Create a flowchart in Lucidchart

Watch: Flowcharts in Lucidchart

Add a flowchart

Customize one of our flowchart templates or use the Flowchart shape library to create your own.

Basic flowchart elements

Shapes

You can use shapes from any shape library to build a flowchart. To find universal flowchart symbols, use the Flowchart shape library. Hover your cursor over a shape in the Shape menu to see its functionality. 

Lines

Lines connect shapes and direct the flowchart’s path. Use lines to add new shapes to an existing flow or connect free-floating shapes. 

Flowchart lines automatically end with an arrowhead to show the direction of steps, but you can change the line’s style with the Endpoint options dropdown in the toolbar.

Build from scratch

Begin with a blank document, and build your flowchart from scratch with shapes and lines.

1. Navigate to the Shape menu on the far-left side of the screen.
2. Drag a shape onto the canvas. 
3. Click and drag from a red connection point on the shape’s border to create a line pointing away from the shape.
4. Select a shape to attach from the auto-prompt menu. 
5. Repeat steps one through four to expand your flowchart.
   

Start from a template

Organize your process into one of our flowchart templates. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the Lucid Home Page.
2. Click Templates from the navigation menu at the bottom-left of the screen.
3. Search “Flowchart”.
4. Choose a template.
5. Click Use template.

Start with Lucid AI

Save time by building a flowchart with Lucid AI. For more information, check out our Boost productivity with Lucid AI article.

Modify a flowchart

Once assembled, you can move, resize, customize, and group a flowchart. Read on to learn how to edit flowcharts.

Change a shape

1. Select a shape on the canvas.
2. Click the Contextual Panel in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Choose a new shape from the “Change Shape” drop-down menu.
   
    

Move a shape

To reposition a flowchart (or part of a flowchart), highlight the diagram or the objects you want to move. Then, click and drag the selected objects to a new area. Once moved, you can continue to edit the flowchart and individual shapes within the diagram. 

Resize a flowchart

Resize to scale the entire flowchart, which includes the shapes, lines, and distance between objects. Here’s how:

1. Highlight the flowchart.
2. Hover over the border of the selected area.
3. Use the double-headed arrows to drag the border.
   

Make room for more shapes

To make room for more shapes:

1. Place your cursor where you need more space.
2. On your keyboard, press the "X" key.
3. Drag the cursor horizontally or vertically in the area on the canvas you need more space.

Content already in place is moved and more space is added to the diagram.

Make shapes the same size

Make the shapes in a flowchart the same size for a more cohesive look. To match the width and height of shapes to the largest shape in the diagram, follow these steps:

1. Highlight the flowchart.
2. Open the More menu from the top-left of the canvas.
3. Hover your cursor over “Arrange”.
4. Hover your cursor over "Match Size".
5. Select Both width and height, Width, or Height.

Edit style and format

To customize the appearance of your flowchart, highlight one or more objects, then use the options in the Formatting bar at the top of the workspace to customize. From this menu, you can edit:

• Font style, size, and formatting
• Text color and alignment
• Shape color
• Line color, width, and style
• Line endpoint size and style
• Icon sets
• Conditional formatting

You can apply preset styles by selecting a preset theme style from the top of the fill color, text color, or line color menus. You can also add custom theme styles to your flowchart using this method.

Group shapes together

A grouped flowchart acts like a single shape. You can click any line or shape within a grouped flowchart to modify the entire diagram. Once you’ve arranged lines and shapes, follow these steps to Group:

1. Highlight the flowchart.
2. Open the More menu from the top-left of the canvas.
3. Hover your cursor over “Arrange”.
4. Select Group.
   • To ungroup, follow the steps above and select Ungroup.
5. Hover over the grouped flowchart’s border and use the double-headed arrows to resize.

FAQ

Can I change the direction of an arrow?

Yes. Select the line, then click the Swap Line Endpoints icon in the top-left corner of the formatting toolbar.

Can I add new shapes with the same style as existing shapes?

Yes. To do this, you can set a default style. Right-click a shape with the style you want to set, then click Set Default Style from the menu that appears. Now that style will apply to any new shapes added to the flowchart.

Can I copy the style from one shape to other shapes?

Yes. First select a shape with the style you want to copy. Then click the Paint Format icon in the formatting bar and click a shape to apply the style. 

To apply the style to multiple shapes, double-click the Paint Format icon and click the shapes you want to style.

Resources

To learn more about this feature, explore the additional resources below. These resources are available in English only.

Community posts

Build a Business Process Flowchart

Use layers to create a current and future state diagram

Use Layers to expand or collapse a flowchart

Course

Diagramming Foundations

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