How to
How to make an org chart
An organizational chart shows who reports to whom. Each person is a box, and each line runs from a manager down to the people on their team. The whole chart comes from one simple list: every person and the name of their manager.
- List the people. Add one row per person with their name and, if you like, their job title.
- Say who they report to. In Reports to, type the manager's name exactly as it appears in the Name column. Leave it empty for the person at the top.
- Or paste from a spreadsheet. Copy the Name, Title and Manager columns from Excel, Google Sheets or an HR export and press Paste from a spreadsheet. A Department column colors the boxes by team, and an ID column with a Manager ID column works when two people share a name.
- Choose the layout. Top to bottom is the classic org chart. Left to right suits a deep hierarchy on a wide slide. Stack team members under their manager puts people with no reports in a column, which keeps a big team from spreading off the page.
- Style and export. Pick cards, solid boxes or pills, color by level or by department, then download a PNG or an SVG, or copy a link that reopens the chart.
Prefer to type an outline?
Choose Indented list and write the chart as a list: the top person on the first line, their direct reports below it indented by two spaces, and so on down. Put the job title after a bar, like Luis Ortega | Head of Product. Switching back to the table keeps everything you typed.
Common problems and how the maker handles them
If a manager's name in Reports to does not match anyone in the list, a note appears under the chart and that person's team is drawn at the top level, so nobody disappears. If two people report to each other in a loop, the loop is broken and you are told where. Several people with no manager give several side-by-side charts, which is handy for a board and a separate advisory group.
Tip
For a large company, make one chart for the leadership team and one per department. Each chart stays readable when printed, and the department charts can use the same colors as the main one.
Org chart, tree diagram or family tree?
They share the same idea of a parent above its children. For categories, decision paths or a website's page structure, the tree chart maker starts from an indented list. For a family with inherited traits, the pedigree chart maker uses the standard square and circle symbols.
Questions people ask
How can I create my own organizational chart?
Start with a list of everyone and who they report to. Type it into the table above, or paste the Name, Title and Manager columns from a spreadsheet or HR export. The chart lays itself out from the top person down, and you can pick the direction, the box style and the colors before you download it.
Is there an org chart template in Word?
Yes. Microsoft's support guide shows how: in Word, choose Insert, SmartArt, Hierarchy and pick Organization Chart, then type the names into the text pane. It suits small teams. For a larger org, building the chart here from a list and inserting the PNG or SVG into Word is usually quicker than dragging boxes around.
Does Excel have an organizational chart template?
Excel has the same SmartArt Hierarchy layouts as Word under Insert, Illustrations, SmartArt, but they do not read your rows. If your staff list already lives in Excel, copy the name, title and manager columns and paste them here: every row becomes a box, placed under the right manager.
Where can I find free templates for organizational charts?
The maker opens with a sample company you can overwrite, so the example works as a template: keep the layout, change the names. Switch between cards, solid boxes and pills, stack small teams in a column, or turn the chart sideways. It is free, needs no account, and the names you type stay in your browser.
Can ChatGPT make an org chart?
A chatbot can help you draft the structure as text, for example a table of names, titles and managers or an indented list. Check it against the real reporting lines, since it only knows what you tell it. Then paste the table or the list here to draw the chart and download it as an image or SVG.
