The documentation glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms behind process documentation, SOPs, and workflow capture — what they mean, how they work, and how teams actually use them.
Chrome Extension
A small program that adds features to Chrome — how extensions work, real examples, and how to install one safely.
Screen Recording
Capturing what's on your display as video or steps — how it works, common uses, and how a recording becomes an SOP.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
A documented, repeatable set of steps for doing a task the same way every time — what goes in one, formats, and how to build them.
Process Documentation
Recording how a process is performed so it can be followed, improved, and scaled — what it includes and the fastest way to do it.
Job Aid
A concise, at-the-moment-of-need reference — checklist, cheat sheet, or decision tree — that helps you do a task without memorizing it.
Work Instruction
The most granular level of documentation — a detailed, step-by-step how-to for performing one specific task, one level below an SOP.
Runbook
A documented operational procedure IT and DevOps teams follow to handle a specific routine task or incident the same way every time.
Knowledge Base
A centralized, searchable repository of documentation and answers — the types, internal vs external, and how to build one that stays current.
Technical Documentation
Documentation that explains how a product or system works, for users or developers — the types, examples, and how to produce it faster.
Process Map
A visual diagram of the steps and flow of a process — the standard symbols, the main types, and how to create one.
User Manual
A document that helps end users operate a product correctly — what goes in one, formats, a template structure, and how to write it faster.
Onboarding Documentation
The documents that ramp a new hire or customer to productivity — what to include, examples, a template structure, and how to build it faster.
Process vs Procedure
A process is the high-level flow of a workflow; a procedure is the step-by-step how — plus where policy fits, with clear examples.