Flowchart Symbols and Their Meanings

Flowchart Symbols Defined

By Nicholas Hebb

Home / Articles / Flowchart Symbols Defined: Business Process Map and Flow Chart Symbols and their
Meanings

The following is a basic overview, with descriptions and meanings, of the most common
flowchart symbols - also commonly called flowchart shapes, flow diagram
symbols or process mapping symbols, depending upon what type of diagram you're
creating. The table below lists the flowchart symbol drawing, the name of the flowchart
symbol in Microsoft Office (with aliases in parentheses), and a short description of where
and how the flowchart symbol is used.

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Process / Operation Symbols

NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

Show a Process or action step. This is the most common symbol

Process
in both process flowcharts and process maps.

A Predefined Process symbol is a marker for another process

step or series of process flow steps that are formally defined
elsewhere. This shape commonly depicts sub-processes (or
Predefined
subroutines in programming flowcharts). If the sub-process is
Process
considered "known" but not actually defined in a process
(Subroutine)
procedure, work instruction, or some other process flowchart or
documentation, then it is best not to use this symbol since it
implies a formally defined process.
 NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

As the shape name suggests, this flowchart symbol is used when

Alternate the process flow step is an alternate to the normal process step.
Process Flow lines into an alternate process flow step are typically
dashed.

The Delay flowchart symbol depicts any waiting period that is

Delay part of a process. Delay shapes are common in process
mapping.

As the names states, any process step that is a Preparation

Preparation
process flow step, such as a set-up operation.

Manual Operations flowchart shapes show which process steps

are not automated. In data processing flowcharts, this data flow
Manual
shape indicates a looping operation along with a loop limit
Operation
symbol (which is not supported by Microsoft Office, but a Manual
Operation symbol rotated 180° will do the trick.)

Branching and Control of Flow Symbols

NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

Flow Line
Flow line connectors show the direction that the process
(Arrow,
flows.
Connector)

Terminator Terminators show the start and stop points in a process.

(Terminal Point, When used as a Start symbol, terminators depict a trigger
Oval) action that sets the process flow into motion.

Indicates a question or branch in the process flow. Typically,

Decision a Decision flowchart shape is used when there are 2
options (Yes/No, No/No-Go, etc.)
 NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

Flowchart: In flowcharts, this symbol is typically small and

is used as a Connector to show a jump from one point in the
process flow to another. Connectors are usually labeled with
capital letters (A, B, AA) to show matching jump points. They
are handy for avoiding flow lines that cross other shapes
and flow lines. They are also handy for jumping to and from
a sub-processes defined in a separate area than the main
Connector
flowchart.
(Inspection)
Process Mapping: In process maps, this symbol is full
sized and shows an Inspection point in the process flow.

[Just to confuse things further, some people will use a circle

to indicate an operation and a square to indicate an
inspection. That's why it's important to include a symbol key
in the flowchart.]

Off-Page Connector shows continuation of a process

flowchart onto another page. When using them in
conjunction with Connectors, it's best to differentiate the
Off-Page
labels, e.g. use numbers for Off-Page Connectors and
Connector
capital letters for Connectors. In actual practice, most
flowcharts just use the Connect shape for both on-page and
off-page references.

Flowchart: Shows the merging of multiple processes or

Merge information into one.
(Storage) Process Mapping: commonly indicates storage of raw
materials.

Flowchart: Shows when a process splits into parallel paths.

Also commonly indicates a Measurement, with a capital 'M'
Extract
inside the symbol.
(Measurement)
Process Mapping: commonly indicates storage of finished
goods.

The logical Or symbol shows when a process diverges -

usually for more than 2 branches. When using this symbol, it
Or
is important to label the out-going flow lines to indicate the
criteria to follow each branch.
 NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

The logical Summing Junction flowchart shape is shows

when multiple branches converge into a single process. The
Summing
merge symbol is more common for this use, though. This
Junction
symbol and the Or symbol are really more relevant in data
processing flow diagrams than in process flowcharts.

Input and Output Symbols

NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

The Data flowchart shape indicates inputs to and outputs from a

Data
process. As such, the shape is more often referred to as an I/O
(I/O)
shape than a Data shape.

Pretty self explanatory - the Document flowchart symbol is for a

Document
process step that produces a document.

Same as Document, except, well, multiple documents. This shape

Multi-
is not as commonly used as the Document flowchart shape, even
Document
when multiple documents are implied.

Indicates a process step where information is displayed to a

Display
person (e.g., PC user, machine operator).

Manual Input flowchart shapes show process steps where the

Manual
operator/ user is prompted for information that must be manually
Input
input into a system.

This is the companion to the punched tape flowchart shapes. This

Card
shape is seldom used.

Punched If you're very good at stretching all the life out of a machine, you
Tape may still have use for the Punched Tape symbol - used for input
 NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

into old computers and CNC machines.

File and Information Storage Symbols

NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

A general Data Storage flowchart shape used for any process

Stored Data step that stores data (as opposed to the more specific shapes
to follow next in this table).

Magnetic Disk The most universally recognizable symbol for a data storage
(Database) location, this flowchart shape depicts a database.

Direct Access
Direct Access Storage is a fancy way of saying Hard Drive.
Storage

Used in programming flowcharts to mean information stored in

Internal Storage
memory, as opposed to on a file.

Sequential
Although it looks like a 'Q', the symbol is supposed to look like
Access Storage
a reel of tape.
(Magnetic Tape)

Data Processing Symbols

 NAME
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
(ALIAS)

The Collate flowchart shape indicates a process step that requires

Collate organizing data, information, or materials according into a standard
format or arrangement.

Indicates the sorting of data, information, materials into some pre-

Sort
defined order.

Caveat: The descriptions given above are written from the perspective of someone using
them to create process flow charts, whereas many of the flowchart symbols actually have
their roots in the data processing diagrams and programming flow charts. So, not all the
flowcharting shapes shown below may be relevant to your needs.

The flowchart symbol names in parentheses are common alternates for a given shape.
Sometimes a flowchart shape can have more than one meaning, as with the Circle shape,
which depicts a jump node in flow charts and inspection point in business process mapping.
Other times, there are just multiple names for the same flow chart symbol - such as
Terminator and Terminal Point.

The Most Commonly used Flowchart Symbols

The majority of flowcharts rely on just a few of the process-related symbols to do all the
heavy lifting: Terminator, Process, Decision, Document, and Connector. In fact, if you
use other flowcharting shapes, many people won't know what they are for, so you may want
to add a symbol key to your flowchart.

About the Flowchart Symbols

You might think that an expensive flowchart software package is required to make
presentation-quality flowcharts. It isn't. All the shapes used in this article were created in
Microsoft Excel.