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To make a flowchart in PowerPoint, choose Insert > SmartArt > Process, select a layout, and replace the placeholder text with your steps. For explicit decision branches or a layout SmartArt cannot provide, build the chart with shapes and attached connectors instead.

Choose a flowchart layout for the logic

Start by deciding what the diagram needs to explain. Microsoft describes a flow chart as a way to show sequential steps in a task or process. A straightforward sequence usually fits a SmartArt Process layout; a decision tree may be clearer as a Hierarchy; and a process that repeats is better signaled by a Cycle layout. Microsoft recommends choosing a SmartArt type according to what the graphic needs to communicate. See Microsoft’s guide to choosing a SmartArt graphic.

Create a basic flowchart with SmartArt

  1. Insert the graphic. Select Insert > SmartArt, open Process, review the layouts and their descriptions, choose one, and select OK. The gallery’s appearance and available choices can vary by PowerPoint version.
  2. Enter the steps. Replace the placeholders by typing in the shapes or using the SmartArt text pane. Put one step in each box and keep labels brief. Add or remove boxes with the controls on the SmartArt Design tab.
  3. Format the chart after arranging its content. Select the SmartArt graphic, then use Change Colors or the SmartArt Styles gallery to adjust its color combination or style.

Microsoft’s instructions cover PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, including Windows, Mac, and web directions. Ribbon names and gallery presentation may differ across editions. For platform-specific steps, see Microsoft’s PowerPoint flow-chart instructions and its SmartArt flow-chart guide.

Build a custom chart with shapes and connectors

Use individual shapes when the preset layout does not make the logic clear, especially for explicit branches or decision points. Insert the shapes you need for the process steps and decisions, then select Insert > Shapes and choose a straight, elbow, or curved connector. Attach each connector end to a shape’s connection point rather than leaving it as a free-floating line. An attached connector remains joined when you move the connected shapes; a manually positioned line may not. Microsoft explains the options in its guide to drawing lines and connectors.

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  • Use consistent, concise labels so readers can scan the chart.
  • Arrange the shapes to make the direction of the process and any branches easy to follow.
  • Keep the diagram focused on key steps. Microsoft cautions that excess text can distract from the visual message.

SmartArt or custom shapes: which should you use?

Need Better starting point Why
A simple sequence SmartArt Process It provides a structured graphic you can edit as one SmartArt diagram.
A decision tree SmartArt Hierarchy or custom shapes Hierarchy can express levels; custom shapes are useful when you need specific branches or decision points.
A repeating process SmartArt Cycle The layout communicates repetition more naturally than a one-way sequence.
A layout the presets do not express Custom shapes with attached connectors You can position each step and branch independently, while attached connectors stay joined as shapes move.

Convert SmartArt to shapes only when necessary

Converting a SmartArt graphic to shapes allows you to edit its elements independently, but the conversion is one-way: Microsoft says converted shapes cannot be turned back into SmartArt. If you may want the original structured graphic later, save a copy before converting. Follow Microsoft’s SmartArt-to-shapes instructions.

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