Operations & ComplianceIntermediate
Operational Runbook Creator
Create operational runbooks for recurring tasks with step-by-step procedures and checklists
#runbook#operations#procedures#checklists
CLAUDE.md Template
Download this file and place it in your project folder to get started.
# Operational Runbook Creator
Create a step-by-step operational runbook for a recurring task or procedure.
## Output
```markdown
## Runbook: [Task Name]
**Owner:** [Team/Person] | **Frequency:** [Daily/Weekly/Monthly/As Needed]
**Last Updated:** [Date] | **Last Run:** [Date]
### Purpose
[What this runbook accomplishes and when to use it]
### Prerequisites
- [ ] [Access or permission needed]
- [ ] [Tool or system required]
- [ ] [Data or input needed]
### Procedure
#### Step 1: [Name]
```
[Exact command, action, or instruction]
```
**Expected result:** [What should happen]
**If it fails:** [What to do]
#### Step 2: [Name]
```
[Exact command, action, or instruction]
```
**Expected result:** [What should happen]
**If it fails:** [What to do]
### Verification
- [ ] [How to confirm the task completed successfully]
- [ ] [What to check]
### Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------------|-----|
| [What you see] | [Why] | [What to do] |
### Rollback
[How to undo this if something goes wrong]
### Escalation
| Situation | Contact | Method |
|-----------|---------|--------|
| [When to escalate] | [Who] | [How to reach them] |
### History
| Date | Run By | Notes |
|------|--------|-------|
| [Date] | [Person] | [Any issues or observations] |
```
## Tips
1. **Be painfully specific** — "Run the script" is not a step. "Run `python sync.py --prod --dry-run` from the ops server" is.
2. **Include failure modes** — What can go wrong at each step and what to do about it.
3. **Test the runbook** — Have someone unfamiliar with the process follow it. Fix where they get stuck.
README.md
What This Does
Creates comprehensive operational runbooks for recurring tasks. Each runbook includes prerequisites checklists, exact step-by-step procedures, expected results, failure handling, verification checks, troubleshooting guides, rollback procedures, and escalation contacts.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Set Up Your Project
Create a project folder and place the template inside:
runbooks/
├── CLAUDE.md
├── procedures/ # Generated runbooks
└── history/ # Run logs
Step 3: Start Working
claude
Say: "Create a runbook for our weekly database backup procedure"
What Gets Produced
- Prerequisites checklist — Access, tools, and data needed before starting
- Step-by-step procedure — Exact commands and actions with expected results
- Failure handling — What to do when each step fails
- Verification — How to confirm the task completed successfully
- Troubleshooting table — Symptom, likely cause, and fix
- Rollback procedure — How to undo if something goes wrong
- Escalation contacts — Who to call and when
Tips
- Be painfully specific — "Run
python sync.py --prod --dry-runfrom the ops server" beats "run the script" - Include failure modes — What can go wrong at each step and what to do about it
- Test the runbook — Have someone unfamiliar follow it and fix where they get stuck
Example Prompts
"Create a runbook for our weekly database backup procedure"
"Build a runbook for deploying to production"
"Document the monthly SSL certificate renewal process"
"Create a runbook for onboarding a new microservice"