01
Find the repeatable path
Pull out the recurring trigger, inputs, decisions, and expected output. Keep changing priorities and one-off judgment outside the first workflow.
Write downThe specific recurring path the SOP describes.
Start with one real workflow
How to write an AI worker workflow brief.
A useful first brief names one recurring job, the information it needs, the person accountable for the result, and the moments where work must pause for review or escalation.
Make the normal path and the stop path equally clear.
Direct answer
Write the operating boundaries before choosing a build.
This brief is not a promise of capability or approval to turn on a workflow. It makes a prospective workflow concrete enough for the person responsible for it to inspect.
If the owner, input source, approval rule, or exception path cannot be named, keep the work human-led or clarify the process before moving forward.
From a documented process
Use an SOP as evidence, then turn it into a reviewable workflow.
A standard operating procedure can explain the intended process. A workflow brief makes the operating decisions visible before anyone treats the process as ready for an AI worker.
02
Name the human decisions
Mark the points where a person decides, approves, or resolves an exception. Do not turn an undocumented judgment into an assumed rule.
Write downWho decides, what they need to see, and what must wait.
03
Expose the missing path
Write down what happens when information is incomplete, conflicting, unusual, or outside the documented procedure. A missing exception path is a reason to clarify the process first.
Write downThe stop condition and the owner who receives it.
04
Set a review point
Choose what the owner will inspect before the boundary changes. A brief is a planning tool, not authorization to expand access or activate a workflow.
Write downThe evidence the owner will review and the next decision.
The four-field template
Use the same short structure for every first-workflow conversation.
Each field gives the process owner a concrete place to describe what is known, what needs review, and what still needs a decision.
01
The recurring job
Name the trigger, the repeatable request, and the useful output. Keep the first brief to one job rather than a whole role.
Write downThe trigger, repeatable request, and useful output.
02
Inputs and systems
List the information the workflow needs and where it comes from. Missing or conflicting information should have a visible stop path.
Write downThe required information and its source.
03
Owner and definition of done
Name the person who can judge the output and describe what a completed, reviewable result looks like.
Write downWho reviews the result and what done means.
04
Approval and exceptions
Separate work that may be prepared from work that must wait for review, and say where unusual cases go.
Write downWhat pauses and who decides the exception.
Questions that expose gaps
A useful brief makes the missing decision visible.
Do not fill in gaps with assumptions. Use them to decide what needs process clarification before the workflow changes.
What starts the work?
Name the event or request that begins the recurring job.
What information is needed?
Identify the source, missing-data path, and conflicting-data path.
What can the owner review?
Describe a result that a named person can assess before the boundary expands.
What should stop?
State the condition that should pause and the person who receives the exception.
Common questions
Keep ownership visible from the first draft.
The brief keeps the team focused on a reviewable job rather than a broad promise about automation.
What is an AI worker workflow brief?
It is a practical description of one recurring workflow: its trigger, inputs, intended output, owner, approval points, and exception path. It helps a team decide whether the work is clear enough to map and review.
Should a brief describe an entire job role?
No. Start with one recurring job that can be made concrete. A role usually contains changing priorities and many kinds of judgment; a first brief should preserve that distinction.
Who should write the brief?
The person closest to the workflow should contribute the operational detail, and the business should name someone accountable for reviewing edge cases and deciding what done means.
Does a workflow brief approve the work for automation?
No. It is a planning and qualification tool. Any access, approval, change, or rollout decision still needs to be scoped for the particular workflow.
Can we start an AI worker workflow brief from an SOP?
Yes. Use the SOP to identify a repeatable path, but document the human decisions, missing-information path, exceptions, and review point separately. A documented process is not by itself approval to activate or expand a workflow.
What if the SOP does not explain an exception?
Keep that part of the work human-led until the owner can define a stop condition and an accountable decision path. Do not fill an undocumented rule with an assumption.
Bring one reviewable job
Start with the recurring work your team wants to make easier to run.
Map the trigger, inputs, review owner, and exceptions before deciding what a Worker should handle.
The job has a recognizable trigger and outcome.
A person can review the work and decide what changes.
Unclear or sensitive cases have a defined route to a human.
Map one recurring workflow
Make the operating decision concrete.
Start with the work, not a broad promise about automation.