SOPs
Overview
An SOP — standard operating procedure — describes a repeatable process: how onboarding runs, how a sign-off is done, what to do in an incident.
Two properties separate an SOP from a knowledge article, and both are why they exist separately at all:
- An SOP can be mandatory reading and then requires a read receipt. That makes it evidenced
who knows the process — not merely that it is written down somewhere.
- An SOP can be applied: the process is laid onto a concrete case rather than copied out.
Core tasks
Create an SOP. New SOP requires a title and a space; it can be marked as a mandatory SOP and given a scope. The list shows title, space, scope, status and the mandatory marker.
Clear outstanding mandatory reading. Unconfirmed mandatory SOPs appear separately with a count. Confirm read closes the item.
Apply an SOP. Apply lays the process onto a case. That is the difference between instructions you read and instructions you work through.
Use the scope. It narrows who or what an SOP applies to — and is the lever against mandatory reading that concerns everyone and therefore nobody.
Fields in detail
The What it does column answers what changes in the system — not what the field is called. The grey name behind the label is the API field: the same thing runs under that name through automation, import and AI tools.
Creating and editing a standard operating procedure
| Field | Required | Values / format | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
Title title | yes | text, max. 255 characters | What the procedure is called. It appears in the list and above the tasks created from it. |
Space spaceUlid | yes | an existing knowledge space | Where it lives; the space decides access. |
Purpose purpose | no | text | What the procedure is for and when it applies. The paragraph that stops someone following the wrong one. |
Scope scope | no | project, onboarding, support, internal | Where the procedure is used. Determines at which points in the system it is offered. |
Status status | no | draft, published, archived | Only published can be applied and found. |
Mandatory isMandatory | no | yes/no | Set to yes, the procedure is not optional: the created steps must be worked through before the related case can be closed. |
Steps steps | no | list of steps | The procedure itself. On application every step becomes a task — with title, description, responsibility and order. |
Tags tags | no | several terms | Classification for search and suggestions. |
Review interval (days) reviewIntervalDays | no | 0 or more | After how many days the procedure is flagged for review. With mandatory procedures the most important guard against outdated instructions. |
Applying
| Field | Values / format | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Target type targetType / Target targetId | kind and identifier of a case | What the procedure is applied to — project, ticket, onboarding. The steps become tasks there, linked back to the procedure they came from. |
Settings & permissions
- Module
module.knowledge. knowledge.sop.manageto create and change,knowledge.sop.applyto apply.- Visibility hangs off the knowledge space.
- Mandatory is a marker, not a lock. It creates an outstanding item in the sense of a read
receipt; it prevents no work.
FAQ & troubleshooting
The mandatory reading does not go away. It ends only with Confirm read — merely opening it is not enough, otherwise the receipt would be worthless.
An SOP does not appear for colleagues. Check space and scope: the space governs access, the scope governs applicability.
When an article, when an SOP? Explanatory knowledge is an article. A process somebody works through step by step — and whose knowledge should be evidenced — is an SOP.
Applying is not possible. Then knowledge.sop.apply is missing.