Write a runbook someone reads at 3am
Produces a procedure that can be followed half-awake, with the background moved to the end.
| Category | Development › Technical writing |
|---|---|
| Tags | ChecklistDraftingDeveloper |
Write a runbook for this scenario. Structure, strictly in this order: 1. **Is this the right runbook?** Two or three symptoms that confirm it. If they do not match, where to go instead. 2. **Stop the bleeding.** The single fastest mitigation, as a command or a click path. *This is the first thing on the page.* 3. **Steps.** Numbered. One action each. Command or exact UI path, then what a correct result looks like, then what to do if it does not. 4. **Danger markers** — steps that are irreversible, destroy data, or affect other systems. Mark each inline, before the step, not after. 5. **Escalation** — who to wake, at what point, and what to tell them. 6. **Verification** — how to confirm it is actually fixed, not just quiet. 7. **Background** — why this happens. *Last. Nobody reads this during an incident.* Rules: - Write for someone tired, under pressure, who did not build this system. - *Commands must be copy-pasteable.* No placeholders like `<your-region>` without saying where to find the value. - Every step states its expected result. A step you cannot verify is a step that silently fails. - Where the procedure I gave you has a gap, say "unknown — find out before this is needed" rather than filling it in.
After pasting, fill in the fields at the bottom (Scenario · System · Procedure as I know it)
What this prompt does
Runbooks are written calm and read in a crisis. This puts commands first, explanation last, and marks the irreversible steps loudly.
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