You can make a flowchart in Excel when a process needs to sit beside a workbook’s data or instructions. Use SmartArt for a short sequence, or shapes and connectors for decisions and return paths. For discussion outside the workbook, you can also review a connected flowchart online and agree on its logic before placing the final diagram in a worksheet.
Excel is one option rather than a universal replacement for other Office applications. A flowchart in Word may fit a written procedure better; Excel is useful when readers already work in the spreadsheet. The shapes describe the process—they do not execute its calculations or decisions.
The two methods below keep the original tutorial’s sequence: start with SmartArt, then build a diagram manually. Afterward, check the labels, connectors and printed size so the result remains useful when shared with someone else.
How to Make a Flowchart in Excel?
SmartArt provides layouts that you can label and format without positioning every shape individually. It suits a simple sequence such as Receive claim → Review receipt → Record decision. If the process needs a Yes/No branch or a loop, use the manual shapes method instead of forcing it into a linear layout.
The retained screenshots show Excel 2016. Microsoft’s current SmartArt flowchart instructions also cover supported newer Office desktop versions. Ribbon positions and available editing options can differ on the web or Mac, so use the controls provided by your version.
Begin with a blank worksheet or a clear area of the workbook that will hold the diagram. Keep the original data outside that area so shapes do not hide values people need to read.
Choose the method according to the process:
- Use SmartArt for a short, mostly linear sequence.
- Use shapes and attached connectors when the flow branches or returns to an earlier step.
Both approaches allow you to change labels and appearance after the initial diagram is in place.
Make a Flowchart in Excel with SmartArt
1. Create or open the worksheet where the flowchart will appear.
2. Select the Insert tab.
3. In the Illustrations group, select SmartArt. The retained ribbon capture shows the earlier Excel interface.
4. The Choose a SmartArt Graphic gallery opens. The historical image below shows the gallery with List selected; select Process for the sequence used here.
5. Select Process in the gallery’s category list.
6. Choose a layout whose shapes suit the number and relationship of the steps. A basic sequence is enough for Receive claim, Review receipt and Record decision.
7. Select OK, then replace the placeholder text with those step names. Use the text pane or the shapes’ text fields, as available in your version.
Adjust the SmartArt text, colors and layout so the steps remain readable. Use Add Shape if another step is needed rather than squeezing several actions into one label. Save the workbook and reopen the diagram to check that its wording and order are intact.
SmartArt gives the sequence a consistent starting layout. When a receipt can be missing, however, the review process needs a decision and a return path. That is a reason to use manually placed shapes—not evidence that SmartArt or Excel is unsuitable for every flowchart.
Make a Flowchart in Excel with Shapes
For the manual method, keep the same expense-claim example but make the decision explicit: Receive claim → Receipt attached? A Yes branch reaches Review claim; a No branch reaches Request receipt and returns to the decision after the receipt arrives. Write the branch labels before decorating the shapes.
1. Prepare the Grid
Changing the grid is optional. A regular arrangement can help you place evenly spaced shapes, but it is not necessary to make every worksheet cell square. Leave enough room for the longest label and both branches of the example.
If you adjust column width or row height, select the intended rows or columns and set dimensions that suit your worksheet. Column width and row height use different units; the old example’s width of 2.14 is not a universal setting. Judge the resulting diagram at the zoom and print size readers will use.
2. Align Shapes and Use Snapping
Select a shape and inspect the alignment options on Shape Format. Microsoft documents Snap to Grid and Snap to Shape under Arrange → Align in the interface shown in its current guidance. Use snapping to support consistent placement; check your version if the control appears elsewhere.
3. Add the Process Shapes
Use Insert → Shapes and choose the shapes needed for the flow. In this example, use rectangles for Receive claim, Review claim and Request receipt, and a diamond for Receipt attached? Keep each shape focused on one action or decision.
4. Attach and Label Connectors
Under Insert → Shapes → Lines, choose a connector and attach its ends to the shapes’ connection points. A plain line may look similar but will not behave as an attached connector. Label the decision’s paths Yes and No, then move one connected shape to check that the connection stays attached.
5. Format and Check the Worksheet
Use consistent text sizes and enough contrast between labels and shapes. Trace both receipt outcomes, check arrow directions and remove unintended crossings. Inspect the workbook’s print preview: the flowchart should not split across pages or become too small to read. Save the workbook after these adjustments.
If the final procedure will be maintained in a shared document instead of the workbook, the Google Docs flowchart workflow explains the difference between an embedded drawing and a linked drawing that can be updated.
Create a Flowchart Online
An online canvas is useful while a team is still agreeing on the process. It lets reviewers focus on the flow before someone handles the worksheet layout. Excel remains appropriate when the approved diagram needs to accompany workbook data or instructions.
Mockitt provides a workspace for drawing a process and discussing the proposed interface or workflow. The archived product image below shows an earlier prototype editor. It illustrates a separate design workspace, not a native connection to Excel or automated updates to spreadsheet cells.
Features of Mockitt
1. Shapes for a Reviewable Process
Arrange the expense-claim actions and the receipt decision on a Mockitt canvas. Keep the missing-receipt path visible beside the normal review path so the team can discuss what happens next.
2. Discuss Both Outcomes
For an illustrative claim-review flow, connect Receive claim to Receipt attached? Route Yes to Review claim and No to Request receipt. The return from Request receipt reaches the decision again. Ask the reviewer to follow the No path before confirming the diagram for the workbook.
3. Keep the Diagram Focused
Use a readable static flowchart when it is enough to explain the process. If a separate prototype demonstrates a screen interaction, review that interaction as its own task. Animation does not make a worksheet flowchart executable, and decoration should not hide a missing branch or an unclear label.