How to create flowcharts in draw.io

Flowchart use cases

Flowcharts, data flow diagrams, workflows, process diagrams, activity diagrams, process maps: No matter what you call them, you have most likely used them! Flowcharts are the most common diagram type that is used in all industries and across all departments to clearly visualize the steps in any process.

Flowcharts can be used to plan new processes, optimize existing processes, document software programs in development, explain processes simply to onboard new team members, plan project milestones, and more. They are also commonly used as checklists, and may be audited to ensure a company is following their documented processes reliably for certification requirements (ISO, SOX, etc.)

Some departments may use specialized types of process diagrams, like BPMN diagrams or UML activity diagrams. But most people use easily recognizable shapes and simple rules to create their flowcharts.

Flowchart shapes: Flowcharts use basic shapes like rectangles, diamonds and circles to indicate the different steps, interactions and decisions in a process, linked together with arrows (connectors) to show the direction between steps.

Multipage diagrams: More complex procedures can be split across multiple pages, for example, the main process on page one, with subprocesses on subsequent pages.

Flowcharts in draw.io

The following flowchart shape libraries are enabled by default:

• The General shape library contains the most frequently-used flowchart shapes.
• The Flowchart shape library contains an extensive list of dedicated flowchart shapes.

To locate specific shape libraries, for example BPMN 2.0:

1. Click +More shapes at the bottom of the left-hand panel.
2. Scroll down to the Business category, select the BPMN 2.0 checkbox, then click Apply.

The shape library will now be visible in the left-hand panel. Hover over a shape to preview it and see its name.

The draw.io BPMN 2.0 shape library

Flowchart templates in draw.io

draw.io has a number of templates you can use for various types of flow diagrams. You can use these as examples to see what is possible, or modify one to match your process.

1. On a Confluence page, start typing /draw.io and select draw.io Diagram.
2. Select Flowcharts from the template library categories on the left.
3. Hover over one of the templates to see its name. Click on the magnifying glass to preview the diagram.
4. Click on one of the templates, then click Create to open it in the editor.

The Flowchart template library in draw.io

Create flowcharts using AI

If you have the parameters in mind for what you wish to create, draw.io’s AI feature, the Generate tool (Sparkle button ) is your friend. To create a flowchart using AI in draw.io:

1. In the draw.io diagram editor, click on the Sparkle icon in the top menu.

2. Type in your parameters. Hover over the generated diagram to preview it.

3. Click on the Plus (+) icon to load the diagram in the editor. Or hit the refresh button to regenerate the diagram. The generated diagram is fully customizable, meaning you can change the font, shapes, colors etc.

For more information, see The next evolution of AI in draw.io: Meet the Generate tool

While many use cases are covered with the flowchart template library and our AI Generate tool, you can also create your flowcharts from scratch quickly and easily with draw.io:

Create a simple flowchart

Let’s look at a simple example of a flowchart. I needed to document the process of translating a single blogpost for a new translation team member recently – it was much easier to do this using a flowchart than with a page full of text and screenshots.

Rounded rectangle – a step in the process. Green to indicate the start, red to indicate the end. I made the two ‘sub-processes’ orange and yellow to make them stand out a bit, as previous team members had trouble with these steps.

Diamond – a decision point. The labels on the connectors coming out of the diamond indicate the decision taken.

Of course, these aren’t the only shapes that you can use in a flow diagram, but they are the most basic building blocks!

Quickly create a flowchart in draw.io

You can add each shape from the shape library to the canvas as you need them, and draw the connections between them. Or you can speed up your diagramming by using some of these time-saving tips.

Add a link to a different page in your diagram

To add links to shapes that take users to different pages of your multipage diagram:

1. Right-click on the shape you want to add the link to, then select Edit link from the dropdown menu.

2. Click on the second field dropdown menu, select the tab of the multipage diagram you wish to link to, then click OK.

3. Now, when you left-click on the shape in the diagram editor, the linked page name will appear underneath. Click the pen icon to modify the link, or the trash can icon to remove it from the shape.

In the Confluence page preview, hovering over the linked shape will show a blue outline. Clicking on the link will take viewers to the second page of the diagram.

The different shapes used in flowcharts

Click here to see the different flowchart shapes visually within a flowchart!

Although my example was very simple and used only two shapes, there are several others that are commonly used.

• Start/End – circles are sometimes used to indicate start and end points.
• Steps – a rectangle or square (often with rounded corners).
• Decisions – usually represented by a diamond.
• A sub-process – a normal step shape with borders on the left and right edges.
• Manual input – where a step requires someone to enter something manually, you can use this step ‘rectangle’ with a sloped ‘roof’.
• Document or multiple documents – where a step results in one or more documents, you can use these shapes
• Data – a parallelogram is used to indicate where information enters or leaves the process. For example, when an invoice is sent to a customer.
• Delay – this is used to show there is a delay before the next step.
• Preparation – used to indicate there are setup conditions required for the next step.