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Flowchart symbols & meanings: A guide with examples

Get a detailed look at the flowchart symbol meanings and how to use each shape to visualize a process.

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Flowchart Symbols: A Comprehensive Guide

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What is a Flowchart?

Flowcharts illustrate the sequence of actions, movements and decision points within a system, providing a detailed overview of a process. Connectors and process symbols work together to create a visual representation of the flow and what's needed to make it happen.

Flowchart

flowchart • [ˈflō ˌCHärt]

A powerful tool for visualizing and optimizing the flow of people, objects, data or information through a system or process.

noun

"Let's put together a flowchart of our online store and see how we can optimize the user journey"

Synonyms

  • flow diagram
  • flow sheet
  • schema
  • schema chart
  • diagram
  • structure
  • step by step structure
  • planner
  • user flow
  • process diagram

Flowchart symbols & flow line connectors

  • Basic flowchart symbols

    The most fundamental shapes in the diagramming collections, these basic flowchart symbols are used in creating your process flow charts.

  • Common flowchart symbols

    These common flowchart symbols are the classics you'll be using to diagram just about any process.

  • Advanced flowchart symbols

    As you get into creating more complex flow charts - user flow, data processing, process flow, etc - you'll need a bigger library of flowcharting symbols. Behold the advanced flowchart key.

  • Flow line connectors

    Just as the flowchart symbols have universally understood meanings, so too do flow lines.

Basic flowchart symbols

The most fundamental shapes in the diagramming collections, these basic flowchart symbols are used in creating your process flow charts.

Circle

Circle

Rectangle

Rectangle

Triangle

Triangle

Trapezoid

Trapezoid

Diamond

Diamond

Semicircle

Semicircle

Hexagon

Hexagon

Parallelogram

Parallelogram

Ellipse or pill shape

Ellipse

Common flowchart symbols

These common flowchart symbols are the classics you'll be using to diagram just about any process.

Ellipse or pill shape, the start/end or terminator symbol

Terminator symbol

The terminator symbol identifies the start or end points of a process. Also known as the flowchart start symbol or flowchart end symbol, the words “Start” and “End” are often put inside.

Square, the process or action symbol

Process symbol

Also referred to as the “action symbol”, this flowchart symbol is used to represent an entire process, action or operation as a single step or entire sub-process. Typically this is for an intuitive process that doesn't need to be diagrammed with a bunch of flowchart shapes, like 'Login', 'Reset password', 'Upload file', etc.

Diamond, the decision symbol

Decision symbol

Often framed as true/false or yes/no, the flowchart decision symbol is found at a point where questions must be answered to move forward. Generally, one connector line comes into this diamond shape and branches into two or more paths depending on the possible answers.

Arrow, flow line connector

Arrow

Arrows indicate the direction in which the process is flowing from one step to the next.

Advanced flowchart symbols

As you get into creating more complex flow charts - user flow, data processing, process flow, etc - you'll need a bigger library of flowcharting symbols. Behold the advanced flowchart key.

Circle, the connector symbol

Connector symbol

The circle symbol represents the continuation of flow through multiple charts or pages. Used in more complex charts, the connector usually contains the same letter or number where the flow breaks in one chart or page and where the process flow continues in another.

Parallelogram, the input/output or data symbol

Input/output symbol

The input output symbol is also known as the data symbol, this symbol represents data, information or material that's received — a flowchart input symbol — or generated like an e-mail or physical product — a flowchart output symbol. Use the same symbol for both input and output.

Notepad, the note symbol

Note symbol

Sometimes you need a little more explanation, the note flowchart symbol provides space for an explanation and/or comments within a specified area of a diagram. Typically this data file is connected by a dashed line.

Stick figure, the actor symbol

Actor symbol

Represents someone or something that interacts with the process or is part of the workflow. It could be a user, an organization or even an internal or external application.

Square with wavy line on bottom, the document symbol

Document symbol

This wavy flowchart symbol represents the input or output of a document or report. Think along the lines of a printout, email, physical order or the like that your process requires.

Square with multiple wavy lines on bottom, the multiple documents symbol

Multiple documents symbol

Similar to the single document symbol, this one looks like a couple of documents that are stacked and represents multiple documents, emails, reports, etc.

Hexagon, the display symbol

Preparation symbol

Some steps prepare for work while some steps are about actually doing the work, the preparation symbol is for differentiating those. It's also used for introducing setup to further steps in the same process.

Half pill shape, the delay symbol

Delay symbol

The half-oval delay symbol is used in process mapping to show a waiting period when two or more things must happen before the process proceeds. It's helpful to put the length of the delay in the shape if you know it.

Cylinder with one pointed side and one round, the display symbol

Display symbol

This pointer-like flowchart symbol indicates a step in the process where information will be shown to the user.

Square with uneven sides, the manual input symbol

Manual input symbol

The manual input symbol represents a process step that requires a user to enter information or data manually, like a login, filling out a form, entering payment details, etc.

Trapezoid, the manual operation symbol

Manual operation symbol

Not every step flows automatically to the next, this flowchart symbol is used when a part of the process needs to be performed manually, by a person, rather than automatically.

Homebase-type shape, off-page connector/link symbol

Off-page connector symbol

AKA the link symbol, this process flow symbol shows the continuation of a process. Connecting elements of the flowchart across multiple pages with the page number within the shape for reference.

Vertical cylinder with lid that looks like the inside of a harddrive, the database symbol

Database symbol

The flowchart database symbol represents information housed in a storage location that allows users to search, filter and sort.

Empty graph, the internal storage symbol

Internal storage symbol

This process flow symbol indicates that data is saved within internal memory and is one of the classic software flowchart symbols.

An X, the summing junction symbol

Summing junction symbol

X marks the spot and the summing junction symbol represents the point at which multiple branches converge into a single process.

A cross, the or symbol

Or symbol

A process can go this way *or* that way (or any number of ways). This flowchart symbol indicates exactly that, the spot at which the process diverges and continues into more than one branch.

Cylinder that’s open on one side, the stored data symbol

Stored data symbol

Also commonly referred to as the "data storage" symbol, the stored data symbol represents where data will be stored within process flows.

Rectangle with lines on the each side, the predefined process symbol

Predefined process symbol

This briefcase-looking symbol represents a complex process that is defined elsewhere. The predefined process symbol is called a “subroutine” if used in software design flowcharts.

Triangle, the extract symbol

Extract symbol

Think of this triangle as an up arrow representing the extraction, or removal, of one or more specific sets of items from a set — it shows where a process splits into parallel paths.

Upside down triangle, the merge symbol

Merge symbol

The opposite of extraction, the merge symbol combines two or more sets of items into one set — it shows the merging of multiple processes and information into one. If extraction is an up arrow, you can consider this a funnel that combines parts of the workflow.

Diamond, the sort symbol

Sort symbol

This diamond with a bisecting line indicates a step where data, information or materials are sorted and organized into a predefined order.

Measuring tape type shape, the magnetic tape symbol

Collate symbol

Sometimes called “sequential access storage”, this one represents information stored in a sequence, referencing a system for storing digital information on magnetic tape. Pretty specific.

Vertical and horizontal lanes, the swimlanes symbol

Swimlanes symbol

A type of container that holds process steps within horizontal or vertical “swimlanes”.

Wavy rectangle, the paper tape symbol

Paper tape symbol

The paper tape symbol isn't used much on flowchart diagrams anymore but can be utilized for mapping processes or input methods on older computers and CNC machines.

Flow line connectors

Just as the flowchart symbols have universally understood meanings, so too do flow lines.

Regular line for flowcharts

Regular line

This denotes data flow or process flow from one shape to another.

Dashed line for flowcharts

Dashed line

A dashed line indicates alternate paths or an alternate process.

Parallel lines for flowcharts

Parallel line

Parallel lines denote a synchronization process where steps above the lines need to happen before steps below can occur.

When to use flowcharts?

Need to optimize a process? See a detailed overview of a system? Turn a complex task into more manageable steps? The types of flowcharts you can make are endless and they're ideal for when you need to create clarity and maximize productivity.

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General flowchart rules and guidelines

To create a flowchart that can be universally understood is simple when you stick with these common flow chart conventions. They'll also make collaboration with our team easier.

Flowchart highlighting the start and endpoints, or terminator symbol

Mark start and endpoints

Menu showing flow chart icons

Use the right symbol

An orderly flow chart showing the end of a process

Keep flowcharts in order

Diagram examples & free diagram templates

To understand how the flowchart rules and process flow symbols work in practice, check out these flow diagram examples.

Data flow diagram template Data flow diagram template Decision tree template Decision tree template Affinity diagram template Affinity diagram template Concept map template Concept map template Customer journey map template Customer journey map template ER diagram template ER diagram template System flowchart template System flowchart template Activity diagram template Activity diagram template Business organizational chart template Business organizational chart template Business process map template Business process map template Company organizational chart template Company organizational chart template Discover more free diagram templates

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