FlowBuilder

Decision tree maker

Chain questions into answers. Write a question ending in “?”, indent each possible answer beneath it, and keep nesting until every path reaches a decision. Works for yes/no flowcharts and multi-choice trees.

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 name jumps back to an earlier step (a loop). no -> Step name works inside a decision.
  • Start, End, Done or Stop become rounded start/end shapes.
  • Shape tags: [input] [output] [doc] [db] [sub] [manual] [delay].
  • lane: Sales on 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 LR
  n1{"Which plant should I buy?"}
  n2{"Do you forget to water?"}
  n3["Get a cactus or aloe"]
  n4["Get a herb like basil or rosemary"]
  n5{"Do you have pets?"}
  n6["Get a calathea (pet-safe)"]
  n7["Get a monstera"]
  n8["Get a snake plant or ZZ plant"]
  n1 -->|"Lots of direct sun"| n2
  n2 -->|"yes"| n3
  n2 -->|"no"| n4
  n1 -->|"Bright but indirect"| n5
  n5 -->|"yes"| n6
  n5 -->|"no"| n7
  n1 -->|"Low light"| n8

How to build a decision tree that people trust

  1. Start with the decision, not the answer. The root is the real question someone faces.
  2. Ask the most splitting question first. The question that rules out the most options belongs near the root.
  3. Make answers exhaustive. Every possible answer needs a branch, even “Not sure”.
  4. End every branch with an action, not another vague question.
  5. Test it on real cases. If two people with the same situation land on different leaves, a question is ambiguous.

Yes/no flowchart ideas

  • Should this email get a reply today? (template)
  • Is this expense claimable?
  • Which support tier handles this ticket?
  • Does this change need a code review?
  • Why won’t the internet work? (template)

If your tree needs loops or steps that rejoin, it has become a flowchart, which is fine. The flowchart maker uses exactly the same syntax.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between a decision tree and a decision flowchart?

A decision tree only branches outward: every question splits into answers until you reach an outcome, and paths never rejoin. A decision flowchart can merge paths and loop back. FlowBuilder draws both; just don’t use -> jumps if you want a pure tree.

How do I make a yes/no flowchart?

Write a question ending in “?”, then indent yes: and no: lines underneath with what happens next. Put another question after an answer to go one level deeper.

Can a decision have more than two answers?

Yes. Add as many indented answers as you need, such as Under 18:, 18–65:, Over 65:. Each one becomes a labelled arrow.

Is this the same as a machine-learning decision tree?

They share the shape but not the purpose. This tool draws decision trees for people to follow. Machine-learning decision trees are learned from data by algorithms such as CART; you could still use FlowBuilder to draw one you’ve trained, for a report.

More ways to chart it

Flowchart makerType steps, get a chart. Free, no sign-up.AI flowchart generatorDescribe a process in words.Code to flowchartPaste code or pseudocode.Swimlane diagram makerWho does what, lane by lane.Process flow chart makerWorkflows and process maps.Data flow diagram makerDFDs, level 0 and level 1.