Process symbol (the flowchart rectangle)
The process symbol is the plain rectangle in a flowchart. Each one holds a single action: something a person or a system does before the flow moves on. It is the most common shape on almost every chart, which is why the way you name and size process steps decides whether the chart reads well.
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Name each process step with a verb and an object: "Check the invoice", "Book the courier", "Send the welcome email". A noun alone ("Invoice", "Courier") leaves the reader guessing what happens to it.
If a label needs "and" to describe it, it is usually two steps. "Check the invoice and pay it" hides the question that sits between the two actions, which is whether the invoice passed the check. Splitting the box exposes the decision the process really contains.
Keep the level of detail even
A chart reads badly when one box says "Run payroll" and the next says "Click Save". Pick one level of detail for the whole chart and keep every rectangle at it. Steps that need more detail belong on their own chart, linked from a predefined-process symbol.
- Verb first: "Approve the request", not "Request approval stage".
- One action, one actor, one box.
- Exactly one arrow out. Two arrows out means the step is a decision.
- Short enough to read at a glance: around five words fits most boxes.
When a rectangle is the wrong shape
Some steps have a more specific symbol that tells the reader more. A step that produces a document (an invoice, a contract, a letter) can use the document symbol. Data entering or leaving the process is a parallelogram. A step that is a whole process of its own is a predefined process. A question is always a diamond. When in doubt, a rectangle is never wrong, just less specific.
In ProcessFlowchart.app, Process is the default for every new row. Change the Shape column when a step deserves one of the more specific symbols, and the box redraws in place.
Frequently asked questions
What does a rectangle mean in a flowchart?
A process step: one action or task. The flow enters it, the action happens, and the flow leaves along a single arrow to the next step.
How do I name a process step?
Start with a verb and say what is acted on: "Verify the address", "Issue the refund". Avoid nouns on their own and avoid packing two actions into one box.
Can a process step have two outgoing arrows?
Not if it is a true process step. Two different possible next steps means a choice is being made, and that choice belongs in a decision diamond with labelled branches.
What is the difference between a process and a predefined process?
A process symbol is a single action. A predefined process (a rectangle with double side bars) stands for a whole sub-process that is charted somewhere else.
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