How to Make a Google Sheets Flowchart (+ Free Template)

Many people, including myself, love using flowcharts to represent data because it is not that difficult to create and understand.

In this article, you will learn how to create a Google Sheets flowchart. We’ve also included a flowchart template to help you get the gist of it.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make a flowchart using Google Sheets.

Steps on Making a Flowchart in Google Sheets

Unfortunately, Google Sheets does not have an inbuilt tool that you can use to create a flowchart. This does not change the fact that it is still fairly easy to create a flowchart in Google Sheets, although it may be a little time-consuming, depending on the scale and the user.

Follow the steps below to learn how to create a flowchart in Google Sheets.

1. Open Google Sheets and create a new blank spreadsheet.
2. Since there are no inbuilt flowchart templates or tools, we will be using the Drawing option to make a flowchart.  Navigate to the Insert tab and click on it to reveal the sub-menus, and select Drawing from the list.

3. Once you are in the Drawings window, click on or select the Shapes icon and choose any shape you want to use for your flowchart.

4. After deciding on the shape you want for your flowchart, select it from the Shapes pop-up list. Click and drag it to the canvas provided to you.

5. Google Sheets drawing function allows you to adjust your shape’s length, width, and location. Find the suitable size for your shapes after dragging them to the canvas Google Sheets provided.
6. Now click on the Text Box icon and place it inside the shape you chose to add text inside it. You can also double-click inside the shape to add text.

7. Repeat steps 3 and 5 above to add more shapes with texts in your flowchart.

8. Remember to place the shapes in a flowchart format. Once all the shapes are placed and labeled accordingly, use the lines tool to connect the shapes. It is also better if you use arrowed lines to link the shapes accordingly.  The lines tool can be found next to the Shapes icon.

9. Click on the drop-down arrow and select the arrow option from the list.

10. Add text to the arrowed lines using the text box tool to make your flowchart easily understood. Purple dots will appear on your shapes as you do this. These dots act as connectors so that you can align your lines in the middle.

11. Customize your shapes, lines, and texts as desired. Just remember to keep it neat and readable to other people.

12. Once you are done with all the steps above and are pleased with your flowchart, click on Save and Close to add it to your Google Sheets document.

Example Google Sheets Flowchart Template

Customer Service Flowchart

Access Template

The flowchart above demonstrates a customer service process that deals with inquiries. This particular process starts with receiving an inquiry from a customer. The next step in this process is checking if the inquiry is valid. If the inquiry is deemed valid, then it is assigned and investigated. However, if it is not considered valid, then the inquiry is rejected, and the process ends.

If there is additional information needed, the customer is asked for additional information required to complete the investigation of the inquiry. Once the inquiry is solved, then it is closed, and the process ends.

You can get more of our templates at spreadsheetpoint.gumroad.com/ at 50% off using the promo code SSP.

How to Export a Flowchart From Google Sheets

There are 2 ways you can export your flowchart from Google Sheets:

The first method:

1. Open the Google Sheet file that contains the flowchart you want to export
2. Go to File > Download
3. Choose a download format. The formats available include xlsx. Ods.  pdf, html, csv and tsv

If you want to export your flowchart as an image:

1. Double-click on the flow chart to open the drawing window.
2. Go to Actions > Download.
3. Choose a format. The available formats include pdf, jpeg, png, and svg

Your flowchart will then be downloaded and saved to your device in the format you chose and you can use it anywhere.

Sometimes you need a new way to do something that Google’s spreadsheet software isn’t built to do. That’s what I talked about in my box and whisker chart guide.

Another way you could import a flowchart in Google Sheets is by taking a screenshot of the flowchart and saving it as an image file on your computer. To take a screenshot on your computer, press the PrtScn or PrtSc on your keyboard, which stands for Print Screen.

Once you have the screenshot, paste it into an image editor like Paint or Adobe Photoshop and crop the screenshot and finally save it as an image file to your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Collaborate on a Flowchart with Others in Google Sheets?

Yes, you can collaborate on a flowchart with others in Google Sheets. Google lets you set permissions for how you share your spreadsheet. Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to your flowchart spreadsheet.
2. Click on the Share option at the top right side of the page.
3. Add the email addresses of the people you want to collaborate with on the flowchart.

4. Select Editor on the dropdown menu at the bottom right of the share tab to set the permissions for the other user. There are 3 options Viewer, commenter, and Editor. Selecting Editor gives them full access to the spreadsheet.

1. Click on Send to invite them to collaborate on the flowchart. Your colleagues will now receive invitations to collaborate with you on the flowchart and will also have access to the flowchart.

Alternatively, you can create a link to share the spreadsheet.

1. Click Share.
2. Click on the Restricted dropdown and choose Anyone with link.

3. Set the permission by clicking the dropdown for Viewer.

4. Copy the link and share it with them.

Now, you and your colleagues can work together in real-time. Any change made by one person will be seen by everyone you invited to collaborate.

That is how you can collaborate on your flowchart with others in Google Sheets.

What Are Some Common Use Cases for a Google Sheets Flowchart?

A Google Sheet flowchart is a useful tool for organizing and visualizing a wide range of processes and workflows.

Common use cases for a Google Sheets flowchart include:

• Project Management – Flowcharts are very handy tools when managing a project since they can be used to visually map out steps and tasks involved, who is responsible for each task, deadlines, dependencies, and milestones.
• Human resources – A flowchart can be used to demonstrate your hiring process from job posting to job interview.
• Customer Support – You can use a flowchart to map out or visualize your customer support processes.
• Financial analysis – You can use a flowchart to map out or visualize your financial analysis process, which includes data collection, analysis, and, finally, reporting.
• Sales and Marketing – In this case, a flowchart can help you visualize or map out your sales and marketing funnel, from lead generation to conversion to customer retention.

Conclusion

Flowcharts are fairly easy to make in the Google Sheets drawing tool, and we doubt you will have any difficulties while following our guide when creating yours.

You could also use the templates provided above to save time on making your own. The templates are fully customizable, so feel free to use them, especially if they correlate with what you want to demonstrate using a flowchart.

If you liked the template in this article, check out our premium templates too. Just remember to also use the code SSP to save 50% at checkout.

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