How to
How to make a tree diagram
A tree diagram shows how things branch: one item at the top, the items that belong to it below, and so on. It fits classifications, a family of products, the pages of a website, the chapters of a report or the choices in a decision.
- Write the top item. Type it on the first line of the list.
- Indent the children. Put each child on its own line, indented with two spaces or a tab more than its parent. Indent again for grandchildren. Bullets such as - or * are fine and are left out of the chart.
- Add a second line if you need one. Text after a bar, as in
Mammals | Fur and milk, shows as a smaller line under the name. - Or paste two columns. From a spreadsheet, copy an Item column and a Parent column, then press Paste from a spreadsheet. The same data can also be edited as a table with Item and parent.
- Shape it and export. Pick top to bottom or left to right, the box style and the lines, then download a PNG or an SVG.
Which direction to choose
Top to bottom reads like a hierarchy and suits wide, shallow trees. Left to right suits deep trees with many levels, and it is the usual way to draw a decision tree or a probability tree, because each step reads as a move to the right. When the last level has many items, Stack the last level in a column keeps the chart from growing too wide.
The layout rules
Every parent sits centered over its own children, siblings keep the order of your list, and all boxes share one size so the levels line up. Nothing is dragged by hand, so adding a branch never leaves lines crossing: change the list and the whole tree is redrawn.
Tip
Color by level to make each tier easy to follow, or switch to the table, turn on the Group column and color related branches alike.
Related charts
For people and reporting lines, the org chart maker starts from names and managers. To show how an amount splits and flows between stages, a Sankey diagram sizes each branch by its value.
Questions people ask
How to create a tree chart?
Write the items as an indented list: the top item on the first line, then each child on its own line, indented one step further than its parent. Paste or type that list into the maker above and the boxes and lines are drawn for you. Choose the direction and the box style, then download a PNG or an SVG.
What tool can I use to create a tree diagram?
Any drawing app works, but you end up placing boxes and lines by hand. A tree maker that reads a list, like this one, does the layout for you and redraws it when you add a branch. Word and PowerPoint also have SmartArt hierarchy layouts that suit small trees.
How to make a tree chart in Microsoft Word?
In Word, go to Insert, SmartArt, choose the Hierarchy category and pick a layout, then type the items in the text pane, pressing Tab to move an item one level down. For a bigger tree, build it here from an indented list and insert the downloaded PNG, or the SVG, which stays sharp at any size.
What is the easiest way to create a decision tree?
Write it as a list. Put the first question at the top, each possible answer indented under it, and the next question or the outcome indented under each answer. Choose Left to right so the tree reads like a flow of choices. The maker draws the structure; it does not calculate expected values for you.
Can I make a probability tree diagram?
Yes, as a drawing. Write each branch with its probability in the label, such as Heads | 0.5, and the second part appears as a smaller line in the box. Multiply along a path yourself to get the chance of that outcome. Left to right with curved lines looks closest to a textbook probability tree.