Policy and Procedure Template
A policy and procedure template gives you one consistent format for writing down both the rules your organization follows and the steps people take to follow them. Use this free policy and procedure template to state the policy, explain who it applies to, and lay out the procedure clearly, then keep every policy current in one searchable place your team trusts.
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ChatGPTI need to write a Policy and Procedure. Act as an expert technical writer and draft one for me. Use this structure, keeping each section clear, concise, and genuinely useful to the reader: 1. Title and identifier 2. Purpose 3. Scope 4. Policy statement 5. Definitions 6. Roles and responsibilities 7. Procedure 8. Exceptions 9. Compliance and enforcement 10. Related documents 11. Revision history Before you begin, ask me for the details you need: the product, team, or audience this is for, and anything specific I should include. Then write the full Policy and Procedure in clean, well-formatted Markdown.
Write a Policy and Procedure using the structure below. Keep each section clear, concise, and genuinely useful to the reader. Structure: 1. Title and identifier 2. Purpose 3. Scope 4. Policy statement 5. Definitions 6. Roles and responsibilities 7. Procedure 8. Exceptions 9. Compliance and enforcement 10. Related documents 11. Revision history Use rich formatting so it reads well in a knowledge base: - Clear headings and subheadings for each section. - Callout boxes for asides: a Tip callout for advice, a Note callout for helpful context, and a Warning callout for anything a reader must not miss. - Tables for structured or comparison content. - Numbered lists for sequential steps and bulleted lists for options. - Bold for key terms and any values people must not get wrong. Where the content genuinely calls for it, also use these interactive blocks (otherwise keep to the formatting above): - A Steps block for any sequence the reader follows in order, with room for a screenshot on each step. - A Mermaid diagram for a flow, process, or set of relationships that reads more clearly as a picture than as text.
Connected HelpDocs over MCP? Add "save this as an unpublished HelpDocs article" to the prompt and the draft lands in your knowledge base, ready to review.
## The policy and procedure template ### 1. Title and identifier A clear, searchable name (for example, "Expense reimbursement policy"), a unique ID, a version number, and the effective date. ### 2. Purpose One or two sentences on why this policy exists and what it protects or achieves. Readers follow rules more readily when they understand the reason. ### 3. Scope Who the policy applies to (all staff, specific teams, contractors, or locations) and what situations it covers. Note any exceptions and where they are handled. ### 4. Policy statement The rule itself, stated plainly. Use "must" for requirements and "should" for recommendations, and keep each requirement to one sentence where you can. ### 5. Definitions Any terms a reader might interpret differently, defined in plain language. Keep definitions consistent across all your policies. ### 6. Roles and responsibilities Who does what under this policy. Use roles rather than names, so the document stays accurate when people change jobs. - **Policy owner:** keeps the policy current and answers questions about it - **Approver:** signs off on the policy and any exceptions - **Managers:** make sure their teams follow it - **Everyone in scope:** follows the policy and reports concerns ### 7. Procedure The steps people take to comply with the policy, numbered in the order they happen. Write each step so someone new could follow it without asking for help. 1. **Step name.** The action to take, and where or in which tool it happens. 2. **Step name.** Any decision point, with what to do in each case. 3. **Step name.** How to record or confirm the step is complete. For long or technical procedures, link to a separate [SOP](/templates/sop/) instead of writing every detail here. ### 8. Exceptions How to request an exception to the policy, who can approve it, and how approved exceptions are recorded. ### 9. Compliance and enforcement How compliance is monitored and what happens if the policy is not followed, consistent with your other policies. ### 10. Related documents Links to related policies, procedures, forms, and reference material, so readers can find everything connected to this policy in one click. ### 11. Revision history | Version | Date | Author | Change | Approved by | Next review | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1.0 | TODO | TODO | Initial version | TODO | TODO |
The policy and procedure template
Copy this structure into a new article and replace the guidance under each heading with the details of your policy. Use the same headings for every policy, so your whole library feels consistent and searches well.
1. Title and identifier
A clear, searchable name (for example, “Expense reimbursement policy”), a unique ID, a version number, and the effective date.
2. Purpose
One or two sentences on why this policy exists and what it protects or achieves. Readers follow rules more readily when they understand the reason.
3. Scope
Who the policy applies to (all staff, specific teams, contractors, or locations) and what situations it covers. Note any exceptions and where they are handled.
4. Policy statement
The rule itself, stated plainly. Use “must” for requirements and “should” for recommendations, and keep each requirement to one sentence where you can.
5. Definitions
Any terms a reader might interpret differently, defined in plain language. Keep definitions consistent across all your policies.
6. Roles and responsibilities
Who does what under this policy. Use roles rather than names, so the document stays accurate when people change jobs.
- Policy owner: keeps the policy current and answers questions about it
- Approver: signs off on the policy and any exceptions
- Managers: make sure their teams follow it
- Everyone in scope: follows the policy and reports concerns
7. Procedure
The steps people take to comply with the policy, numbered in the order they happen. Write each step so someone new could follow it without asking for help.
- Step name. The action to take, and where or in which tool it happens.
- Step name. Any decision point, with what to do in each case.
- Step name. How to record or confirm the step is complete.
For long or technical procedures, link to a separate SOP instead of writing every detail here.
8. Exceptions
How to request an exception to the policy, who can approve it, and how approved exceptions are recorded.
9. Compliance and enforcement
How compliance is monitored and what happens if the policy is not followed, consistent with your other policies.
10. Related documents
Links to related policies, procedures, forms, and reference material, so readers can find everything connected to this policy in one click.
11. Revision history
| Version | Date | Author | Change | Approved by | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | TODO | TODO | Initial version | TODO | TODO |
Tip
Tired of policies scattered across drives and inboxes? Start a free HelpDocs trial and give every policy a single, searchable home with version history.
How to fill in this policy and procedure template
A policy is only as good as the number of people who read and follow it. These habits help:
- Write the policy statement first. If you cannot state the rule in a sentence or two, the policy is probably trying to cover too much. Split it.
- Explain the why. A short purpose section turns a rule people resent into one they understand.
- Keep procedures separate when they change often. Policies are stable; procedures are not. Linking out to SOPs means you can update steps without re-approving the whole policy.
- Use plain language. Write for the person who has to follow the policy, not for a lawyer. Have legal review it afterwards where needed.
- Assign an owner and a review date. Policies without owners drift out of date and quietly stop being followed.
- Tell people when it changes. Announce updates and show what changed, so nobody follows last year’s version.
For step-by-step procedures in more depth, see our SOP template.
Go further
- Internal knowledge base Policies, processes and how-tos your whole team can search.
- Knowledge base for small business Write down how things work once, so the whole team stops asking.
- How to create a knowledge base for employees A practical path from scattered answers to a knowledge base your team actually opens.
