How to Create a Flow Chart in PowerPoint 

Flow charts are one of those tools that sound more complicated than they are. At the end of the day, you’re just drawing shapes, connecting them with arrows and showing how something moves from one step to the next. And while most people think of specialized diagram tools like Lucidchart or Visio, the truth is, you can absolutely build a solid flow chart in PowerPoint. In fact, if your end goal is a presentation slide, PowerPoint might be the most practical choice. 

The trick is knowing how to set it up without driving yourself crazy. Flow charts in PowerPoint can get messy fast if you don’t use the built-in tools the right way. Let’s walk through how to make a flow chart in PowerPoint that’s clean, readable and actually helpful for the people sitting through your presentation. 

Why use PowerPoint for a flow chart? 

Before diving into steps, let’s answer the obvious question: why not just use Excel, or a dedicated diagram app? The answer usually comes down to context. If you’re sharing your process with a project team, a shared document in another tool might make sense. But if you’re pitching an idea, training staff or presenting to leadership, your audience doesn’t want to be sent a link. They want one clear slide that shows the big picture. 

That’s where PowerPoint shines. You can build a flow chart right on your slide, style it so it matches your deck and keep everything in one place. No screenshots, no jumping between apps. 

Step 1: Set up your slide 

Start with a blank layout. Don’t try to cram a flow chart into a slide that already has a title bar, bullet points or leftover graphics. 

If you’re mapping a big process, it helps to think about the direction before you start adding shapes. Do you want the flow to move left to right? Top to bottom? Circular? Choosing the orientation up front will save you from endless nudging later. 

Step 2: Insert shapes 

PowerPoint has a built-in set of flow chart symbols under Insert > Shapes. You’ll see rectangles (for steps), diamonds (for decisions), ovals (for start/end points) and a bunch of others you might not need. 

Pro tip: Stick with the basics unless you’ve got a reason not to. A clean chart with rectangles and diamonds is almost always easier to read than one full of oddball shapes. 

Click and drag your shape onto the slide. Then copy-paste it (or use Ctrl+D) to duplicate, so your sizes stay consistent. This saves time and keeps things looking uniform. 

Step 3: Add text to your shapes 

Click inside each shape and start typing. Keep your labels short… one or two words if you can. For example: “Submit Form,” “Review,” “Approve?” Long sentences in a box just make the chart harder to follow. 

If you need more detail, that’s what speaker notes are for. Remember, the slide should guide your audience, not overwhelm them with paragraphs. 

Step 4: Connect with arrows 

Now comes the part that makes a flow chart a flow chart: connections. Go back to Insert > Shapes, but this time look at the lines and arrows. 

Instead of dragging random arrows around, use the Connector lines. These snap to the edges of your shapes, so if you move a box later, the arrow follows automatically. That’s a lifesaver when you’re tweaking the layout. 

Step 5: Align and distribute 

Here’s where most homemade flow charts fall apart… the boxes end up slightly crooked, unevenly spaced, and generally sloppy. PowerPoint actually has tools to fix this instantly. 

Select all your shapes (click and drag over them, or hold Shift while clicking). Then go to Shape Format > Align. You can align everything to the left, center, or distribute them evenly across the slide. It takes about three clicks and makes your chart look like a professional made it. 

Step 6: Style it 

You don’t need to go overboard, but a little polish helps. Use a consistent fill color for all your shapes, or alternate colors to show different types of steps (for example, blue for actions, green for decisions). 

Arrows look cleaner if you make them all the same thickness. And text should be large enough to read from the back of a room. 

If your company has brand colors, this is a good place to use them. It keeps your deck on-brand and avoids the default PowerPoint “blue boxes” look. 

Create a Flow Chart Using SmartArt 

If you don’t like doing this manually, there is a second option… SmartArt. The PowerPoint SmartArt library has pre-made flow charts that you can instantly load into your slide and edit. This is great if you require little customization or have a simple process to visualize. Here is how to do it: 

• Go to the Insert tab and click SmartArt. 

• In the dialog box, select Process from the left menu. 

• Choose a flow chart style, then click OK. 

• Replace the [Text] placeholders with your own steps. 

• Customize the look by using the SmartArt Design tab to change colors or styles. 

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Creating a flow chart in PowerPoint isn’t complicated once you know where to click. Start with a blank slide, use the built-in shapes and connectors, line everything up neatly and keep your labels short. Add a little styling to make it pop, and suddenly you’ve got a slide that communicates a whole process in seconds. 

The real skill isn’t in drawing boxes and arrows… it’s in deciding what to leave out. The best flow charts are simple, direct and easy to follow. Master that balance, and your audience will thank you.