Nothing ruins a PowerPoint presentation like a wall of textâespecially when a simple visual would suffice. Whether youâre mapping out a critical decision or describing a complex process, a well-made flowchart can add polish and clarity to any slideshow. Use this guide to learn how to make flowcharts in both PowerPoint and Lucidchart.
7 minute read
Want to create a flowchart of your own? Try Lucidchart. It's fast, easy, and totally free.
How to create a flowchart in Microsoft PowerPoint
For many students, teachers, and professionals, MS PowerPoint is the go-to presentation softwareâand with good reason. When it comes to creating flowcharts, however, PowerPoint is extremely limited; it simply wasnât designed for that. Lucidchart allows you to create beautiful, complex diagrams easily and quickly. Skip to the next section to see for yourself.
There are two ways to build flowcharts using only PowerPoint: with SmartArt or with the shapes library. This tutorial will cover both methods, touching on some of the pros and cons of each approach.
Create a flowchart with SmartArt
SmartArt graphics are pre-made collections of shapesâvery basic, rigid diagram templates, essentially. Using SmartArt to build charts and diagrams can be faster than starting from scratch, but youâll sacrifice flexibility. SmartArt is a great option if you want a quick, simple diagram. It should, however, only be used for the most rudimentary diagrams. SmartArt graphics are clip art imagesâadditional elements can be added, but your options are limited to one or two preselected shapes.
If you choose to use SmartArt to build your diagram, follow these steps:
1. Select a flowchart from the SmartArt drop-down menu
In MS PowerPoint, navigate to the slide where you want to add a flowchart. Click Insert > SmartArt to open a drop-down list with a variety of diagram types. Hover your mouse over âProcessâ to see the various flowchart options. To insert one of these diagrams, simply click it.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/powerpoint-screenshot-1.png)
2. Add text and shapes to your flowchart
Text can be added to the shapes in your SmartArt graphic by clicking the center of the shape.
To add shapes, select the whole SmartArt graphic and click âAdd Shape.â (This button is located in the toolbarâs upper left corner.) If you move shapes aroundâto do this, click and dragâthe connecting arrows will automatically adjust.
3. Customize your flowchart
When you select your SmartArt graphic, two tabs appear on the toolbar: âSmartArt Designâ and âFormat.â By clicking on the former, you can change the diagram type, choose from a number of preset color schemes, and add shapes. The format tab, on the other hand, allows for more specific customizations, including individual shape color, text color, and font.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/powerpoint-screenshot-2.png)
Create a flowchart with the PowerPoint shape library
Using the shape library to create a flowchart is substantially slower than using SmartArt because every box and arrow must be added individually. However, this method affords much more flexibility throughout the creation process. Additionally, if youâre looking for a traditional flowchartâone with process and decision boxes, and other flowchart-specific shapesâyouâll have to use the shape library, as SmartArt doesnât offer any diagrams with these features.
1. Add the necessary shapes
Go to Insert > Shapes. Doing this opens a dropdown menu of PowerPointâs shape librariesâscroll down until you find the flowchart section. There youâll find all the necessary shapes for creating a flowchart, from decision boxes to manual input boxes. To see any shapeâs function, just hover your mouse over it and a small label will appear.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/powerpoint-screenshot-3.png)
Once youâve selected a shape, click and drag your mouse to draw it on the slide. To add more shapes, simply repeat this step from the beginning. (Tip: For shapes that will occur multiple times in your flowchartâsuch as process boxesâadd one and then copy and paste it as required.)
2. Add connecting lines
A key feature of any flowchart is connecting arrowsâafter all, itâs these arrows that illustrate the diagramâs âflowâ or relationship(s) to the other shapes in your diagram. As with the previous step, to add lines, go to Insert > Shapes. The arrows can be found in the lines section.
After selecting a line type, click and drag your mouse from one shape to another to draw a connecting line.
3. Label your shapes and lines
To add text to an existing shape, simply select the shape and begin typing. If you want to label any connecting lines, youâll have to use text boxes. Go to Insert > Text Box and then click and drag your mouse to draw the text box; type to add text.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/powerpoint-screenshot-4.png)
4. Customize your flowchart
At this point, every shape and line youâve drawn is styled according to MS PowerPointâs presets. If you like the look of your flowchart as is, skip this step.
Nearly every aspect of the shapes in your diagram can be modified in the format shape pane, accessible by double-clicking any shape or line. You can then edit fill color, line weight, opacity, and many other elements of your diagram.
Want to create a flowchart of your own? Try Lucidchart. It's fast, easy, and totally free.
Create a flowchartHow to create a flowchart using Lucidchart
While itâs possible to make a flowchart using only PowerPoint (as outlined above), using Lucidchart is a more efficient and intuitive solution. And thanks to Lucidchartâs PowerPoint integration, you can bring your Lucidchart diagrams directly into your presentations!
Before getting started on your flowchart, youâll need to register for a free Lucidchart accountâall it takes is an email address! Once registered, youâll be all set to move on to the steps below.
1. Choose a template or start from scratch
Lucidchart has dozens of pre-made flowcharts in its template libraryâto access them, click the down arrow next to â+Documentâ and select âFlowchart.â To read more about a template, simply click it once. To use a template, either double-click or select it and click âCreate Document.â
Each template is completely customizableâmove, add, or delete shapes and arrows until the diagram suits your needs.
If youâd rather build your diagram from scratch, open a blank document by clicking â+Document.â With Lucidchartâs intuitive interface, adding shapes, lines, and text is a cinch. By default, the flowchart shape library is pinned to the shape menuâdrag and drop shapes onto your canvas to start your flowchart. To add connecting lines, click and drag your cursor between two shapes.
2. Add text
At this point, your diagram should look almost complete. But itâs missing one crucial element: text. What decision is being made at each decision box? Which line represents yes? No?
Adding text to arrows and other shapes in Lucidchart is incredibly easyâjust double-click and start typing! To edit existing text, do the same.
Font, text size and color, and much more can be easily adjusted using the toolbar at the top of the editor.
3. Format and style your flowchart
If you started your flowchart from scratch, itâs probably looking pretty plainânowâs your chance to change that. If you started from a template, your diagram is styled according to that templateâs presets. You can still change the style to your liking!
To set a coherent, diagram-wide formatting theme, click âTheme,â the droplet icon located on the right-hand side of the editor. This opens a pane with a variety of themes to choose fromâclick on one to apply it to your diagram.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/lucidchart-screenshot-1.png)
You can also style shapes individually using the toolbar at the top of the editor. Whether youâre changing line weight and fill color, adding a gradient, or adjusting opacity, use this toolbar to customize nearly every aspect of your shapes.
Insert a Lucidchart diagram into PowerPoint
With the Lucidchart add-in for MS PowerPoint, add your flowchart to a PowerPoint slide in a matter of minutesâjust follow the steps below:
1. Install the Lucidchart add-in
Installing the add-in takes only a few clicks! Open PowerPoint and go to Insert > My Add-ins > Store. Type âLucidchartâ in the search bar and click âAdd.â
If the Lucidchart add-in doesnât open when you download it, donât worry. Simply go to Insert > My Add-ins > Lucidchart. (You may be prompted to enter your Lucidchart login infoâonce logged in, you can view all of your Lucidchart documents.)
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/add-in-screenshot-1.png)
2. Select a diagram to add to your PowerPoint slide
With the Lucidchart add-in open, you can view all of your Lucidchart documents in PowerPoint. To insert a diagram, hover your mouse over the diagram you wish to add and click âSelect.â This will add the diagram to the current slide.
If you edit the diagram after inserting it, simply click the refresh icon (located on the toolbar below the inserted diagram), and any changes will be applied.
For more info on how to use the Lucidchart add-in, watch our video tutorial.
![](https://d2slcw3kip6qmk.cloudfront.net/marketing/discovery/flowchart-powerpoint/add-in-screenshot-2.png)