How to Make a Flowchart: Beginner’s Guide (& Free Templates)

Knowing how to make a flowchart is a valuable skill, regardless of your field or industry. If you’re intimidated by the thought of creating a flowchart from scratch, we’re here to help you out.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basic steps of designing a flowchart that helps you achieve your goals in the best possible way.

If you want to skip the tutorial and start creating your own flowchart, use our drag-and-drop flowchart maker to get started right away.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit  flowchart templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

How to Make a Flowchart in 7 Simple Steps

Step #1: Know the purpose of your flowchart.

Step #2: Start with a template.

Step #3: Add shapes and symbols.

Step #4: Connect your shapes with lines and arrows.

Step #5: Split paths or add decisions.

Step #6: Customize your flowchart’s appearance.

Step #7: Download or share your flowchart.

Bonus: Make your flowchart interactive.

Flowchart Best Practices

10 Flowchart Templates to Help You Get Started

Quick ReadA flowchart is a visual representation of the steps, decisions and relations involved in a process.The best way to create a flowchart is to start by clarifying its purpose, choosing a suitable template, adding relevant shapes and symbols and connecting them using lines and arrows.Then, include decision points or branching paths, customize the appearance of the flowchart, and finally, download or share the completed flowchart.Visme's flowchart templates come with a wide variety of shapes and symbols that can be used to represent different parts of your process. You can also customize the colors, style and size of the shapes as well as their alignment within the flowchart.Sign-up for Visme's free online flowchart maker and create professional-looking flowcharts in just a few clicks.

 

What is a Flowchart?

A flowchart is a visual representation of a process, system or workflow. It uses a combination of symbols, shapes and arrows to illustrate the sequence of steps and decisions involved in accomplishing a task. Think of a flowchart as a roadmap that guides you from start to finish, showcasing the logical flow of actions and providing a clear overview of a process.

Flowcharts have versatile applications across various industries and disciplines. They are widely used for process analysis, project management and designing systems, providing a visual framework that enhances understanding.

 

What are the 4 Types of Flowcharts?

Flowcharts come in various types, each with its unique purpose and structure. Let's dive into the four main types of flowcharts you need to know. Additionally, we will provide an example flowchart template for each type to enhance your understanding.

1. Process Flowcharts

This is one of the most commonly used flowcharts compared to the others. Process flowcharts depict step-by-step sequences of activities within a process, making it easy to understand the workflow. They are ideal for analyzing and optimizing processes, identifying bottlenecks and improving efficiency.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download 2. Swimlane Flowcharts

Swimlane flowcharts take process flowcharts to the next level by introducing swimlanes representing different departments, individuals or responsibilities. They provide a clear visual representation of handoffs and interactions, helping identify accountability, collaboration and areas of improvement.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download 3. Data Flowcharts

Focused on the movement of data within a system or process, these flowcharts illustrate how data is processed, stored or transformed. They are widely used in software development, system analysis and data management to understand and optimize data flow.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download 4. Workflow Diagrams

Also known as deployment flowcharts, these diagrams showcase interactions between different entities in a system or process. They visualize the flow of tasks, decisions and events among individuals, departments or systems. Workflow diagrams help understand and improve coordination and communication between various components.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Read this article to learn more about the 15 most popular types of flowcharts and discover how each one can enhance your understanding of processes, optimize workflow, and improve decision-making.

 

How to Make a Flowchart in 7 Simple Steps

The best flowcharts are simple and clear, and effectively communicate each step of the process.

By following some basic structure, diagramming and design concepts, you can create visually appealing and easy-to-understand flowcharts.

Below are 7 simple steps to creating a flowchart that ticks all the boxes.

 

Step #1: Know the purpose of your flowchart.

Before knowing how to design a flow chart, it is mandatory to find out why you’re creating one in the first place.

Your flowchart can have various goals, such as:

Making a complex process easier to understandImproving an existing business process by identifying bottlenecksExplaining or communicating a process to someone elseStandardizing a process for consistency and efficiency

When you know the purpose of your flowchart, it’s easier to choose the type of flowchart to create, pick the most relevant template, and know whether to focus more on design or function when making one.

 

Step #2: Start with a template.

Creating a flowchart from scratch can be intimidating. Luckily, you don’t have to.

There are plenty of flowchart templates available online that you can customize and adapt for your own use. Try to select a template that’s created specifically for your field or industry so it takes you less time and effort to finalize.

If you’re looking for professionally designed flowchart templates, browse through Visme’s flowchart template library with dozens of options for various fields. When you find something you like, hover on it and click on Edit to start customizing it.

Create your own flowchart in minutes!Browse Templates

You can also choose to start with a blank canvas and use pre-made flowchart content blocks to put your diagram together.

The easiest way to create a flowchart is by utilizing a dedicated flowchart maker, such as Visme. However, you can also create a basic flowchart using software like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. This can be difficult for a beginner but might be a good option if you’re already confident about your diagramming skills and aren’t interested in using pre-made templates.

Samantha, a satisfied small business owner, shares why Visme is the ultimate destination for finding the perfect flowchart template.

“I was looking for flow-chart style templates with other brands in the trial phase, and I couldn't find anything- I tried Visme and instantly found at least 100 different flow-chart template options.”

 

Step #3: Add shapes and symbols.

Shapes and symbols play a vital role in any flowchart. They define the components of your flowchart, and each symbol represents something unique.

Read our brief guide to flowchart symbols above to familiarize yourself with the most common shapes and symbols before continuing with this step.

After you’ve identified the purpose of your flowchart, it’s time to draw your diagram. The first thing you need to do here is add the symbols that represent all the components in your flowchart.

Pro-tip: Sketch out your flowchart on a piece of paper before proceeding to draw it on your computer. This will prevent you from pressing “undo” repeatedly, and help you create your flowchart faster and more efficiently.

If you’re making your flowchart in Visme, you can add flowchart symbols by clicking on the Data tab on your left, and then selecting Diagrams.

You can also add blocks of pre-made flows with 3-4 shapes by navigating over to the Basics tab and selecting Diagrams from there.

Once you’ve added some basic shapes, you can now connect them with lines and arrows. This leads us to the next step.

 

Step #4: Connect your shapes with lines and arrows.

Once you’ve added all the different shapes you need, it’s time to connect each one with lines and arrows.

We recommend using arrows if you want to show a specific direction of your flow of information. For example, the flowchart example below visualizes how information is flowing in different directions with the help of arrows.

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

In Visme, there are various line and arrow designs to choose from if you want to add them manually. All of the lines and arrows are fully customizable, drag-and-drop, and easy to rearrange and move around.

Another way to quickly create your flowchart in Visme is to integrate the two steps of adding shapes and connecting them.

You can simply add one shape, click on it, select any of the small arrows that appear on the sides of the shape, and click on a pre-made flow to extend your diagram.

If you want to change the new shape that appears, just click on it, tap on Edit at the top, and change the shape or symbol to one that suits your needs.

Keep doing this until your flowchart is ready!

Transform technical, complex information into easy-to-understand reportsCreate detailed diagrams of workflows, systems and processes to see how they intersetEasily create and share resources for your team, from login credentials to security best practicesGet more visual with your communication to ensure intricate information is resonating and sinking in

Sign up. It’s free.

Step #5: Split paths or add decisions.

In some cases, you may want to split paths and add decisions to your flowchart, such as adding two different paths based on Yes/No decisions.

This is useful for visualizing complex processes that require people to take different actions based on varying inputs and outputs.

For example, you may want your employees to shut down a system in case of a power outage. At the same time, you’d want them to keep the system turned on if there’s only minor electricity fluctuation.

In Visme, adding decisions and split paths is easy.

When you click on a shape to extend it, you can choose one of the pre-made split path blocks to extend your flowchart in two different directions.

If you want, you can add text next to each path, such as “Yes” or “No”. Just drag and drop the Text block from the Data → Diagrams tab in the left-hand panel, and edit it.

Suppose you want to educate your audience on diagnosing and resolving slow server issues. To do this, you must include checking both swap and CPU percentages, along with appropriate actions to take based on high and low values.

Here is a flowchart template that visualizes the process:

Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

 

Step #6: Customize your flowchart’s appearance.

The next step is to customize your flowchart’s appearance. Your flowchart’s design will depend on how you plan to use your diagram, where you’ll use it and who the audience is.

Visme’s “Shortcuts” feature makes it super easy for you to find everything you need to customize your flowchart template. By typing the forward slash "/" on your keyboard, a popup appears, providing quick access to a wide range of customization options.

From animations, shapes, and icons to special effects and data visualizations, you'll find almost everything Visme offers right at your fingertips.

With this time-saving feature, you can focus more on your content and ideas, knowing that the design aspect is simplified and optimized for maximum visual impact.

There are several ways to customize your flowchart’s appearance in Visme.

 

Customize your shapes and lines.

First, you may want to change the size, color, border, roundness and other characteristics of your shapes, symbols and lines.

You can do all of this in Visme by selecting the element in question, and clicking on Edit at the top to reveal the customization toolbar.

You can also change the font, font size, font color and font style of any text in your flowchart, such as the text inside shapes or next to the lines.

Resizing your shapes and lines is easy to do as well. Simply click on a shape and drag it using the controls on each side and corner.

 

Add relevant icons.

Flowcharts don’t always need to be all text and shapes and no graphics. Sprinkle some visual fun into your flowchart by adding icons where possible.

For example, instead of using text that says “Yes” or “No”, you can add icons of green check marks and red X/cross marks.

You can also add icons in place of the actual shapes and symbols to visualize components. This is especially useful in system diagram flowcharts, where you can add icons of computers, cloud, firewalls, switches, routers and more.

Visme comes built-in with thousands of free vector icons — all fully customizable.

Just click on the Graphics tab, select Icons and sift through the categories manually, or type in your keyword at the top to find relevant options.

You can change the colors of the icons, resize them, replace them with one click and even upload your own icons to enhance your flowchart’s design.

 

Add a header.

Make your flowchart design stand out by adding an eye-catching header at the top. Headers are not only useful for making your flowchart look good, they’re great tools for communicating the title and purpose of your flowchart.

Create an effective flowchart header by using large and bold text, and even add a graphic like an image or illustration to emphasize on your topic.

In Visme, you can add a header to your flowchart by clicking on the Basics tab and selecting Header & Text. Browse through the options and drag what you like onto your flowchart.

You can also choose from pre-designed font pairs or customize the header that came with your Visme flowchart template.

If you want to add an image to your header, select the Photos tab, and browse through millions of free stock photos. You can also upload your own images from your computer.

Another way to decorate your flowchart header in Visme is to find a relevant illustration or icon in the Graphics tab and resizing it so it’s big enough to fit in the header. Play around with the design and take advantage of visuals to communicate your flowchart topic more effectively.

 

Change the background.

Add a background to your flowchart to make it stand out. You can add a solid color background or take things up a notch and add an image.

Whatever background you choose to go with, make sure it doesn’t distract readers from the actual flowchart. Your shapes, symbols and lines should be clearly visible at all times.

One way to do that is to add a color overlay to your background image to make the objects and text on top stand out in contrast. You can easily add color overlays to any images in Visme.

Take it a step further and utilize Visme's AI Image generator to effortlessly create various types of backgrounds. This powerful tool enables you to generate unique and eye-catching visuals, such as gradients, abstract patterns or even custom images.

By leveraging the AI Image generator, you can easily customize your flowchart's background to make it truly stand out and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Just type what you want and it will give you exactly what you are looking for.

 

Step #7: Download or share your flowchart.

Once your flowchart is ready, it’s time to download it or share it with your target audience.

In Visme, you have a range of download options for your flowchart, including high-quality PNG and JPG image formats for printing and sharing.

You can also save it as a PDF document for a consistent layout in reports and presentations. Visme offers interactive HTML5 files for embedding in websites, as well as SCORM and xAPI formats for integration with e-learning platforms. Additionally, you can download your flowchart as a PPTX file to use as a presentation slide.

Apart from downloads, Visme lets you publish your flowchart online with a unique URL or generate an embed code for seamless integration into web pages or projects. These features provide flexibility in sharing and distributing your flowcharts.

Bonus: Make your flowchart interactive.

Breathe life into your flowcharts through an array of interactive features. With the intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, you can effortlessly add clickable buttons, links and hotspots to engage viewers and provide additional information.

Imagine you're creating a flow chart to explain a step-by-step process for using a software application. You can add clickable buttons to each step of the flowchart, allowing users to navigate directly to relevant sections of the application or access related resources.

For instance, you can create a button labeled "Settings" that, when clicked, takes the user to the settings page of the application.

RELATED: How to Create Animated Infographics With Visme [Step-By-Step Guide]

Enhance the user experience by incorporating hover effects and animated transitions, ensuring a seamless journey through your flowchart.

For example, when moving from one phase to another in a flowchart depicting a project management workflow, you can utilize animated transitions to create a visually appealing and engaging transition effect.

Additionally, you can embed multimedia elements like videos, audio and interactive charts to convey complex concepts with clarity and impact.

Visme's collaboration features enable team members to work simultaneously on the same flowchart, making it easy to brainstorm ideas, make edits, and provide feedback. Everyone involved can see changes happening in real-time, fostering a cohesive and efficient workflow.

Additionally, Visme keeps a detailed revision history, allowing you to track changes and revert to previous versions if needed.

Invite your team members via email or a sharable link and collaborate seamlessly on creating captivating flowcharts.

 

Flowchart Best Practices

Making a flowchart is an art, and if you know the basic rules you will do wonders. Below are some best practices to help you make any flowchart more effective and efficient.

Establish the flow direction. The format of your flowchart must be from left to right or top to bottom. This sort of formatting will help the user of your flowchart understand the process more easily.Run your return lines under your flowchart. Make sure that the return lines of your flowchart do not overlap because this can create complications for the users of your flowchart.Keep consistent spacing between symbols. A neat and clean flowchart will help you achieve your goals faster. So, make your flowchart clearer and easier to understand by adding consistent spacing between the symbols.Use the correct symbol for each step. Every symbol has a specific role in your flowchart, so make sure you use the right one to visualize each step to avoid any potential confusion or miscommunication.Use all caps. Using all caps in your flowchart text makes it look more professional and easier to read. It also highlights each step and gives it equal importance.

 

10 Flowchart Templates to Help You Get Started

Looking for some flowchart templates to give you a head start?

In this section, we’ve put together a bunch of flowchart templates that are professionally designed and ready-to-use.

You can use these flowcharts to accelerate your flowchart creation process. This is especially useful if you’re a beginner and you don’t want to deal with making a flowchart from scratch.

Click on the button below the template you like to start using it right away.

 

Template #1: Server Network DiagramCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Make an eye-catching server flowchart for your business with this basic network diagram template. You can also use it for other specific purposes, such as for visualizing a firewall system or an office network.

This ready-to-go flowchart template can be customized in Visme’s drag-and-drop editor. Change shapes, lines, text, colors, background and more.

 

Template #2: Customer Service FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This yes/no flowchart is a great way to train your customer service employees, such as sales reps, on how to respond to various customer queries and problems.

You can modify this ready-made flowchart with your own text, rearrange the shapes, and customize the design with your own brand colors and fonts.

 

Template #3: Project Team FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This project team flowchart is essentially an organizational chart that you can use to visualize your team structure.

You can customize this flowchart for any business, department or team, and it’s very helpful for understanding roles, responsibilities and who to report to. Replace the existing text, colors, shapes and more in the template with your own and you’re good to go.

If you want to maintain consistent branding, it's crucial to create a flowchart design that aligns with your organization's brand personality.

With Visme's brand wizard tool, you can easily achieve this level of consistency. Save your brand colors, brand fonts, and logo within the brand wizard, and apply them to your flowchart design in just a few clicks.

This ensures that your flowchart seamlessly reflects your brand's visual identity, reinforcing your brand image and professionalism.

Watch the tutorial video below to learn about saving your brand assets under the My Brand aread in Visme.

 

Template #4: Hiring Process FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This hiring process flowchart is an asset for your human resources team and makes it easier to understand the entire recruiting process.

Feel free to customize this template according to your unique needs. For example, you may want to use it to visualize a production process or another HR process.

 

Template #5: Website Rebranding FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This website rebranding flowchart can help you make decisions faster by mapping out the various factors that go into making a particular decision.

You can customize this template for any other use, such as for helping sales reps make better decisions, and even change the design so it’s more in line with your company’s branding.

 

Template #6: Should I Check Email FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This fun flowchart template is attractive and functional. You can use it to visualize decision-making for your business or personal use.

Modify this template for your own use by editing the colors, text, shapes, background and more. Download it in high-quality image or PDF format to use on its own or add to other projects, or share online using a link or embed code.

Take your flowchart to the next level with Visme's dynamic text animation features. With a selection of eight different animation styles, you can bring your flowchart to life and captivate your audience's attention.

By strategically applying text animations to key elements or labels within your flowchart, you can effectively highlight important information, guide the viewer's focus, and improve your flowchart's overall quality and impact.

 

Template #7: Technology FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Use this flowchart template to help your employees or customers solve technology problems, such as a slow server or an unresponsive application.

This is a great flowchart idea to place on your website's help page, and then if it doesn't solve the problem, users can get in touch for additional support.

The user-friendly editing tools in Visme are the best way to make a flowchart that aligns with your brand. You can shorten or extend it to fit your diagramming needs.

 

Template #8: Circuit Block DiagramCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Explain the basics of circuits better with this block diagram template. You can also use it as a data flow diagram for any other purpose.

The best thing about this template is you can make changes in the text, colors and design easily. Download it once you’re done and add it to other projects like reports.

 

Template #9: Social Media FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This how-to flowchart can help you explain the process of completing a task quickly and easily based on Yes or No decisions.

This particular template focuses on setting up social media channels, but you can modify it for any other topic, field or industry.

Use Visme's powerful analytics feature to track the performance of your flowchart and gain valuable insights into how users engage with the content. You will get access to the number of views, average time spent, unique visits, date/time of view, visitor IP, visitor location and more.

Utilize this information to evaluate user interactions, pinpoint areas that need improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance the efficiency of your flowcharts.

 

Template #10: Product Launch FlowchartCustomize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

This bright and engaging flowchart template is all about planning a successful product launch day or event. It’s a great tool for keeping all the team members on the same page so everyone knows what to do and when.

You can keep this small business flowchart as is or modify everything — from the topic to text to colors to shapes and more.

 

Create Your Own Flowchart for Free

If you’re all prepped to create your own flowchart and you know what the common flowchart symbols are, it’s time to make your own flowchart.

Making a flowchart is an easy process if you have the right tools at your disposal.

Visme’s flowchart maker is a great alternative to Word, especially for beginners who want to quickly create flowcharts with minimum effort. Another benefit of using Visme is you get access to professionally designed flowchart templates that are a treat to the eyes.

So, what are you waiting for? Happy diagramming!