PRISMA 2020 Flow Diagram Generator (Free, Editable, Downloadable)
Create the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for your systematic review in a couple of minutes. Type your numbers, let the tool do the subtraction, list your exclusion reasons and download a high-resolution image for your paper or thesis.
How to use the PRISMA Flow Diagram Generator
- Type the number of records you found in each database and register, and the duplicates you removed (your reference manager, such as EndNote or Rayyan, reports this).
- Enter how many records you excluded at title/abstract screening and how many full texts you could not get. With Auto-calculate on, the tool fills in the screened, sought, assessed and included counts.
- List your full-text exclusion reasons, one per line, as
Reason: number. - If you also searched websites, organisations or reference lists, tick Add other methods column.
- Check the consistency messages, then download the diagram as PNG or SVG and copy the study selection paragraph.
What is a PRISMA flow diagram?
The PRISMA flow diagram shows how many records you found, screened, excluded and finally included in your systematic review, and why. It is item 16a of the PRISMA 2020 checklist, and almost every journal requires it. Reviewers use it to judge whether your search and selection were transparent and reproducible.
What goes in each box?
| Box | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Records identified | Total hits from each database and register before removing duplicates |
| Records removed before screening | Duplicates, records removed by automation tools, and anything else removed before you read titles |
| Records screened / excluded | Titles and abstracts you read, and how many you excluded at that stage (no reasons needed) |
| Reports sought / not retrieved | Full texts you tried to get, and how many you could not obtain |
| Reports assessed / excluded | Full texts you read, and the number excluded with a reason for each |
| Studies included | Unique studies in your review. One study can have several reports (papers) |
After the flow diagram
Extract your data, calculate effect sizes with the effect size calculator and pool them in the meta-analysis calculator to get your forest plot.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official PRISMA 2020 template?
It follows the structure and wording of the official PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews that searched databases, registers and (optionally) other sources. Cite Page et al. (2021) BMJ 372:n71 as the source of the template.
Can I edit the diagram after downloading?
Yes. Download the SVG and open it in PowerPoint, Inkscape, Illustrator or Figma, where every box and text is editable. The PNG is best for inserting straight into Word.
Where do I get the number of duplicates?
Your reference manager or screening tool reports it. EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, Rayyan and Covidence all show how many duplicates they removed. Note the number before and after deduplication.
Do I need to give reasons for records excluded at title/abstract screening?
No. PRISMA 2020 asks only for the number excluded at title/abstract screening. Reasons are required for full-text reports you excluded.
What is the difference between studies and reports in the included box?
Studies are the unique investigations; reports are the documents describing them. If two papers report the same trial, you have one study and two reports. Leave the reports box empty if every study has one report.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The diagram is drawn in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.
