Diagram template

Flowchart template

A ready made flowchart with the standard shapes: start, input, a decision with a loop back, a process step and an end. Change the labels and your process is on screen.

Use this template for free All templates
  • Standard flowchart shapes
  • Connectors that stay attached
  • Export as PNG, SVG or draw.io
  • Embed in issues and docs
A flowchart in the Starlex diagram editor with start, receive request, a valid decision, ask for changes, process request and end

What is a flowchart?

A flowchart shows the steps of a process as shapes connected by arrows. Each shape has a meaning, so anyone can read the process without an explanation. Flowcharts have been used to document work since the 1920s, and today they describe everything from approval processes to software logic.

The standard shapes

  • Terminator (rounded): where the process starts and ends.
  • Process (rectangle): a step someone or something performs.
  • Decision (diamond): a question with two or more answers, such as yes or no.
  • Input or output (parallelogram): data coming in or going out, such as a request.
  • Arrow: the order of the steps.

How to draw a good flowchart

  1. Decide where the process starts and ends before drawing anything.
  2. List the steps in order, with a verb for each: "receive request", "check details".
  3. Add a decision wherever the path splits, and label every arrow that leaves it.
  4. Keep the main path running in one direction, top to bottom or left to right.
  5. If the process passes between teams, use a swimlane diagram instead.

Example

The template shows a simple request process. A request is received and checked. If it is valid, it is processed and the flow ends; if not, the requester is asked for changes and the request comes back for another check.

Tips

  • One flowchart, one process. Split big charts across pages.
  • Use the same level of detail for every step.
  • Embed the flowchart in the issue or doc that describes the process, so readers always see the current version. When the process becomes a real workflow in Starlex, the chart and the statuses can match.

Use this template in Starlex

Open a project, go to Notes, then Diagrams, choose New diagram and pick Flowchart. To add it to a diagram you already have, use Insert, then From template.

  • More than a hundred shapes, with connectors that stay attached when you move things.
  • Pages and layers for large diagrams, and automatic tree, grid and circle layouts.
  • Import draw.io files and Mermaid flowcharts, and export to PNG, SVG or draw.io.
  • Embed the diagram in an issue or a note, where it always shows the latest version.

Frequently asked questions

What are the basic flowchart symbols?

The terminator for start and end, the rectangle for a process step, the diamond for a decision, the parallelogram for input or output, and arrows for the flow.

Can I import flowcharts from draw.io or Mermaid?

Yes. Starlex imports draw.io files and Mermaid flowchart code, and exports to draw.io, PNG and SVG.

Is there a flowchart template for whiteboards too?

Yes. Whiteboards have a Flowchart template for quick sketches with the team, while the diagram editor is better for a finished chart.