Source: https://polysh.io/blog/update-sop-when-workflow-changes/

PROCEDURES / PRACTICAL GUIDE

# Update an SOP when the workflow changes.

A procedure stays useful when its controls, prerequisites, and final checks stay current. Update the source explanation, then review both outputs.

By the Polysh team3 October 2026

## Name what changed before rewriting.

Start with the difference between the old procedure and the current task. A renamed button may need a small wording change. A new permission or a different approval step can change the whole path.

Check the audience too. The person doing the procedure may now need access they did not need before. Put those prerequisites near the beginning, where they can prevent a false start.

## Update the explanation at its source.

Review the existing script against the current software. If the recording still shows the correct task, revise the narration. If the screen flow has changed, capture the new path so the video and guide can show the right controls.

Keep a note of manual guide edits you want to preserve. Making a guide again replaces its edits for the selected languages, so decide what must be carried into the updated version before starting.

## Check the result, not just the instructions.

A procedure is easier to trust when its last step names something visible. For a weekly status page, that might be the current week’s date and the approved update on the published page.

**Review checklist:** current control names, correct permissions, screenshots from the right state, useful expected results, and no sensitive information in the shared version.

Ask a colleague to try the procedure from its stated starting point. Where they hesitate tells you more than another editing pass done from memory.

## Publish the current version deliberately.

Generate the new narration and export the video after the review. Create a new video share link for the updated export. Review the current guide before reusing its link.

Let the team know which version to use and retire the old link where appropriate. A clear procedure needs a clear owner for the next update as well as accurate steps today.

PUT IT TO WORK

## A clearer explanation starts here.

### Create clearer SOPs

See how this workflow fits into the Polysh workspace.

[Explore the workflow](https://polysh.io/use-for/sop-documentation/)

### See the example

Follow a fictional team invitation from rough explanation to useful guide.

[Explore an example](https://polysh.io/examples/)

### More practical guides

Useful ideas for narration, documentation, and sharing.

[Browse the blog](https://polysh.io/blog/)