Workflow as a Standard Operating Procedure

Give every step the context it needs. Add rich instructions, images, embedded video, and links to supporting documents right on the step — so your workflow isn't just a list of what to do, it's a living document of how the work gets done.

Get started Let's Talk

Start free trial. * No credit card required.

Employee Onboarding Workflow
Configure the new hire's laptop
Follow the standard image, then confirm each item below:
  • Install the security agent
  • Enable full-disk encryption
  • Add them to the #team-general channel
IT-Setup-Guide.pdfLink

A list tells you what. A procedure shows you how.

A bare task list assumes everyone already knows the details. But process knowledge that lives in one person's head, a buried wiki, or a folder of PDFs is knowledge your team can't reach in the moment. Put the guidance on the step itself and it's right there, every single time.

A bare task list
  • “Configure the laptop” — but how?
  • The how-to lives in someone's head
  • New hires interrupt to ask what's next
A documented workflow
  • Step-by-step instructions on the step
  • A screenshot and a short how-to video
  • The reference doc linked right there

Document once, guide every run

1

Build the workflow

Lay out your steps and group them into sections. This is your reusable template — the standard operating procedure your team follows.

2

Add content to any step

Open a step and attach as much supporting content as it needs — formatted instructions, images, an embedded video, and links to the documents that matter.

3

Run it, over and over

Every time you start a run, that guidance comes with it. The person doing the work sees exactly how to do each step — no tribal knowledge required.

Write instructions that actually read like instructions

Each step gets a rich-text editor, not a plain box. Use bold and italics, bulleted and numbered lists, font sizes, text and background colors, and alignment — then drop in links, images, and tables to spell out the process clearly. Insert variables like {{run.title}} and they fill in with real values on each run, so a single template speaks to every situation.

  • Format with lists, emphasis, colors, alignment, links, and tables.
  • Insert variables for run and data-collection values right from the editor.
  • Add several blocks of content to one step and drag them into order.
Step contentText
B I Show Variables
Before you begin
  • Confirm the request for {{run.title}} is approved
  • Grab the standard hardware image from the shelf
Questions? Ping the IT lead listed on the runbook.

Images, video, and documents — right on the step

Words only go so far. Add a screenshot that shows exactly where to click, embed a short walkthrough video, or link the policy PDF and vendor portal your team needs. Everything sits on the step, in the order you choose, so nobody has to go hunting for it mid-task.

  • Upload images and screenshots, each with an optional caption.
  • Embed video from YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, or Google Drive — it plays inline.
  • Attach files or link out to any supporting document your process depends on.
Content on this step
where-to-click.png
2-min walkthrough
Security-Policy-v4.pdfFile
Open the provisioning portalLink

Four kinds of content, one clear step

TextFormatted instructions ImageScreenshots & diagrams VideoEmbedded walkthroughs FileDocs & links

Embed the video where the work happens

Recorded a walkthrough already? Paste the link and Manifestly embeds the player right on the step, so it plays without anyone leaving their run. Bring video in from the tools your team already uses.

YouTube Vimeo Loom Google Drive
How to run the month-end close
Paste a share link and the player embeds automatically.

Update the procedure once, everywhere follows

Your workflow is the single source of truth. Every run you start carries the step content with it, and when the process changes, you edit the workflow — the next run reflects it. No stale copies, no re-training on a document nobody reopened.

  • Guidance is delivered fresh on each run, straight from the workflow.
  • Everyone follows the same documented steps, so quality stays consistent.
  • Improve a step once and every future run gets the better version.
Onboarding — active runs
Dana Ruiz — started Aug 3
Same instructions, images & video on every step
Run
Alex Kim — started Aug 6
Same instructions, images & video on every step
Run
Priya Shah — started Aug 8
Same instructions, images & video on every step
Run

Built for the procedures teams repeat

Onboarding & training

Turn a new-hire workflow into a guided course — each step explains itself.

A screenshot shows where to click and a short video walks through account setup.

Compliance & audits

Document the exact procedure and link the policies each step must follow.

The controlling policy PDF is attached to the step it governs, every run.

Operations & IT

Capture the how-to for recurring runbooks so anyone can execute them.

Instructions, a diagram, and a link to the admin console live on each step.

Documenting your process, answered

Four kinds: formatted text instructions, images, embedded video, and files or links to supporting documents. You can add more than one to a single step and drag them into the order that makes sense.

Paste a share link from YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, or Google Drive and Manifestly embeds the player right on the step so it plays inline — no downloads, no leaving the run.

Yes. Step instructions use a rich-text editor, so you can add bold and italic text, bulleted and numbered lists, font sizes, text and background colors, alignment, links, images, and tables to lay out a procedure clearly.

Always. The content you add to the workflow travels with every run you start, so the person doing the work sees the same instructions, images, video, and links on each step.

The workflow is your single source of truth. Edit a step's content once and future runs pick up the change, so there are no stale copies of the procedure floating around.

Yes. Drop variables into your text and they resolve to real values on each run — things like the run's name or data collected in earlier steps — so one template reads correctly in every situation.

Other Features

Design your process

Workflow Customization

Shape exactly how each workflow behaves — logic, data, timing, and documentation.

Workflow Versioning

Make changes and collaborate on workflow improvements in a private Draft, keep a stable Published version for your team, and maintain a full version history with restore.

Conditional Logic

Customize your workflows to conditionally hide or display workflow sections and steps based on data collection or the completion of a different step or section in the workflow.

Workflow Approvals

Add a required sign-off to any workflow step so work gets reviewed before it moves forward. Assign the person who owns the decision, hold the steps behind it until they approve or reject, and keep every decision on the record.

Relative Due Dates

Set expectations for when tasks are due and send notifications to users. Due dates are also utilized in our calendar integration.

Business Calendars

Attach a holiday calendar to a workflow to keep due dates and reminders off weekends and holidays. When a date lands on a day off, snap it to the next or previous business day — and move or skip recurring runs that fall on one.

Data Collection

Add data collection fields to your workflows. Users can enter data, choose from a list, upload images and files, and even collect signatures.

Data Tables

Keep reusable reference data in a shared table and pull it into your workflows. Choose a row in a run and Manifestly auto-fills the rest of that row into your other fields. An Enterprise feature.

Embed Links, Videos, and Images

Customize your workflow steps to add videos, images, and links to supporting documents to make them not only a list of what to do, but also a document of how a process should be done.

Workflow Automations

Set up one workflow to automatically create and assign another workflow when a specific step is completed in the original workflow.

Send a Customized Email on Step Completion

Customize an email to be sent when a step in your workflow is completed, providing real-time updates to the team.

Set Due Dates for Steps Based on Date Data Collection Fields

Use step data collection to drive due dates in your workflows, ensuring that deadlines are accurate and meaningful.

Subtasks

Define lightweight subtasks within a step to help your team follow a step-by-step process for completing a task.

QuickLists for Ad Hoc Tasks

Create lightweight, ad hoc task lists for one-off to-do items or collaborative team lists that don't require recurring workflows.

Organize with Tags

Keep your workflows and runs organized by using tags. Tags act as flexible folders to easily filter and find your tasks in Manifestly. Set up tags to track work by client, property, type of work, and more.

Manage your Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs

Create, edit, and publish your standard operating procedures. Keep your documentation updated and ensure everyone is using the most recently updated process documentation.

Send a Customized SMS Message on Step Completion

Customize an SMS message to be sent when a step in your workflow is completed, providing real-time updates to any phone number.
Delegate & automate

Assign and Automate

Get the right work to the right people, on schedule — automatically.

Schedule Recurring Runs

Schedule daily, weekly, or quarterly workflow runs to ensure recurring tasks are completed on time. Receive notifications on run activity, such as when a run has started.

Role-Based Assignments

Assign steps in your workflows to a role and then assign people to a role on a run-by-run basis, giving you more control over recurring assignments.

Automations with Zapier

Connect with 1,000+ apps using our Zapier app to automate data and workflow connections across platforms, ensuring seamless integration.

Import Runs

Import 200 workflow runs at a time using our spreadsheet importer. Set custom start and due dates, assign participants, add tags, Slack channels, and more.

Initiator Role

Automatically assign steps in the workflow to the person creating the new run using the Initiator Role, streamlining role-based task delegation.

Display Assignments in a Calendar

Visualize and manage your tasks within a calendar to plan ahead effectively and stay organized.
Stay on top of it

Track Progress and Reporting

See what's done, what's late, and what's coming — across every run.

Calendar Integration

Manifestly integrates with both Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar so you can view your assignments and upcoming runs within your regular calendar.

Bird's-eye View of Tasks

Track task progress and work on multiple runs all on one summary page that highlights assignments, late runs, and late tasks.

Customizable Dashboards

Customize your dashboard using as many dashboard "widgets" as you want to show exactly what you need to stay on top of for your organization's recurring tasks in Manifestly.

Reminders

Set up reminders on workflows or runs. Reminders can ensure your team does not miss deadlines in their assignments.

Reporting & Data Exports

View real-time reports of exactly what steps are done and what are left, with summary views across runs. Our data export feature gives you all the detailed data from your runs in a format easily imported into a spreadsheet or business intelligence tool.

Inbox

A single inbox page that consolidates your assignments, runs, and tasks. This unified view helps you stay organized, reduces the need to jump between screens, and makes it simpler to prioritize and manage your workload.
Governance & security

Govern, secure & prove it

SSO, granular permissions, and a complete audit trail — the controls enterprise teams need to run their work and prove how it was done.

Departments & Locations

Use departments to organize teams and workflows, as well as maintain security by keeping runs and activity private from your whole organization.

Permissions

Control access and abilities in the system using user permission roles. Admins, Users, and Limited Users all have different rights levels.

SAML SSO

Set up SAML SSO to control access to your Manifestly account. Manifestly supports Okta, Azure AD, Auth0, OneLogin, and Google SSO.

Guest Users

Invite external users to participate in workflows without requiring full accounts. Maintain security while allowing seamless collaboration.

Custom Branding

Create a branded environment by customizing your workspace with a company-specific logo. The logo appears in emails, guest run pages, and login pages.

Initiator Role

Automatically assign steps in the workflow to the person creating the new run with the Initiator Role, simplifying the setup and execution of recurring tasks.

Audit Trail

Every action — who did what, entered which data, and when — is captured in a searchable, permanent activity log, so you can prove exactly how work was run.

API & Webhooks

Full read/write access over the Manifestly v2 REST API plus webhooks, so Manifestly fits into your existing systems, provisioning, and reporting.
Collaborate & audit

Communicate

Keep the conversation — and a permanent record of who did what, and when — in one place.

Comments & Mentions

Collaborate with your team within a run without relying on emails or other communication methods. You can also add Manifestly directly to Slack.

Searchable Account Activity Logs

Every action taken — who completed a task, entered data, started and finished a run, and more — is stored in the cloud, forever, making it easy to audit who did what and when on previous runs and tasks.

Bulk Send of Reminders

With one click you can send out reminders to everyone working on a list of runs to help ensure your team completes tasks on time.

Trusted by organizations big and small for their recurring workflows

Compass logo
Sheraton logo
Foxconn logo
Coldwell logo
Plural Sight logo
BDO logo
KW logo
UT Austin logo

Customizable Workflow Software to Ensure Your Team's Success

With Manifestly, your team will Never Miss a Thing.

Start your free 14-day trial Schedule a demo »