Flowchart guides

• How to make a flowchart

  Name one process, list the steps, mark each decision, then draw.

• Flowchart symbols explained

  Rectangle, diamond, circle, and arrow, and which of those the toolbar has.

• How to make a flowchart in Google Docs

  In Google Docs, open Insert, then Drawing, then New, and use the shape menu for rectangles and a diamond.

• How to make a flowchart in Word

  In Word, use Insert, Shapes, pick a rectangle or a diamond, and draw on the page.

• How to make a flowchart in Excel

  In Excel, use Insert, Shapes, and draw on top of the grid.

• How to make a swimlane diagram

  Name the teams across the top, put each step in the column of the team that does it, and draw an arrow only where the work changes hands.

• How to make a decision tree

  Write the first question, give each answer its own next step, and stop when the next step is work rather than another question.

• Process map vs flowchart

  A flowchart shows the order of the work, including where it splits.

• How to make an org chart

  Put one role in each box, put the lead at the top, and connect each person to the role they report to.

• Flowchart best practices

  Cover one process, write short verb phrases, use a diamond only for a real question, label both answers, and hand the chart to someone who was not in the meeting.

• How to make a troubleshooting flowchart

  Start from the symptom, ask one check, and put a different action on each answer.

The templates gallery is the set of starter charts. The flowchart maker is the editor. A guide tells you what to draw. It does not replace the picture.