Markdown flowchart template

A Mermaid flowchart with the steps spelled out underneath, so the diagram and the words can be checked against each other. Take a step out, and ask the agent to fix the rest.

flowchart.md

OutlineFiles

Publishing flow

Diagram

Steps

# Publishing flow ## Diagram ```mermaid flowchart LR A[Draft] --> B[Review] B --> C[Legal] CB --> D[Publish] ``` ## Steps 1. Draft: the writer's first go. 2. Review: an editor reads it. 3. Legal: checks the claims.43. Publish: it goes live.

Publishing flow

Diagram

Draft→Review→Legal→Publish

Steps

1. Draft: the writer's first go.

2. Review: an editor reads it.

3. Legal: checks the claims.

43. Publish: it goes live.

› marsdawn open flowchart.md

› I took Legal out of the diagram. Fix the edge and the steps.

Done. Review goes straight to Publish, and the steps are renumbered.

The template

Download flowchart.md

# Flow name

_One sentence: what goes in, what comes out._

## Diagram

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A[First step] --> B[Second step]
  B --> C[Third step]
  C --> D[Done]
```

## Steps

1. **First step:** _who does it, and what they hand on._
2. **Second step:** _…_
3. **Third step:** _…_
4. **Done:** _what "done" means here._

How it looks

The first page of flowchart.md, exported as a PDF with marsdawn export.

Exported with marsdawn export flowchart.md. The free command-line tool renders like MarsDawn's preview, diagram included.

Ask your agent

Draw the flow for [the process] in flowchart.md, using the template at https://marsdawn.southern-light.dev/templates/flowchart/flowchart.md. Keep one numbered step per node, in the same order. When it's written, run marsdawn open flowchart.md.

marsdawn export flowchart.md — the diagram is drawn into the PDF.

What it doesn't do

MarsDawn draws what the Mermaid says. It doesn't lay the diagram out by hand, and it doesn't keep the numbered steps in sync with the nodes. If the Mermaid has an error, the preview shows the error instead of a diagram.

Questions

Which diagrams work?

Anything Mermaid draws: flowcharts, sequence diagrams, state diagrams and more.

Why write the steps out as well?

A reader who skims sees the diagram; a reader who checks needs the words. The agent can keep both in step.

More templates

Spec (PRD): problem, goals, requirements, a flow diagram and acceptance criteria.
Meeting notes: decisions and action items, each with an owner.
Markdown templates