How to turn a spreadsheet into a process map

Why start from a spreadsheet at all?

Most process knowledge is already tabular. When someone documents a workflow, they naturally write a numbered list: step 1, step 2, who does it, what happens next. A spreadsheet is that list with structure. Drag-and-drop flowchart tools throw the structure away and make you re-create it by hand — placing boxes, drawing arrows, aligning lanes.

A spreadsheet-driven editor keeps the structure. Each row describes one step; the diagram is computed from the rows. Change a cell, the diagram updates. The layout, spacing, and lane assignment are handled for you.

Step 1 — Open the editor

Go to processmapping.app. The editor opens immediately with a four-step starter template — no account, no download, no install. The spreadsheet sits at the bottom of the screen; the diagram renders above it.

Step 2 — Enter one row per process step

Replace the starter rows with your process. The two columns that matter first:

• Box Text — the step's label. Write it as a verb phrase: "Receive purchase order", "Check inventory", "Approve request".
• Shape — what kind of step it is: Start, Process, Decision, or End. Start and End render as rounded capsules, Process as rectangles, Decision as diamonds.

Step 3 — Connect the steps with the Line To column

Each row's Line To column takes the row number(s) the step connects to. Row 1 flowing into row 2 is just "2". A decision that branches into rows 2 and 4 is "2,4".

Use the Line Text column to label branches — "Yes,No" on a decision step labels the first connector Yes and the second No. Line Style accepts colors and dash styles ("green", "red dashed") for visual emphasis.

Step 4 — Assign swimlanes

The Horizontal Lane and Vertical Lane columns group steps by the role or department responsible. Type the lane name in each row — "Sales", "Warehouse", "Finance" — and the diagram automatically draws one lane per unique value and places each step inside its lane.

Connectors that cross lane boundaries are handoffs. Seeing them rendered is usually the first "oh, that's why this process is slow" moment — most process friction lives at the handoffs.

Step 5 — Export or keep working

Download the diagram as a PNG to drop into a doc, deck, or wiki. Your work is saved automatically in your browser — close the tab, come back, it's still there.

When you need cloud save, sharing, version history, or approval workflow, sign up for QueryChart — the platform ProcessMapping.app is built on. Your local chart migrates to your new account in one click.

Working from existing Excel or CSV data

If the process already exists in Excel, Google Sheets, or a CSV export, you don't retype it. Copy the rows and paste them into the editor's spreadsheet. Map your columns onto the editor's columns (step name → Box Text, owner → lane, next step → Line To) and the diagram renders.

Frequently asked questions