

There can be multiple outcomes, but often there are just two - yes and no. This is the most frequently used shape in almost every process.ĭecision This shape indicates a point where the outcome of a decision dictates the next step. Process This shape represents a typical step in your process. Start/End Use this shape for the first and last step of your process. That said, Visio shapes have names that suggest their most common uses. Most flowcharts tend to use only three or four of the shapes, unless there is a clear business reason to use more. However, there is no standard, universal meaning for the shapes – any shape can carry whatever meaning is agreed on by the people who will create and read the flowcharts. Each shape on the stencil represents a different kind of step in a process.

When you open the Basic Flowchart template, the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil opens too. If that doesn’t do what you want, press Ctrl+Z to undo it, and then try some of the other options under the Align and Position buttons. On the Home tab, in the Arrange group, click Position, and then click Auto Align & Space. Press CTRL+A to select everything on the drawing page. To change the direction of a connector's arrow, select the connector, and then, on the Shape tab, in the Shape Styles group, click Line, point to Arrows, and select the arrow direction and style that you want. When you are finished typing, click on a blank area of the page. To add text to a shape or connector, select it, and then type. If the second shape is not directly across from the first shape, click and hold the small arrow, drag it to the second shape, and drop the connector in the middle of the second shape. For each step in the process that you are documenting, drag a flowchart shape onto your drawing.Ĭonnect the flowchart shapes by holding the mouse pointer over the first shape, and then clicking the small arrow that appears that points to the shape you want to connect to.
