SOP template for Confluence: a procedure auditors can follow
An auditor opens a procedure and checks four things: is this the version in force, who approved it, when is it reviewed, and who was trained on it? This standard operating procedure template puts the answers at the top of the page, where they are found in seconds.
[SOP-000] [Title of the procedure]
| Version | [2.0] | Status | [Draft / In force / Withdrawn] |
| Author | [name] | Approved by | [name, date] |
| Effective from | [date] | Next review | [date] |
1. Purpose
[Why this procedure exists, in one or two sentences.]
2. Scope
[Which sites, teams, products or processes it covers, and what it does not cover.]
3. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsible for |
|---|---|
| [role] | [steps] |
| [role] | [steps] |
4. Definitions
[Terms and abbreviations used in this procedure.]
5. Procedure
- [Step, written as an action: who does what.]
- [Step.]
- [Step, with the record it produces.]
6. Records
[Which records this procedure produces, where they are kept and for how long.]
7. References
[Standards, regulations and related procedures.]
8. Training
Who must read and understand this version: [people or groups], by [date].
9. Revision history
| Version | Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| [2.0] | [date] | [what changed and why] | [name] |
How to use it in Confluence
- Click Copy the template, open a new Confluence page and paste: headings, lists and tables stay as they are.
- Replace the parts in [brackets] and delete what does not apply to you.
- To reuse it, save it as a space template: Space settings › Templates › Create template, then paste.
What a Confluence page alone does not prove
Confluence keeps every version, but a page has no “in force” status, no signed approval tied to the exact content, and no record of who read which version. ISO 9001 (clause 7.5.3) and ISO 13485 (clause 4.2.4) expect documents to be approved before use, reviewed, and available in their current version where they are used, with training records for the people concerned. Those parts need a status, an approval and read confirmations on the page.
Related: document control in Confluence and proving people read the current version.