What’s a Runbook and Why Every Project Needs One Before It’s Too Late
Memory fades, good documentation does not
Have you ever been called at 11:17 PM because a system went down and nobody knew where to start? Or arrived at work to find something broken, but no one left clues on how to fix it?
If you’ve ever had to “figure it out” because the expert already left the company, you’ll understand why I swear by runbooks.
Imagine: the lead developer has moved on to a new project. The admin is out of the office. The only thing left is a folder named “Final Files_v3_NEW.” It’s going to take hoursss to piece things together, hours you could have saved with runbook documentation.
What’s a Runbook Anyway?
In practice, a runbook is your system’s instruction manual, structured for continuity and maintenance.
It answers three essential questions:
What does this component do (or what is its context)?
How do you support, maintain, or fix it when something goes wrong?
Who should you contact when you’re stuck?
A runbook is what keeps your system (and your sanity) alive during and after go-live.
In my Service Cloud Voice + Salesforce integrations, I built the runbook as a combination of:
Word (or Google Doc): Step-by-step instructions with labeled screenshots.
Spreadsheet (multiple tabs): A matrix where each tab is a feature or module. On each tab: what the feature does, related help articles, videos, config links, and known quirks.
This hybrid model gives you structured, searchable guidance.
Why Runbooks Are Nonnegotiable
We spend weeks (often months) designing, building, and testing systems. But once the project ends, much of the real know-how leaves with the people who built it.
A runbook is how you protect that investment.
When you don’t have one:
New team members waste days rediscovering fixes.
Support gets blamed for “why didn’t we know?”
Business users lose faith every time “the system is down again.”
A good runbook turns confusion into confidence. It builds trust between business and tech. It gives people a map so they stop guessing and start owning.
“We’ll Remember Later” (Yeah, Right)
No one remembers later.
What feels obvious during UAT becomes a distant memory five weeks later.
What you meant to write down becomes lost in Slack threads or version 12 of a spreadsheet.
And when someone new joins, the first thing they ask is,
“Do we have documentation for this?”
A missing runbook not only slows you down, but it also breaks trust.
When systems fail, people don’t function with tools alone. They need clear guidance.
How to Create a Good Runbook
A runbook does not have to be fancy, but it must be organized, searchable, and useful. Here’s the structure I’ve used across system admin projects that works.
1. Start with the Big Picture
Before writing steps, add a quick overview page.
Describe how the system fits together. For example:
What the main components are (Salesforce, AWS, telephony, integrations)
A simple diagram or list that shows data flow
Key logins, environments, or URLs
This gives anyone a clear starting point. Even if they’ve never touched the system, they’ll know where to begin.
2. Use Two Main Files
I use two types of files that work together:
Word (or Google Doc) – for step-by-step instructions
Each section covers a task or configuration with screenshots, short explanations
Example: “How to update a routing rule” → list the exact clicks and include a small “verify your change” note.Spreadsheet (multiple tabs) – for feature reference
Each tab represents one module or feature.
Columns include:Feature name and description
Key fields or configuration links
Related help articles or internal docs
Known issues or tips
Date last reviewed
This combination covers both “How to do it” (Word Doc) and “What it does” (Spreadsheet).
3. Link It to Your Project Tools
Support, maintenance, and troubleshooting details do not live in the runbook. They are tracked in your project tools (like JIRA or Asana). But the runbook should point to them.
In each section, include links such as:
“Create an issue in JIRA” or “See open bugs for this module.”
“Quarterly maintenance checklist” or “UAT test logs.”
“Escalation guide” for urgent issues.
This keeps everything connected without duplicating information.
4. Make It Easy to Search and Maintain
Your future self (or the next admin) will thank you if it’s easy to find things.
Do these small but powerful things:
Use clear section titles and consistent formatting.
Keep a single shared location for the latest version (e.g., Teams or Google Drive).
Review it quarterly. Delete old screenshots, check URLs still work, and refresh any changed processes.
Think of it as a living document, not a one-time deliverable.
5. Add Small Touches That Save Big Time
A few extras make a runbook ten times more valuable:
Change Log Section:
Add a simple table at the top showing what was updated, when, and by whom
Search Keywords Page:
Include a short glossary or “CTRL+F” guide at the beginning (e.g., search terms like “Omni-Channel,” “CTI,” or “Permission Sets”) so readers can find info faster
Error Message Decoder:
Add a table mapping common error messages to their root causes and quick fixes. For instance, “Error 403 - check user permission on Amazon Connect profile.”
Visual Status Tracker:
Add color-coded indicators such as “Working,” “In Progress,” or “Needs Review” beside each feature or module to show health at a glance. It’s especially useful during go-live or post-launch reviews.
New Hire Starter Page:
Create an intro page explaining how to navigate the runbook and who to contact for access or edits. It helps new admins onboard quickly.
Who Benefits from a Runbook?
Everyone does, in different ways.
Developers stop solving the same problem twice
Support teams fix issues faster, minus the guesswork
Admins move from reactive to proactive because the setup steps are clear
Business users feel empowered to report issues properly
Leaders are happy knowing the system is sustainable
A runbook not only stores information, but it also builds independence and peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
I’ve worked on projects where people spent months debating features, integrations, or UX layouts, but forgot the simplest thing - documenting how to keep it all running.
When things go wrong, it’s not the code that saves you. It’s clearly written knowledge.
A runbook is your team’s silent hero.
It’s a bridge between “we built this” and “we can keep this from not exploding!”
It’s the kind of documentation that outlasts titles, timelines, and transitions.
So the next time you’re closing a project or launching a system,
redefine what “handover complete” means.
Ask, “If I’m off the project tomorrow, could someone else keep this running?
If the answer is no, start your runbook today.
If you or your team need extra help organizing your internal processes and turning them into a single-source-of-truth runbook, I can help.
Reply to this email or comment so we can work together on the next steps.