Free Flowchart Maker: Turn Text Into a Diagram

PDFly guide · Updated October 2026

Drawing a flowchart box by box is slow. Typing it is fast: you write the steps and the tool draws the diagram. PDFly's Flowchart Maker supports both ways of working. Type text and watch the chart appear, or switch to the visual editor and drag shapes yourself. Everything runs in your browser.

Way 1: type the steps

Write one step per line and join steps with an arrow:

Start -> Check -> Done

That is already a flowchart. To add a label to an arrow, write A -->|Yes| B. For shapes use A[Box], B(Rounded), C{Decision}, D([Start or End]) and E((Circle)). A dashed arrow is A -.-> B. A step that ends with a question mark becomes a diamond automatically. If you already know Mermaid flowchart syntax, the basics work the same way.

Way 2: drag and link

Open the Visual editor tab. Drag Start, Process, Decision and other shapes from the left onto the canvas. Hover a shape and drag from one of its dots to another shape to connect them. Double-click a shape or an arrow to rename it, press Delete to remove it, and use Auto layout to tidy everything up. Switching back to the Text tab shows the code for what you drew.

Export and keep editing

• PNG for documents and slides, SVG for sharp scaling, PDF for sending.
• Edit on whiteboard sends the chart to the whiteboard, where shapes keep their text and arrows stay attached when you move things.
• Choose colour, black and white, or a dark style, and top-to-bottom or left-to-right direction.

Arabic support

Steps and labels can be written in Arabic and are shown right to left. Keep the arrows as -> or -->.

Tips for readable flowcharts

• Start with one clear Start and one End.
• Keep each step short: a verb and an object, such as "Check stock".
• Give every decision two labelled exits, usually Yes and No.
• If the chart is wider than it is tall, try left to right.