To make a flowchart in PowerPoint, go to Insert, then SmartArt, choose the Process category, pick a layout and click OK. Replace each [Text] placeholder with a step in your process. Use Add Shape on the SmartArt Design tab for more boxes, and Change Colors to match your brand.
If you've ever explained your onboarding process in a long paragraph and watched a client's eyes glaze over, a flowchart is the fix. PowerPoint's SmartArt builds the boxes and arrows for you from a list of steps, so a five-stage process can be on a slide in a couple of minutes. You type the steps; PowerPoint keeps everything spaced and connected.
Insert a process flowchart
- On the Insert tab, select SmartArt.
- In the Choose a SmartArt Graphic box, select the Process category on the left.
- Click once on a layout to see its name and description on the right.
- Select the one you want and click OK.
- Replace each [Text] placeholder with a step in your process.
In PowerPoint for the web, select SmartArt on the Insert tab and pick a process layout such as Accent Process or Basic Bending Process from the drop-down. A text editor appears at the left edge of the chart, and what you type shows up in the boxes.
Choosing a process layout
| SmartArt option | Where I'd use it |
|---|---|
| Basic Bending Process | Longer processes, so the steps don't get squeezed into one thin row |
| Accent Process | Steps with a little detail under each heading |
| Picture Accent Process | Steps illustrated with photos or screenshots |
Microsoft's tip is to click each layout once in the gallery, because the right-hand pane describes what it's designed for. Try two or three; you can change layout later without retyping your steps. That's the big advantage over drawing boxes by hand: the words stay put while the design changes around them, so it's quick to compare options side by side before you settle on one.
Adding and removing steps
- Add a box: click the box closest to where the new step goes, then on the SmartArt Design tab, in the Create Graphic group, click the arrow next to Add Shape and pick Add Shape After or Add Shape Before.
- Add from the Text pane: put your cursor where the new step goes, type it and press Enter. Press Tab to indent it as a sub-point, or Shift+Tab to move it back out.
- Delete a box: click its border and press Delete.
- Nudge a box: hold Ctrl and press the arrow keys.
If you can't see the Text pane, Microsoft says to click Text Pane on the Design tab. I find typing every step there first, then styling, is far quicker than clicking into each box.
Add pictures to each step
For a friendlier process, choose Picture Accent Process from the Process category. Each box has a picture icon: click it, choose your image and click Insert. Screenshots of your booking page, your welcome email and your client portal make a lovely visual walkthrough for new clients.
The SmartArt limitation: no decision branches
Here's the thing to know before you start. SmartArt Process layouts are built for steps that run in sequence, which is what Microsoft describes a flow chart as showing. They're brilliant for linear processes, and that's what most of us need. If your process has decision points, like "Has the client signed? Yes or No", with arrows going off in different directions, a sequence layout won't draw those branches for you. In that case, keep the main path in SmartArt and add a separate shape and arrow for the exception, or split the process into two simple charts.
Honestly, most small business processes read better as a straight line anyway. If a chart needs lots of branches, it's often a sign the process itself needs simplifying.
Colours, styles and effects
Select the chart, then on the SmartArt Design tab click Change Colors for a colour set based on your theme. The SmartArt Styles gallery next to it adds ready-made looks. For one box, right-click it and choose Format Shape to change its fill. Microsoft also mentions effects such as glows, soft edges and 3-D, though I'd use those sparingly on a business slide.
Reveal one step at a time
A flowchart works brilliantly when each step appears as you talk about it. It stops people reading ahead, and it's easier for you to keep your place. Select the chart, go to the Animations tab, add an entrance effect, then open Effect Options and choose One by one. Microsoft notes that if you copy an animated flowchart to another slide, the animation comes with it, which saves setting it up twice.
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For more control over how each step arrives, my guide to adding animations in PowerPoint covers timing and order. And if your process is really about dates and milestones rather than steps, a timeline in PowerPoint is the better fit.
The short version from me
Insert, SmartArt, Process, pick a layout, OK. Type the steps in the Text pane, add boxes with Add Shape, and set colours with Change Colors. Keep it to five or six steps in a straight line, and animate it One by one so people follow along. Save the complicated branching charts for a whiteboard.
Frequently asked questions
Where are flowcharts in PowerPoint?
Insert, SmartArt, then the Process category. Pick a layout and click OK.
How do I add another step to a SmartArt flowchart?
Select the nearest box, then Add Shape on the SmartArt Design tab and choose Add Shape After or Before.
Can I add pictures to a PowerPoint flowchart?
Yes. Choose Picture Accent Process and click the picture icon in each box.
How do I animate a flowchart step by step?
On the Animations tab, add an effect, then open Effect Options and choose One by one.
Can I make a flowchart in PowerPoint for the web?
Yes. Insert, SmartArt, then choose a process layout such as Accent Process or Basic Bending Process.
