Free online flowchart maker

How it works, step by step

Before entering information, decide which decision or discussion the document should support. Note the project name, the intended audience, and the version you are preparing. A specific title helps distinguish an early proposal from an approved process. If the material is confidential, replace names and amounts with generic references when your purpose is simply to show the structure to other people. This also makes a reusable training example easier to maintain.

Use the Example button to explore a fictional document. It replaces the current content after confirmation, so export a copy first if you have already made important changes. Observe how each field appears in the preview and test one small change at a time. Then select New to create your own version, or adapt the example and remove information that does not match your activity.

Write short statements and use the same vocabulary throughout the document. When two people use different names for the same activity, a diagram can appear more complicated than the actual process. Agree on terms with your team and read the result in the order another person would follow. The preview updates automatically, but checking the meaning and completeness of the information remains the author's responsibility.

1. Add steps such as start, action, decision and end.
2. Choose the next step; for decisions, select both yes and no branches.
3. Review the diagram, save locally or export.

Principles, use cases, and precautions

A flowchart describes the order in which a process is performed. Start marks the entry point, process nodes represent activities, decisions introduce alternative paths, and end marks completion. Choose concrete verbs, such as check request or send quotation, rather than generic department names. Write a decision as a question that can be answered yes or no, because these are the two outgoing branches available in this editor.

In the customer service example, the process checks whether a request is complete. A yes answer leads to processing; a no answer leads to requesting information and returning to the check. This return is intentional: workflows can include repetition. Verify that there is a realistic condition for leaving the loop and reaching an end. A diagram alone does not establish that a procedure is correct, safe, or approved by your organization.

Each step has an identifier, and connections refer to existing records. After removing a step, review any paths that depended on it. The drawing is arranged automatically and does not offer free movement of blocks. For extensive procedures, separate the main flow from supporting procedures and choose names that make the beginning and end of each part recognizable.

Flowcharts are useful for customer service training, order preparation, and administrative documentation. In an improvement meeting, compare the drawing with observed work, ask where waiting occurs, and identify who handles exceptions. The editor does not measure time, cost, or performance. Keep that evidence in appropriate records and update the diagram whenever the routine changes, so an outdated representation does not become an instruction people continue to follow by mistake.

Completed example and reviewing the result

The table in this guide comes from the same data used by the Example button. Compare its records with the preview to understand how the inputs become a visual representation. Identifiers such as n1, p1, and t1 are internal references in the example: a connection containing one of them points to another record, rather than indicating a quantity or priority. Dates in the sample schedule are fictional and should be replaced with dates appropriate to your project.

Once you have completed the document, ask someone who did not edit it to explain what they understand. This reading often reveals ambiguous terms, missing activities, or conclusions that depend on information that has not been recorded. Check readability at the size in which the file will actually be presented. SVG preserves the vector drawing; PNG provides an image to insert into other materials. Neither format restores the editable fields, so keep the JSON file when you need to continue working.

To save a PDF, select Print / PDF and choose the appropriate destination in your browser's print dialog. Check orientation, scale, and page count before confirming. Large documents may need content adjustments to remain readable. This tool does not generate a PDF on the server and does not add a signature, formal approval, or certification to the exported document.

Saving, privacy, and limits

Saving is manual and keeps one document per tool in this browser. Clearing site data, using another profile, or changing devices can make the local version unavailable. Export JSON to a folder you choose and keep additional copies according to the importance of your work. The editor does not provide collaboration, version history, synchronization between devices, or recovery through a Quima account.

Your entries are processed in the browser and are not sent to the tool's server. Someone with access to your local profile may still be able to read saved data or exported files. Avoid unnecessary personal information, especially on shared computers. Diagrams and schedules support up to 45 records, with additional limits on text length and imported file size. Divide larger work into documents with clearly defined purposes.