How to Use On-Page References in a Visio Flowchart (No More Spaghetti Lines)
Long lines that cross a whole flowchart make it hard to read. Learn how to use on-page reference shapes in Visio to jump from one part of the page to another, with a purchase approval process.
Step by step
- On-page references. When a flowchart runs out of room and wraps into a second column, the line back up to the top crosses the whole chart. On-page references fix this.
- Basic Flowchart Shapes. All the shapes here come from the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil in the Shapes pane.
- The first column. The first column is a purchase approval process. It starts with a Start/End shape labelled Purchase requested. Below it, drop a Process shape labelled Team lead checks. Connect Purchase requested to Team lead checks. Below that, drop another Process shape labelled Finance checks budget. Connect Team lead checks to Finance checks budget.
- Out reference. You're now at the bottom of the column. Don't draw a long line up to the next column. Drop an On-page reference shape, the small circle, and type A in it. Connect Finance checks budget to the A circle. This is where the flow leaves the first column.
- In reference. At the top of the second column, drop another On-page reference and type the same letter, A. The matching letter tells the reader that the flow carries on here.
- The second column. Below the second A, drop a Process shape labelled Place the order. This is the step where purchasing places the order. Connect the A circle to Place the order. Drop a Start/End shape labelled Order placed to end the process. Connect Place the order to Order placed.
- Done. Click on an empty part of the page to deselect. You now have 2 clean columns and no line crossing the page.
- The rule. Give each jump its own letter and use that letter exactly twice: once where the flow leaves and once where it comes back in. If the flow jumps to a different page, use the Off-page reference shape instead.
Common mistakes
- Using the same letter for two different jumps. If 2 jumps both use A, the reader can't tell which A leads where. Use A for the first jump, B for the next, and so on, with each letter appearing exactly twice.
- Only one circle for the jump. An On-page reference only works in pairs. Put one where the flow leaves, with a connector going into it, and a matching one where the flow comes back in, with a connector coming out of it.
- Using On-page reference to jump to another page. On-page reference is only for jumps on the same page. For a flow that carries on to a different page, use the Off-page reference shape.
- Adding references where a short line would do. Every reference makes the reader search the page for the matching letter. Only use one when the connector would otherwise cross the chart or run a long way around it.
When a business analyst uses this
In a process mapping workshop, a BA draws the as-is purchase approval process so the team can review it and sign it off. When the steps wrap into a second column, an A to A pair of on-page references keeps the map readable when it's printed or pasted into the requirements document.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an on-page reference and an off-page reference in Visio?
An On-page reference links 2 points on the same page. An Off-page reference shows the flow carrying on to a different page of the drawing.
Where do I find the on-page reference shape in Visio?
It's in the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil, next to the other flowchart shapes such as Process and Start/End. It looks like a small circle.
How many on-page reference shapes do I need for one jump?
You need 2 with the same letter: one where the flow leaves and one where it starts again. The next jump on the page gets a new letter.
