Free flowchart maker
Type your process one step per line. FlowBuilder draws the flowchart as you type, with decisions, loops and swimlanes, and you download it as PNG or SVG. No account, no watermark.
How to write steps
- One step per line. Lines connect top to bottom.
- End a line with
?to make a decision. Indent the answers under it:yes: Ship it,no: Refund. - Indent more lines under an answer to continue that branch.
-> Step namejumps back to an earlier step (a loop).no -> Step nameworks inside a decision.Start,End,DoneorStopbecome rounded start/end shapes.- Shape tags:
[input][output][doc][db][sub][manual][delay]. lane: Saleson its own line puts the next steps in a swimlane.- Or paste Mermaid code starting with
flowchart TD. It’s detected automatically.
Mermaid code for this chart
flowchart TD
n1(["Start"])
n2[/"Customer sends a refund request"/]
n3{"Bought in the last 30 days?"}
n4["Offer store credit instead"]
n5(["End"])
n6{"Item returned in original condition?"}
n7[("Issue refund to original payment")]
n8[/"Email the receipt"/]
n9["Ask for photos of the item"]
n1 --> n2
n2 --> n3
n3 -->|"no"| n4
n4 --> n5
n3 -->|"yes"| n6
n6 -->|"yes"| n7
n7 --> n8
n8 --> n5
n6 -->|"no"| n9
n9 --> n6Start from an example
Tap one to load it into the editor above. Your current chart is replaced, so download it first if you want to keep it.
Why type a flowchart instead of dragging boxes?
Drag-and-drop editors make you do two jobs at once: think about the process and push shapes around. Most of the time goes into the second job, and one new step in the middle means rearranging everything below it.
Here you only write the steps. The layout engine (Mermaid’s Dagre layout, the same one GitHub uses to render diagrams) places every box, routes every arrow and keeps branches apart. Insert a line anywhere and the chart reflows.
It also means your flowchart is plain text. You can paste it into an email, keep it in version control, or turn it into Mermaid code that GitHub, Notion and Obsidian display natively.
The whole syntax
Send invoice- a step (rectangle)
Paid?- a decision (diamond)
yes: Ship- an answer, indented
-> Send invoice- loop back to a step
Start·End- rounded terminators
[input] Read N- parallelogram (also
[doc],[db],[sub]) lane: Sales- start a swimlane
Questions people ask
Is FlowBuilder really free?
Yes. The flowchart maker, the exports (PNG, SVG, Mermaid) and all templates are free, with no account, watermark or trial. Charts are drawn in your own browser, so there is nothing to pay for on our side except the optional AI generator, which is also free within a fair-use limit.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. Open the page and type. Your latest chart is saved in this browser’s local storage so it is still there when you come back. Clearing it is one click on the privacy page.
How do I make a decision (diamond) in the flowchart?
End the line with a question mark, then put the answers on indented lines underneath, like yes: Ship order and no: Email customer. Each answer becomes a labelled arrow.
How do I draw a loop?
Write -> followed by the name of an earlier step, for example no -> Enter password. The arrow goes back to that step instead of creating a new box.
Can I use the chart in Word, Google Docs or PowerPoint?
Yes. Download the PNG for anything, or the SVG if you want it to stay sharp at any size. Word, PowerPoint and Google Slides all accept both. See how to put a flowchart in Word.
What is the Mermaid code for?
Mermaid is a text format for diagrams that GitHub, GitLab, Notion and Obsidian render natively. Copy it into a Markdown file inside a ```mermaid block and the same chart appears there. You can also paste Mermaid into the editor here.
Can I move the boxes around by hand?
No, and that is deliberate. FlowBuilder lays the chart out automatically from your text, so it stays tidy when you add a step in the middle. If you need pixel-level placement, export the SVG and adjust it in a vector editor.