Abstract Fluvial depositional patterns in modern continental sedimentary basins from different tectonic settings are dominated by distributive fluvial systems (DFSs). A review of satellite imagery from over 700 modern continental sedimentary basins from different tectonic and climatic settings shows that rivers on DFSs are generally not confined to valleys and have a clear apex from which active and abandoned channelbelts radiate outward to form a positive topographic feature centered on this apex. Channels have no tributaries on the DFSs and commonly decrease in size downstream on the DFSs due to bifurcation, infiltration, and evaporation. In contrast, fluvial systems in sedimentary basins that are confined within a valley, such as those held between adjacent or opposing DFSs, incised into a DFSs, or that lie in an axial position in a basin, typically have less area for floodplain development and display coarse-grained-dominated facies. These confined rivers appear to be more similar to tributary rivers that are commonly described for present fluvial facies models. Because sediments deposited in continental sedimentary basins are those that constitute the rock record, this work suggests that many of the fluvial rocks observed may have formed on DFSs. This strongly suggests the need to develop new facies models that account for processes on DFSs.