Document symbol
The document symbol is a rectangle whose bottom edge is a wave, as if it were a sheet of paper. It marks a step that produces, sends or relies on a specific document: an invoice, a contract, a report, a letter. It makes the paperwork in a process visible, which is often exactly what a reader is looking for.
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Create Your Flowchart FreeWhen to use the document symbol
Use it where a named document matters to the flow: the step that issues the invoice, the step that sends the signed contract, the step that files the inspection report. A reader scanning for "where does the paperwork come from?" can find every document by its shape.
Name the step after the action and the document together: "Issue the invoice", "Send the approval letter". The shape already says "document", so the label does not need to.
Document, multi-document, or rectangle
A stack of document shapes is the multi-document symbol: several documents at once, such as a batch of purchase orders or a set of signed forms. A plain rectangle is always acceptable when the document is incidental to the step.
- Document: one specific document is created, sent or used.
- Multi-document: a batch or set of documents.
- Input/output parallelogram: information in general rather than a particular document.
- Rectangle: the document is incidental to the work.
Documents in ProcessFlowchart.app
Set a row's Shape column to Document or Multi-document and the symbol is drawn in place, connected to the steps around it.
Frequently asked questions
What does the wavy rectangle mean in a flowchart?
It is the document symbol: a step that creates, sends or uses a specific document, such as an invoice, a report or a contract.
What is the multi-document symbol?
Several document shapes stacked on top of each other. It stands for a batch or a set of documents rather than a single one.
Is the document symbol required?
No. A rectangle is acceptable for any step. Use the document symbol when a reader benefits from seeing where documents are produced or used.
What is the difference between the document and data symbols?
The document symbol is a specific document. The data (input/output) symbol, a parallelogram, is information entering or leaving the process in general.
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