DevOps/Cloud
Runbook
Also written as Playbook
A documented, step-by-step procedure for handling a specific, known operational task or failure scenario, so it doesn't rely on one person's memory.
Think of it like
Like a laminated checklist taped inside a fuse box, so anyone — not just the electrician who wired the house — can safely restore power during an outage.
Junior or senior?
Junior sounds like
Hasn't written documentation anyone else has actually used under pressure.
Senior sounds like
Has written a runbook a teammate used to resolve a real incident without needing them.
Ask them
“Have you written a runbook that a teammate later used to resolve an incident without needing you? What was it for?”