The offical blog of the diagrams.net project

    use cases   templates   shape libraries

    Create a sequence diagram

    Sequence diagrams show the order of messages that are passed between elements of a system to complete a particular task or use case. The events that cross system boundaries are used by objects and people (actors) to complete their processes.
    diagrams.net contains several examples of UML sequence diagrams in its template library

    16 May 2022
    features   shapes

    Edit shape properties in diagrams

    The shape libraries in diagrams.net provide you with a wide variety of shapes and clipart to use in your diagrams. The Style tab lets you quickly style your shapes, but for finer control and complex shapes, you can modify the shape properties.

    29 Apr 2022
    features

    Draw diagrams on a touch screen

    It is easy to diagram on a tablet or any other device with a touch screen because diagrams.net is a web application. Point your browser to app.diagrams.net, select where you want to save your diagram file, and start diagramming.

    06 Apr 2022
    use cases   templates   shape libraries

    Create UML class diagrams

    UML class diagrams are used to illustrate the structure of a computer program. They detail the types of data or attributes stored within each ‘class’, the methods (operations or functions) that each class provides, and the relationships between the classes.

    22 Mar 2022
    use cases   shapes   templates

    Draw timelines and roadmaps in diagrams.net

    Timelines, roadmap and milestone diagrams feature in a range of documentation - project development documents, infographics and presentations being some of the most common. There are many shapes and templates in diagrams.net and our draw.io branded apps that you can use to quickly draw an attractive diagram that you can embed in your presentation or documentation.

    14 Feb 2022
    shortcuts

    Diagram faster using mouse + keyboard shortcuts

    There are many combination mouse plus keyboard shortcuts in diagrams.net that will speed up your drawing. You can select and deselect multiple shapes, resize grouped shapes in various ways, and swap, connect and clone shapes quickly.

    07 Feb 2022
    templates   use cases   shapes

    Draw circular flowcharts

    Flowcharts are one of the most used types of diagrams in all teams. But some process flows are circular or cyclical rather than a series of steps with a start and end. You can create circular flowcharts in diagrams.net and our draw.io branded apps in a number of ways.

    31 Jan 2022
    features

    Number shapes in a diagram

    You can now number shapes and connectors in a diagram using the Enumerate shape property. A yellow number label is applied to each shape and connector where this shape property has been enabled.
    Number shapes in a diagram

    19 Jan 2022
    use cases

    Reviews from real users of diagrams.net and draw.io

    The barrier to anyone diagramming and whiteboarding with diagrams.net is lower compared to many other SaaS applications. From reviews and customer feedback, some of the things they like the most include:

    • you don’t need to register and it costs nothing
    • you can diagram in all major operating systems
    • there is an offline desktop version
    • you can give your diagram to anyone else and they will be able to load and edit it freely
    • you can store unlimited diagram files wherever you prefer
    • project development is in the open and anyone can take part

    10 Jan 2022
    features

    Clear the diagrams.net cache to use the newest build

    Updates, bug fixes and new features are added to diagrams.net and the draw.io apps for various platforms regularly. It is likely that your browser will use a cached older version of the website by default. To use the newest build, you need to clear any features or diagram editor components in your browser that have been cached.

    09 Dec 2021
    use cases   templates

    Ishikawa diagrams for root cause analyses

    Ishikawa diagrams, also called fishbone, herringbone or cause and effect diagrams, are used to analyse and identify the root causes of defects or negative events. As most problems have multiple causes, Ishikawa diagrams are a useful prompt to look at the many different contributing factors.

    01 Dec 2021
    shortcuts

    Select shapes and connectors with keyboard shortcuts

    Keyboard shortcuts in diagrams.net (and the draw.io apps developed by JGraph) enable you work with shapes and connectors in your diagrams both easier and faster. There are a number of ways you can select shapes and connectors with the keyboard, or when holding down a key and using the mouse.

    25 Nov 2021
    atlassian   use cases

    Flowcharts in Confluence

    Steps in business processes and project documentation are easier to understand when visualised. As one of the most common families of diagrams, drawing flowcharts in Confluence lets you present complex information neatly and securely in your team and company knowledge base.

    19 Nov 2021
    features   integrations

    draw.io for Notion Chrome extension

    You can now create and store your diagrams directly in Notion pages using the draw.io for Notion extension for the Chrome, Opera and Edge web browsers. The draw.io for Notion extension uses the whiteboard-like simple editor theme, and resizes the embedded image displayed in your Notion page automatically to display your entire diagram.

    03 Nov 2021
    features   integrations

    Import diagrams from Lucidchart EDU to diagrams.net

    Lucidchart recently limited their free education plans, Lucidchart EDU, for students and teachers to only 3 editable diagrams. That means that all of the diagrams after your most recent three diagram files are set to read only, unless you switch to a premium subscription.

    12 Oct 2021
    features   shapes

    What can you do with shape data in diagrams?

    The shapes, connectors and text elements in your diagram are described in XML - their sizes, locations, groupings, shape styles, z-order on the drawing canvas, and how they are connected to each other. You can attach much more information than this to create richer diagrams and interactivity, including tags, tooltips, links, custom shape properties and more.

    21 Sep 2021
    features   integrations

    Edit diagrams directly in GitHub with diagrams.net and github.dev

    For developers, github.dev allows you to edit files stored in GitHub repositories in a web-based code editor. It has many of the benefits of Visual Studio Code - search, syntax highlighting, and a source control view. After installing the unofficial draw.io extension for Visual Studio Code into the web-based editor, you can quickly navigate, view and edit diagram files stored in your GitHub repositories without ever leaving your browser.

    21 Sep 2021
    features   integrations

    Embed diagrams in WordPress as SVG

    You can embed SVG versions of your diagrams in a WordPress blog post or page. SVG images are quick to load when compared to other formats, and can include your diagram data if you want to allow viewers to download and view a copy of the diagram in the diagrams.net free editor.

    02 Sep 2021
    features

    Using pages as backgrounds

    One of the most requested features for diagrams.net and draw.io was the concept of using one or more pages as backgrounds for other pages. This could be a background graphic to provide a consistent branding across your diagrams. Another popular use case is more technical diagrams where each page displays a border with an information block in a specific format and dimensions.

    26 Aug 2021
    features   use cases

    How to use sketch.diagrams.net as an online whiteboard

    This diagrams.net Sketch editor theme has an endless whiteboard-style canvas and is ideal to use as a collaborative online whiteboard with your remote team. The lack of page and grid lines, along with the simple toolbar, minimised panels and the default hand-drawn rough style for shape outlines, shading, connectors, and text labels feels like an informal physical whiteboard, much less intimidating than traditional diagramming apps.

    18 Aug 2021
    features   atlassian

    An online whiteboard for Confluence with draw.io

    With remote working on the rise worldwide, online replacements for analog tools like the whiteboard are increasingly needed. With the draw.io app for Confluence, your teams have an easy-to-use, collaborative online whiteboard, directly in Confluence, that can be used for agile brainstorming, story mapping, mockups, project planning and tracking, flowcharting, and more.

    23 Jul 2021
    features

    Export images of diagrams directly from the lightbox viewer

    When you look at a diagrams.net or draw.io diagram in the lightbox viewer, and not in the app.diagrams.net editor, hover the mouse over the diagram to see the viewer toolbar. Click on a tool to select which layers to display, zoom in and out, and step through the pages in a multi-page diagram. You can also export your diagram as a PNG image and print the diagram directly from the diagrams.net lightbox viewer using these tools.

    15 Jul 2021
    use cases   templates

    Draw dependency graphs in diagrams.net

    As a type of directed graph, dependency graphs visualise processes or situations where there are dependent components such as in decision making, scheduling, product development, IT or telecommunications infrastructure, supply and manufacturing chains, and more. They help you find the optimal order and identify critical paths or weak links that would constain your application, infrastructure or process.

    09 Jul 2021
    features

    Change the drawing canvas grid

    The drawing canvas in diagrams.net has a number of features that help you align and space shapes and connectors in your diagram. By default, it also indicates how your diagram will appear when printed across one or more pages, dependent on page size and orientation.

    28 Jun 2021
    features   atlassian

    Diagramming in a free Confluence Cloud instance

    diagrams.net and the draw.io branded Atlassian integrations are the leading solution for web based sketching and diagramming functionality. The article describes the draw.io integration for Confluence that we, JGraph, build, deliver and maintain alongside the online diagrams.net and desktop tools.

    16 Jun 2021
    features   shapes

    Draw freehand shapes and annotate diagrams

    When you draw a freehand shape in diagrams.net, it is saved as an image with a transparent background on the drawing canvas by default. You can change the freehand-drawn shape’s style like you would many other shapes: line colour, fill colour, opacity and more. You can also resize, flip and rotate your freehand drawing.

    01 Jun 2021
    use cases   templates

    Create a remote kanban board with diagrams.net

    Kanban boards show the breakdown of large projects into smaller tasks that you prioritise and track as they are completed. Collaborative projects benefit from a kanban board as it helps everyone visualise workflows, the state of the project, and the current workload.

    21 May 2021
    features   connectors

    Join connectors with the waypoint shape

    The waypoint shape allows you to join two or more connectors together. In electrical circuit diagrams or logic gate diagrams, it is essential to show contact points where wires are connected, as opposed to passing each other without connecting. Waypoint shapes help you organise and route connectors neatly in tree diagrams, org charts, gitflow diagrams, hold connector lines together in a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, and more.

    05 May 2021
    features

    Choose a different diagrams.net UI theme

    You can customise the diagrams.net editor and choose your preferred theme for the user interface. The UI theme controls which editor elements are displayed, minimised or hidden, including the menu, toolbar, panels and dialog boxes.

    13 Apr 2021
    features   connectors

    Draw and style connectors in diagrams.net

    Connectors are lines that connect your shapes together and may or may not have arrows at one or both ends. In a diagram, connectors provide context information, showing how the various shapes and entities in your diagram are related.

    30 Mar 2021
    features   use cases   templates

    Use swimlanes with flowcharts to show who does each step

    Flowcharts are one of the most common diagram types, showing all of the steps that must be followed to complete a process. Not many processes are limited to just one person or one team, which is why swimlane diagrams and cross-functional flowcharts are used - these show the flow of data or control across different groups.

    09 Mar 2021
    use cases

    Story mapping

    User story diagrams are quite strongly related to UML use case diagrams, and both are used in an agile software development context. Both types of diagrams are used to explore and document customer requirements, they identify different groups of users and their goals, but they are used in different ways.

    24 Feb 2021
    features

    Use diagrams.net with Google Classroom

    With most teachers and students now working virtually, as schools have been required to close due to the pandemic, the tools that support online teaching have been drastically improved. Many schools are now using Google Classroom to communicate with students, organise curriculum, and assign and submit assessment digitally.

    16 Feb 2021
    features   use cases

    UML 2.5 shape library with updated shapes

    The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a set of standard symbols and diagram types, commonly used in data modelling, workflow visualisation, and system modelling. UML notation is the defacto industry standard in the fields of software development, IT infrastructure, business systems and other fields. Many languages, such as SysML, SoaML, and a number of architecture frameworks use and extend UML.

    21 Jan 2021
    features   integrations   atlassian

    Embed diagrams in Confluence Data Center and Server

    There are two ways to display diagrams on Confluence Data Center and Server - either attach the diagram file to the page and use the draw.io diagram macro, or embed a diagram that is stored elsewhere using the Embed draw.io diagram macro. You can embed draw.io diagrams easily from the following locations:

    30 Nov 2020
    trust   integrations   atlassian

    Manage your budget moving to Confluence Cloud

    diagrams.net and the draw.io branded Atlassian integrations are the leading solution for web based sketching and diagramming functionality. The article describes the draw.io integration for Confluence that we, JGraph, build, deliver and maintain along side the online diagrams.net and desktop tools.

    21 Oct 2020
    features   atlassian

    How to install and insert a diagram in Confluence Cloud

    With the draw.io app for Confluence Cloud, you can add diagrams to Confluence Cloud pages and collaboratively edit them. You can reuse one diagram on multiple pages, embed diagrams from cloud storage platforms, and cut down on the time spent maintaining multiple copies of the same diagram.

    14 Oct 2020
    features   shapes

    Automatic layout shapes for flow charts, tree diagrams and mind maps

    The automatic layout shapes in the Advanced shape library in diagrams.net organise your flow charts, tree diagrams, org charts, and mind maps for you as you add and connect more shapes. The automated layout ensures that all shapes in your diagram are spaced evenly, either in a horizontal or vertical format, and will automatically increase or decrease the container shape’s size to match the contents.

    22 Sep 2020
    use cases

    Create C4 models and diagrams

    The C4 modelling is used to describe and define architectures in an abstract and simple way. Designed by Simon Brown, C4 is a different way to approach modelling software development which focuses on four c’s: context (people), containers, components, and code.

    29 Jul 2020
    features

    Maths equations in diagrams

    You can add maths equations to your diagrams by enabling mathematical typesetting via the diagrams.net menu. When you enter an equation into a text shape or label, enabling mathematical typesetting will use MathJax to render your equation. MathJax renders equations neatly and works in all browsers.

    20 Jul 2020
    shortcuts   shapes

    Double click and select a shape to add it

    The double click behaviour in diagrams.net has been updated in version 13.4.2 to be more convenient. Now, when you double click on the blank drawing canvas, you can quickly add a shape or text from the selector to your diagram.

    13 Jul 2020
    features   shapes   connectors

    Support for hand-drawn diagrams with rough.js

    A more relaxed and informal style for shapes, fills and lines is often used in infographics, teaching materials, maps and reports so that the diagrams are little less sterile and boring. The rough style adds a hand drawn shading options, rough outlines and connectors, and handwritten text labels.

    23 Jun 2020
    features   shapes

    Improved table shapes

    Tables have been overhauled in diagrams.net to be much more flexible and robust than the old HTML tables you previously used. With the new tables, you can choose from various layouts, drag to resize rows and columns, move rows by dragging them, and build cross-functional flowcharts within a table and its cells.

    22 Jun 2020
    use cases   integrations

    Create diagrams directly in VS Code

    Diagrams make coding go a lot smoother, especially when you are programming in teams. Having diagrams version tracked and right with the code they reference, and version tracked similarly in your code editor saves you time. You don’t have to exit your workspace to switch to an external tool, or have to export/import every time you want to update a diagram.

    01 Jun 2020
    use cases   templates

    Create a rack diagram in diagrams.net

    diagrams.net has a number of shape libraries and templates for creating rack diagrams. Both electronics cabinets can be visualised, as well as IT racks with servers and networking hardware, including those provided by specific vendors like APC, Cisco, Dell, F5, HP, IBM and Oracle.

    27 May 2020
    use cases   integrations   atlassian

    Team diagramming in all departments

    All teams have their own unique needs and particular workflows. Integrating useful collaboration tools seamlessly into that workflow is the key to your team’s success. We offer security-first diagramming for teams working with Atlassian products.

    13 May 2020
    features

    Simple draw.io embedding walk-through

    You can embed diagrams.net as an application within another app, where you store the diagram data in the host app. It takes around 15 minutes to get a basic example running.

    01 May 2020
    features

    Embedded XML in PNG image files

    The PNG image file format supports embedded metadata in a number of ways. diagrams.net can export a PNG image of your diagram and include the diagram itself in the image, by including the XML code in the zTxt section of the image file.

    27 Apr 2020
    features

    Export diagrams to PDF files

    There are many reasons why you may want to print a diagram, or save it as a PDF file: floor plans with emergency routes or conference booth layouts, infographics, business plans and BPMN diagrams, or infrastructure and rack diagrams when you don’t have a tablet on hand for easy reference.

    22 Apr 2020
    features

    Work with custom shape libraries

    Custom shape libraries let you add the shapes, images, clipart, groups of shapes, custom shapes, and even entire diagrams to your own shape library to make diagramming faster and easier.

    06 Apr 2020
    use cases

    Use org charts to categorise data and show hierarchies

    Org charts, also known as tree diagrams, organisational charts, and organigrams, are used throughout all disciplines and professions. We like to categorise everything as it helps us make sense of how the world works. Species of plants and animals, corporate and military hierarchies, team structures, family trees, language family relationships, even symptoms of illnesses - org charts help us quickly find who to contact, what illness to treat, and so on.

    16 Mar 2020
    use cases   templates

    Create floorplans and layouts

    Floorplans aren’t only useful for real-estate agents and people who are moving to a new apartment. You can also plan new office spaces, show emergency routes, create a seating chart, plan a conference or trade show layout - anything where you need to arrange people and furniture in a space.

    02 Mar 2020
    use cases   templates

    How to create a gitflow diagram

    It’s easier to show new development team members your project’s branch structure in your Git repository visually than to describe it in words. Some platforms may illustrate this using built-in tools. If you are using a platform without a convenient visual representation, it’s easy to create your own gitflow diagram.

    07 Feb 2020
    features   text

    Using external or custom fonts in diagrams.net

    If you don’t want to use the fonts that are available by default in diagrams.net, you can use your own custom fonts or external fonts, such as Google’s fonts or web fonts stored on your own server. This is useful when you need to match the style guide of a publication, your company’s corporate image, or to add interest and emphasis in an infographic.

    01 Dec 2019
    use cases

    Analysing vulnerabilities with threat modelling using diagrams.net

    Threat modelling, especially in IT, is becoming more common. Companies are increasingly aware of the risks of having their infrastructure and devices connected to the internet. As more devices, machines, sensors, monitors, and applications are added to a company’s infrastructure, there are potentially many more vulnerabilities.

    18 Nov 2019
    news   open source

    We are sponsoring FOSDEM 2020

    FOSDEM is a free two-day event held each year, organised by volunteers, to promote the use and development of free and open source software. Open source software developers and users can meet, share ideas, and collaborate.

    07 Nov 2019
    features

    Add multiple pages to your diagrams

    Some diagrams can get very large and complex, for example, business processes, UML diagrams, floor plans, or even large brainstorm mind maps and hierarchical tree diagrams. These diagrams are often more readable when they are broken into smaller component diagrams.

    28 Oct 2019
    integrations   use cases

    Export from Cloudockit to a .drawio diagram

    Cloudockit is a platform which connects to and monitors your cloud and on-premises environment and automatically generates 2D or 3D diagrams. It works with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), VMWare Hyper-V, Alibaba Cloud, IBM Cloud, and your local infrastructure to visualise your network and automatically generate documentation.

    18 Apr 2019
    features   use cases

    Insert from SQL to create an ER diagram

    Entity relationship diagrams show how data is structured in relational databases. Each entity consists of rows of attributes. ER diagrams are used in software development and by IT workers to design and document database structure.

    08 Apr 2019
    trust   features

    Your diagram data is secure and private

    diagrams.net is a unique security-first diagramming tool in that we provide the application platform, but your diagram data only lives in your browser on your local device while you are working on it. Upon saving, your diagram data will be stored at the location you have chosen: in your cloud platform, on your local device, in GitHub, or to whichever integration you have selected. Your diagram data is never sent to our servers when you save your diagram.

    10 Mar 2019
    integrations   use cases

    Use Cloudcraft to export your AWS architecture to a .drawio diagram

    Using Cloudcraft, you can securely connect to cloud environments and infrastructure components via your architecture diagrams where statistics, resource information and more is updated in real time. The 3D isometric view that Cloudcraft uses is familiar to engineers and IT staff as it often matches the tools they learned on. The automatic updates driven from your company’s live systems makes Cloudcraft a fantastic tool for monitoring your AWS cloud infrastructure. The statistics are also helpful to estimate costs when you want to make changes to your system.

    27 Feb 2019
    use cases

    diagrams.net supports Veeam stencils

    Veaam is an online service that visualises and monitors your cloud and network architectures, and provides a number of additional availability services, including deployment, backup, replication and restoration. It supports Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and IBM Cloud, as well as a variety of workloads, apps, and platforms commonly used by businesses.

    26 Jan 2019
    features

    Several ways to connect shapes

    You can connect shapes using the mouse, or the keyboard, or a combination of mouse and keyboard. By cloning shapes, you can add a shape and automatically connect them.

    25 Dec 2018
    features

    Placeholder labels respect scope

    You can define custom properties for the shapes and connectors in your diagrams. This shape metadata can help explain your diagram to viewers. For example, the tooltips that can appear when you hover over a shape are one such property.

    25 Dec 2018
    shortcuts

    Alt+Ctrl+Shift+drag to move an area of your diagram

    Quickly move an entire area of your diagram: hold down the Alt, Ctrl and Shift keys, then click on a blank section of the drawing canvas and drag to move it. You’ll see guide lines appear to show you the origin and displacement of the area you are moving.

    03 Dec 2018
    features

    diagrams.net import formats and sources

    As diagrams.net aims to become the de facto diagramming tool, used by everyone around the world, it’s important to be able to import from a variety of file formats and from a number of storage locations.

    19 Nov 2018
    shortcuts

    Alt+Shift+Select to deselect shapes

    When you drag a selection box around too many shapes, you can either do it again to include the shapes you wanted to select, or use hold down Alt+Shift and drag a deselection box around those shapes that you don’t want to include in your selection.

    02 Nov 2018
    features

    Export diagrams as SVG images

    SVG images load quickly, especially when compared to loading diagram images in other formats. You can embed an SVG image exported from diagrams.net in a website, document or even a WordPress site if you have installed a plugin that support the upload of SVG files.

    07 Oct 2018
    features

    Export a diagram to HTML

    You can embed a diagram in a web page or in any online platform that can render HTML. While some third-party integrations can embed diagrams more efficiently (in WordPress, for example), embedding a diagram as HTML may be a good option. You can also share these HTML diagram files with others.

    01 Sep 2018
    features   shapes

    Click to add shapes to the drawing canvas

    Instead of dragging shapes from the shape library in to the drawing canvas, you can quickly add them by simply clicking on the shape. This makes it faster to add a lot of shapes to the canvas at once, and then place, style and connect them later.

    24 Jul 2018
    features

    Export a diagram to a URL

    diagrams.net makes it easy to share your diagrams. You can even encode it in an URL if your diagram is smaller than a certain size. When someone clicks on the (very long) URL, they will open the diagram in the diagram viewer. From there, it’s easy to print or edit their own copy of the diagram - your original diagram will not be changed unless you specify otherwise.

    01 Jul 2018
    shortcuts   shapes

    Alt+drop to overlay shapes on containers

    When you work with container shapes, dropping a shape over that container inserts that shape into that container. While this is useful for adding steps to a flow chart inside a flow lane (e.g. using the flow layout shape), you may not necessarily want to add the shape for the person responsible into the flow lane container, but instead overlay it.

    02 May 2018
    trust

    Data privacy and Google Analytics

    With the GDPR enforcement date of 25th May approaching, we’ve decided to make our privacy and data handling process as public and open as possible. Virtually all companies hide behind fuzzy text like “we employ industry standard practices”. They give you no idea whether your personal data is secure or who can use it.

    17 Apr 2018