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Free Online Flowchart Maker
Easy-to-use, completely online, and completely free. Canva’s flowchart maker helps you visualize your processes and ideas.
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Create different kinds of charts and graphs, perfect on any device and accessible at any time.
What is a flowchart?
A flowchart (or flow chart) is a diagram that shows the steps in a process. Flowcharts are often used for visualizing the sequence of actions or information needed for training, documenting, planning, and decision-making. They often use symbols, shapes, and arrows to illustrate how one step leads to another.
Use a flow chart when you want to explain the steps in a process with someone else – such as someone that you’re training for a job. They’re useful in presentations and reports, too.
Flowcharts are related to process charts. Process charts differ because they use a set of specific symbols to indicate the different steps in a process.
Types of flowcharts explained
The best flowchart both simplifies and visualizes any data or process you want to explain to its intended audience. Listed below are the most common flowchart types and how different industries and fields—from engineering, business, marketing, education, and manufacturing—use them.
• Process flowcharts – Commonly used across different industries when starting projects, a basic process map or flowchart allows users to showcase a series of steps or ideas in sequence.
• Swimlane flowcharts – Also called cross-functional flowcharts, use swimlane diagrams to organize steps or complex processes that involve different organizations, categories, or departments.
• Workflow diagrams – Used in manufacturing, engineering, business, and other industries, workflow diagrams best work when introducing new business processes or improving an existing systems.
• Data flow diagrams – Are visual maps of how data flows in an information system or process. Commonly used in the engineering or manufacturing industries, DFDs help businesses be more efficient in improving services while reducing costs.
All the features of a flow chart creator
Unlimited flowchart canvas
Get the freedom to work how you want and unleash your best ideas with the new infinite canvas on Canva Whiteboards. Brainstorm with your team, create flow charts, graphs, and more—the possibilities are endless.
Elements to inspire
Make system and process charts work for you with all the graphics you need at your fingertips. From adding sticky notes and special whiteboard elements to using flowcharting tools like automatic connectors, Shape Assist, and Draw, a built-in freehand drawing tool—our online flowchart maker has you covered.
Run a workshop with ease
With a click, transform your presentations into a flowchart. Expand to an infinite whiteboard canvas to get your whole team engaged and collaborating in one space.
Collaboration and teamwork made easy
Whiteboards is made for collaboration. You can invite your whole team, and work on your flowchart together—no more going back and forth over email to make minor changes. You can control who can change what by giving View and Edit access.
Because Canva is stored on the cloud, you and your colleagues can access and edit your diagrams and flowcharts anytime, anywhere. All you need is an internet connection.
Start inspired with the best-looking flowchart templates
Get a head start with free flowchart templates and examples you can customize in a few clicks.
The flowchart maker for every use case
School
Facilitate visual learning and increase student engagement using editable flowcharts on an infinite canvas.
Work
Make work easier with flowcharts you can create, customize, and collaborate with your team in real-time.
Business
Streamline your ideas and map out your business goals effortlessly with our drag-and-drop flowcharting tools.
Flowchart symbols and types
Everything you need to know about flowchart symbols, their definitions, and when to use them.
Process symbol
A rectangle that represents an action, step, function, or process. It is a versatile symbol used anywhere on a flowchart.
Start/end symbol
An elongated circle marks the start or end of a process, path, or flow in a system.
Document symbol
This symbol represents one document or report. It is used both for the creation or receipt of a document.
Decision symbol
Use this diamond-shaped symbol as the starting point for different decisions or solutions you want to propose or highlight in a flowchart.
Connector symbol
A circle or dot is used to connect different symbols or element within the same page.
Input/output symbol
The input/output symbol uses a parallelogram shape. Use it to represent data or resources that’s entering or leaving a system.
Multiple documents symbol
Uses multiple document symbols stacked. Use this symbol to show multiple documents or reports used the process.
Manual input symbol
A rectangle with the top side pointed up. Use the manual input symbol to visualize a step that lets users manually add data into a system.
Preparation symbol
A hexagon-shaped block used to visualize the start or preparation of the start of another step in a process.
Flow arrow
Use the flow arrow or flowline to connect two blocks/symbols with another and in the order that the correct order that the process follows.
OR symbol
A circle with two intersecting lines drawn inside it. Used for indicating a process is splitting into more than two steps.
Delay symbol
A rectangle with one rounded out end. Use it in a flowchart to represent any potential or planned delay in any process or system.
How to create a flowchart
- Open Canva and kickoff your flowchart design with a ready-made template or start with a blank slate.
- Customize your flow chart template with a range of backgrounds, illustrations, graphics, and layouts that matches the process or sequence of steps you want to visualize. Add shapes and placeholders for your text by selecting them from the side panel, then rearranging them on your page.
- Use Draw, the built-in freehand drawing app in your whiteboard, to add drawings, shapes, line connectors, and more.
- Collaborate in real-time by sending a shareable link to your team or clients. Leave feedback through comments, tags, and emoji reactions.
- Once your flowchart is complete, share a view-only or editable link to your socials. Or embed your flowchart in other Canva presentations, docs, or emails.
Your questions, answered
Here are the best practices when creating your own flowcharts:
- Keep your flowchart simple with easy-to-read text, properly used flowchart symbols, decluttered flowchart page (typically showing the whole diagram in one page).
- Learn what each flowchart symbol is for and when to use them so that you could best visualize the steps, processes, or ideas for your intended audience.
- Use complementary colors in your flowchart symbols, blocks, text, or images (if you are adding any).
- Be consistent in implementing all the design and formatting rules to create an effective flowchart.
Yes! Signing up for Canva is completely free, and our flowchart maker tool is free to use. With our free online flowchart tool, you get everything you need to get work done in one one powerful tool. Use free and premium, professionally designed process flowcharts templates, collaborate in with others real-time, and engage your team or students with real-time mouse pointers, emoji reactions, comments, and built-in timer.
Flowcharts are used to show the steps in a particular process or workflow. They can be useful to help train new employees, or to show your thinking around a particular problem.
You can easily embed a PNG or JPEG of your flowchart in a Google or Word document. Simply create your flowchart in Canva, then publish as a PNG or JPEG. Then drag and drop the image into your file.
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Free Online Flowchart Maker
Easy to use, completely online, and completely free. Canva’s flowchart maker helps you visualize your processes and ideas.
