft and attached images before review or publication.
See the complete example and download the sample SOP
Troubleshoot the first recording
Install SOPFlow Recorder v0.3.2 from Chrome Web Store, connect the intended workspace and try a short workflow with fictional data. The ordinary store installation receives store updates. A manual ZIP is an alternative for permitted testing, not a requirement for this release.
| Symptom | Check and next action |
|---|---|
| The expected workspace is unavailable | Confirm the signed-in account and workspace membership. Ask the workspace administrator to check authoring permissions. |
| A step or screenshot is missing | Check whether the page is browser-restricted, embedded or unsupported. Add the missing context yourself and test the resulting instruction. |
| The AI draft is unavailable | Check the workspace’s shared token allowance and enabled processing. Keep captured evidence for later review if processing cannot proceed. |
| An old and a new extension are installed | Keep only the intended installation. Confirm the version in Chrome’s extension details before another test. |
Before using the example
- Review captured text, images and destinations before import. Masking does not establish that every sensitive value is removed.
- Before replacing destination steps, inspect the import preview and ensure you selected the intended draft.
Continue with a related task
Want to know why we built SOPFlow? Read the founder’s story.