Flowchart Symbols and Their Meanings
A flowchart is only as clear as its symbols. Here is what each standard shape means, when to use it, and the handful of rules that make examiners, teammates and interviewers understand your flowchart at a glance.
Flowcharts · 2026-10-14 · 7 min read
What is a flowchart?
A flowchart is a picture of a process: each step is a shape, and arrows show the order the steps happen in. Programmers use flowcharts to plan an algorithm before writing code, students draw them in lab records and exams, and teams use them to explain how a business process works.
The shapes are standard (they come from the ANSI and ISO 5807 conventions), which is why a flowchart drawn in Chennai reads the same in Bengaluru or Berlin. Using the right shape for each step is the single biggest thing that makes a flowchart look correct.
The basic flowchart symbols
| Symbol | Name | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rounded rectangle (oval) | Terminal | Where the process starts or ends | Start, Stop, Order placed |
| Rectangle | Process | An action or calculation | sum = a + b, Send OTP |
| Diamond | Decision | A yes/no (or true/false) question; two or more arrows leave it | Is n even?, Payment successful? |
| Parallelogram | Input / Output | Data coming in or results going out | Read n, Print result |
| Arrow | Flow line | The order of the steps | — |
| Small circle | On-page connector | Joins two parts of the same flowchart without a long arrow | A → A |
| Pentagon (home plate) | Off-page connector | Continues the flow on another page | To page 2 |
Example: A classic exam flowchart using terminal, input/output, decision and process symbols.
More symbols you will meet
- Predefined process (rectangle with double side lines): a step that is explained elsewhere, like a function call — "Calculate tax".
- Document (rectangle with a wavy bottom): a printed or generated document — "Print invoice".
- Database / stored data (cylinder): data saved to or read from storage — "Save order".
- Manual input (slanted top): data typed in by a person at that moment — "Enter PIN".
- Delay (D shape): a wait — "Wait 24 hours".
- Preparation (hexagon): setting something up before a loop — "i = 1".
Tip: In exams and lab records, the core five — terminal, process, decision, input/output and arrows — are enough for almost every program. Add the others only when they make the meaning clearer.
Rules for a clean flowchart
- Every flowchart has exactly one Start, and every path ends at an End/Stop.
- Flow goes top to bottom (or left to right). Arrows that go back up are only for loops.
- A process box has one arrow in and one arrow out.
- A decision has one arrow in and at least two out, and every outgoing arrow is labelled (Yes/No, True/False).
- Write steps as short verb phrases — "Calculate total", not "In this step we will calculate the total".
- Avoid crossing lines. If you must, use connectors instead of long winding arrows.
- Keep one level of detail. If a step needs ten sub-steps, make it a predefined process and draw it separately.
Common mistakes
- Using a rectangle for a question. Questions are always diamonds.
- A decision with an unlabelled arrow — the reader cannot tell which way is "Yes".
- Two Start symbols, or paths that just stop without an End.
- Writing code inside the shapes. Flowcharts describe the logic in plain words or simple expressions, not full statements.
Draw it faster
Drawing shapes and aligning arrows by hand takes time. With AI Flowchart you can type the process — for example "ATM withdrawal with PIN check and balance check" — and get a correctly shaped, neatly laid out flowchart you can edit, export to PNG or PDF for your record, or present step by step.
Try: ATM withdrawal flowchart →
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 basic flowchart symbols?
Terminal (oval) for start and end, process (rectangle) for actions, decision (diamond) for yes/no questions, and input/output (parallelogram) for reading or printing data. Arrows connect them in order.
Which symbol is used for a decision in a flowchart?
A diamond. It holds a yes/no or true/false question and has at least two outgoing arrows, each labelled with the answer it stands for.
Which symbol is used for input and output?
A parallelogram is used for both input (Read n) and output (Print result).
Can a flowchart have two end symbols?
Yes. A flowchart has one start, but several paths may end in their own End or Stop symbol — for example "Order placed" and "Order cancelled".