Flowchart template
Start, actions, and decisions for a procedure that repeats.
What the template is for
A flowchart template (also searched as flow chart sample or workflow chart template) is the empty grammar of a procedure: a terminator for start and end, rectangles for actions, diamonds for questions, and arrows for the order. Fill it with a procedure people repeat. A one-time choice is a decision tree. A chart that also names who owns each step is a process map.
Miro, Lucidchart, diagrams.net, and a pencil all draw the same shapes. The tool does not fix a missing end state. Shape names are on the flowchart symbols page.
Example: a field-trip form
Start. Student completes the form. Diamond: is the date at least ten school days away? No: return the form with the date rule, then end. Yes: teacher signs. Diamond: is a bus required? Yes: office requests the bus, then the form is filed. No: the form is filed. End. Each diamond has two labeled exits. An arrow that leaves a diamond with no yes or no will be read both ways.
Steps
- Name the start and the end. End can happen in more than one box. Each ending should say what the person holds.
- Write actions as verb plus noun. File the form. Request the bus. Avoid 'processing'.
- Give every diamond two exits. Label them yes and no, or with the actual answers.
- Walk one real case through the arrows. If you get stuck, a step is missing.
Questions
- What is a flowchart template?
- A reusable set of start, action, decision, and end symbols with arrows. You add the steps of your procedure. A filled sample is a reference, not a form to submit.
- How many decisions belong on one page?
- Two or three diamonds stay readable. More than that, split the procedure into two charts and connect them with a labeled circle.
- Can I use a flowchart for a workflow?
- Yes. A workflow chart is a flowchart of work moving through steps. Add swimlanes when the reader must see who does each step.