Free Policy and Procedure Template for Microsoft Word

This free policy template for Microsoft Word is a 34 KB .docx file with a title page and version number, a table of contents and nine sections, each with a guidance note to replace. Download it with no sign-up, write your policy or procedure, then publish it in SharePoint and track who has read it.

By Hugo Esperanca, Director and Co-Founder, Collaboris · Updated November 2, 2026

What is a policy template in Word?

A policy template in Word is a .docx file that gives every policy the same layout: a title page with a version number, a table of contents and fixed sections for purpose, scope, definitions, rules, ownership and review history. You type over the guidance notes, so every policy you publish reads the same way.

One layout matters more than it sounds. When every policy puts the purpose, the rules and the owner in the same place, employees find what they need faster, and reviewers can compare versions without hunting through different formats. If you're unsure what counts as a policy, see what a policy is, with examples.

What's in the free policy document template

The policy document template includes:

• A title page with the policy title, a subtitle and a version number.
• A table of contents built from Word's heading styles, so it updates when you rename or add headings.
• Nine sections, each with a guidance note telling you what to write.
• A review history table with columns for version, date, author and the purpose of each change.

Many organizations also add three fields to the title page: an effective date, the name of the approver and a next review date. Type them under the version number before you save your own master copy.

How do you write a policy and procedure in one Word template?

Use one Word template for both. The policy sections say what the rule is, who it covers and why. The flow chart and policy details sections then set out the procedure: each step, who does it and where decisions are made. Delete sections a procedure doesn't need, such as Appeals, and log every change in the review history table.

A policy says what must happen and why. A procedure says how to do it, step by step. Our guide to policy vs procedure vs process explains the difference with examples.

Procedure template in Word: what to change

1. Rename "Policy details" to "Procedure steps" and write numbered steps, one action per step.
2. Name the role responsible for each step in the flow chart, rather than a person, so the procedure survives staff changes.
3. Delete Appeals, and keep Related policies to link the procedure back to the policy it carries out.
4. Keep the review history table, because procedures change more often than policies.

If you write many standard operating procedures, use our dedicated SOP template in Word, which comes with an Excel revision and review log.

Company policy template: samples you can write with it

This free company policy template in Word works for any policy that needs rules, an owner and a review cycle. The table shows company policy samples organizations commonly write with it, and what goes in the Policy details section of each. For a fuller list, see our checklist of essential company policies.

See a sample policy filled in: HR absence policy

The free sample policy is an Absence Policy, version 1.0, written with the same nine sections. Use it as a sample policy template to see how much detail goes into each section before you write your own business policy template.

How to customize the policy template in Word

1. Replace the title page text. Type your policy name over “Policy Title”, add a subtitle if you need one, and enter the version number, such as 1.0. Add the effective date, approver and next review date underneath.
2. Write each section. Replace each guidance note with your own text. Delete any section that doesn't apply.
3. Add your flow chart. Draw the process as a simple diagram showing who does what and where decisions are made.
4. Update the table of contents. On the References tab, select Update Table, then choose Update entire table so new or renamed headings appear (Microsoft Support: Update a table of contents).
5. Record the change. Add a row to the review history table with the version, date, author and purpose of the change.
6. Save a reusable copy. Once you've added your logo and house style, select File > Save As and choose Word Template as the file type, so every new policy starts from the same layout (Microsoft Support: Create a template).

How to publish and track your policy

A finished policy only works if people can find the current version and you can show who has read it.

Publish it in SharePoint

• Use a document library with versioning turned on. SharePoint then keeps each version of the file and shows when it changed and who changed it (Microsoft Support: Enable and configure versioning). Read more on the importance of policy versioning.
• Turn on content approval. Drafts stay hidden from readers until an approver approves them. To automate the sign-off, see how to build a policy approval workflow with Power Automate.
• Make the template the library default. With Full Control permission, set the library's document template in Library settings, under Advanced settings, so new policies start from your template.
• Show key details as columns. Display policy metadata in SharePoint library columns, such as the owner and review date, so the library works as your policy register. Then set up policy review reminders so nothing passes its review date.

How long to keep old versions

Keep superseded versions, not just the current one. For example, organizations covered by the HIPAA Security Rule must keep their written policies and procedures for 6 years from the date they were created or last in effect, whichever is later, and review them periodically (45 CFR 164.316). The review history table and SharePoint version history together give you that record.

Track who has read it

For a small team, the free policy template pack adds an Excel acknowledgment log and a review schedule to this template, and the employee acknowledgment form template gives you a sign-off sheet. When you need to prove who read which version across a whole organization, DocRead does this inside SharePoint. It assigns each policy to Microsoft Entra ID or SharePoint groups, sends reminders, escalates overdue tasks to managers and records a time-stamped acknowledgment of the exact version each person read. See policy management software for SharePoint.

Policy template FAQ

See DocRead in your own SharePoint

A template gets every policy into the same format. DocRead proves the right people read it. It runs inside SharePoint and Microsoft 365, so your policies stay in the libraries you already use. DocRead for Microsoft 365 runs in SharePoint Online, and DocRead for SharePoint Server runs on SharePoint Server 2019 and 2016.

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