If you’ve just been plunged into the world of flowcharts, you might feel like you’re drowning in a sea of rectangles, rhomboids, and whatever this shape is. In grade school, these shapes were just the fodder of your geometry homework, but when used in the context of a diagram, they convey a powerful additional layer of meaning. Each one has a specific purpose and provides information to viewers. The trick is figuring out what all of these shapes mean and learning how to use them appropriately.
As you master the science of flowchart symbology, this comprehensive flowchart symbols guide will give you exactly what you need to stay afloat. For quicker flowchart symbol mastery, we recommend using each of the shapes to build a Lucidchart diagram as you learn what they stand for. Then, you can use them to visualize processes, systems, and other big ideas with ease.
Common flowchart symbols
If nothing else, make sure you know these eight basic flowchart symbols and shapes. They are the bread and butter of any process flow and are ubiquitous in the world of diagramming and flowchart notation.
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Process: Represents a process, action, or function. It’s the most widely-used symbol in flowcharting. |
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Arrow: Shows the sequence of steps or the relationships between shapes. |
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Document: Represents the input or output of a document. Examples of input are a report, email, or order. Examples of output are a presentation, memo, or letter. |
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Decision: Indicates a question to be answered—usually yes/no or true/false. The flowchart path may split into different branches depending on the answer. |
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Connector: Connects separate elements across one page. It’s usually used within complex charts. |
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Off-page connector or off-page link: Connects separate elements across multiple pages. It is frequently used within complex charts. The page number is sometimes placed on the shape for easy reference. |
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Data or input/output: Represents data that is available for input or output as well as representing resources used or generated. The paper tape symbol also represents input/output but is outdated and no longer in common use. |
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Comment or note: Adds needed explanations or comments. It may be connected by a dashed line to the relevant section of the flowchart. |
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Terminator: Represents the start points, end points, and potential outcomes of a path. |
Other flowchart symbols and meanings
Depending on your field of work, these flowchart symbols and shapes may be helpful for enhancing your diagrams with technical details or managing multiple complex pathways in a single flow. They are less common but certainly not obsolete.
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Stored data: Represents data housed on a storage device. |
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Summing junction: Sums the input of several converging paths. |
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Predefined process: Indicates a complicated process or operation that is well-known or defined elsewhere. |
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Internal storage: Represents data stored in random-access memory (RAM). |
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Manual input: Represents the manual input of data into a computer, usually through a keyboard. |
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Manual operation: Indicates a step that must be done manually, not automatically. |
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Merge: Combines multiple paths. |
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Multiple documents: Represents multiple documents or reports. |
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Preparation: Differentiates between steps that prepare for work and steps that actually do work. |
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Display: Indicates a step where information is displayed to a person through a computer monitor, etc. |
Standard vs. non-standard flowchart symbols
While these guidelines follow the generally accepted standards for symbol usage and flowchart creation, note that it’s also okay to ignore the rules. You can use the symbols in any way that makes sense to your audience, but if you use them in a non-standard fashion, be sure to do it consistently so your readers understand your meaning for that symbol each time they see it.
Pro Tip: Consider adding a shapes key to your diagram to outline your flowchart symbols’ meaning.
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