PRISMA flow diagram generator
Build the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for your systematic review as plain text — records identified, screened, assessed for eligibility and included, with counts at every stage. Rendered locally, so an unpublished review never leaves your device.
One step per line. Indent two spaces to branch beneath the line above.
The PRISMA 2020 flow diagram, briefly
PRISMA 2020 is the reporting standard for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and the flow diagram is its most recognisable artifact: it accounts for every record from identification through screening and eligibility assessment to the studies finally included. Most journals will not send a review out for peer review without one.
The 2020 revision replaced the older 2009 chart: it distinguishes records (search hits) from reports (retrieved full texts), adds an optional path for trial registers and other sources, and folds the eligibility assessment into the screening phase. The templates on this page follow the 2020 structure.
Make the numbers reconcile
Reviewers and editors check the arithmetic before anything else, so the counts must chain: records screened = records identified − records removed before screening; reports sought = records screened − records excluded; reports assessed = reports sought − reports not retrieved; and studies included = reports assessed − reports excluded with reasons. The exclusion boxes at each stage are where the difference goes.
Because the diagram here is text, updating a count is a one-word edit and the chart re-renders — no nudging boxes in a drawing tool every time your screening numbers move.
From screening log to submission
Start from the blank template while screening is under way, fill in counts as they stabilise, and keep the Mermaid source next to your review protocol so the diagram stays reproducible. For submission, export an SVG — vector output stays sharp in a PDF at any size — or a PNG if the journal asks for a raster figure.
Everything renders in your browser, which matters here: an unpublished review, its search counts and its exclusion reasons never touch a server.
Diagram types
Frequently asked questions
What is a PRISMA flow diagram?
It is the flow chart required by the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It documents how many records were identified, removed, screened, excluded, assessed for eligibility and finally included, so readers can audit the study-selection process.
Does this follow PRISMA 2020?
Yes. The templates use the 2020 structure — records vs reports wording, removal before screening, retrieval and eligibility steps, and an optional registers line. The 2009 chart drew four phase bars including a separate Eligibility band; in PRISMA 2020 the eligibility assessment sits within screening, which is how the templates here draw it.
Do the counts have to add up?
Yes — each stage must equal the previous stage minus its exclusions (for example, records screened = identified − removed before screening). Editors check this first. The worked examples on this page reconcile, so you can start from one and swap in your numbers.
Can I submit the exported figure to a journal?
Yes. Export SVG for a crisp vector figure or PNG where a raster image is required — neither carries a watermark. Keep the text source too: when a reviewer asks for updated counts, you edit one line and re-export.
How do I add registers or other sources?
Use the databases-and-registers template: put both counts in the identification box (or add a separate box) and point it at "Records screened". PRISMA 2020 explicitly supports registers, websites and citation searching as sources.
Is my review data uploaded?
No. The diagram renders entirely in your browser, so search counts, exclusion reasons and anything else about an unpublished review stay on your device.