Groundwater-dependent shallow lakes and wetlands are widespread across much of the Australian landscape. Many systems are ephemeral with respect to the permanency of free surface water and their interaction with groundwater is a key factor in their water balance, which in many cases maintains free surface water during seasonal drying cycles and periods of low rainfall. The effects of altered regional groundwater conditions in response to climate change, groundwater abstraction and changing land use is of increasing concern with regard to sustaining the free water balance of shallow lakes and wetlands. Water, solute and isotopic mass balances of the free water bodies are key indicators of groundwater connectedness and interaction. Poor understanding of the factors that control relations between water mass, solute and stable and radioactive isotope balances has hampered their use in practical field problem-solving with respect to groundwater connectedness. In this paper we present a consistent and systematic set of water, solute and isotope (stable and radioactive) mass balance analyses for eight conceptual types of groundwater-surface water interactions. We present results in a graphical format, building from the basic concepts of water, solute and stable and radioactive isotope balance equations through to time-dependent trajectories of the expected behaviour of tracers for each conceptual model. These idealised graphical tools are intended for use as a practical field guide to assist in the identification of the type of groundwater-surface water interaction occurring in the field. The results are presented in terms of the time dependency of five indicator parameters: water mass, a conservative solute (e.g. chloride), deuterium, oxygen-18 and radioactive radon gas. Two case studies are presented from Western Australia (Perry Lakes and Lake Jasper) to illustrate application of the toolkit to the field situation.