A runbook template for recurring agency jobs

Fields to fill

• Job name and the one result it produces.
• Trigger: the date, time or event that starts the job, in the client's time zone.
• Timing: how long the job takes, and the latest time it can finish before a deadline.
• Inputs and access: the exact sheet, account or tool, and who grants the access.
• Steps: numbered, one action each, with the check that proves the step is done.
• Rollback: how to undo a step when its check fails, and who approves the undo.
• Escalation: who to tell, through which channel, and after how long without an answer.
• Log entry: where the run is recorded and what one line must contain.

Writing the steps

• Start each step with a verb and keep one action per step.
• Put the check on the same line as the step, not in a separate section.

Testing it

• Have someone who did not write it run the job from the page alone. Each question they ask marks a missing line.
• Review the runbook after each incident, and at least once a quarter.