Learn how to use diagram templates in draw.io

features import templates

Generate more types of diagrams in draw.io with the new sparkle tool

The smart templates feature has been upgraded - click on the new Generate tool (sparkle button) in the draw.io toolbar to generate a diagram. The Generate tool uses multiple AI generators to support a wider range of diagrams, including interface mock-ups, infrastructure diagrams, Mermaid diagrams and more.
The new generate diagram tool

01 Dec 2025

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How to draw UML package diagrams

UML package diagrams document the structure of grouped components in a system along with their dependencies, especially for multi-layered web and application architectures. Package diagrams fall in between the detailed class diagrams and the high-level more abstract profile diagrams and model diagrams.
A simple UML package diagram to show

30 Jul 2025

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When does it make sense to generate a diagram?

In draw.io, the smart templates feature allows you to generate a diagram from a text description. It’s easy to get hyped up about quickly generating visual documentation, but when should you generate a technical diagram? What types of diagrams can’t be generated?
When should you use a diagram generator to draw technical diagrams?

16 Jun 2025

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Migrate diagrams from PlantUML to Mermaid and draw.io

Diagrams from text are oft faster for programmers to draw than to spend time manually styling and aligning the diagram elements. PlantUML support in draw.io is being phased out at the end of 2025, so here are some ways you can migrate your PlantUML diagrams to draw.io or rewrite them in Mermaid syntax.
Comparing a PlantUML state diagram with a Mermaid diagram of the same state

05 Jun 2025

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How to draw UML profile diagrams

Profile diagrams are one of the newer UML diagram types, providing a broad overview of a system showing how the system can be implemented in different domains. Stereotypes and constraints indicate which sub-systems and components, languages and processes are modified in different use cases.
Open this example in draw.io

28 Mar 2025

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Draw communication diagrams to simplify UML sequences

Communication diagrams (formerly collaboration diagrams) show the messages that are passed in a system as an action is taken or an event occurs, and in what order they are sent. As a simplified sequence diagram, these show the information sharing relationships more clearly between different elements of a system.
An example communication diagram of the sequence diagram

07 Mar 2025

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UML interaction overview diagrams

Interaction overview diagrams show a high-level overview of how components of the system interact with each other. General flowchart shapes show the interaction flow between activities, and sometimes entire sequence diagrams or activity diagrams are embedded for detailed documentation. An example interaction overview diagram with an embedded sequence diagram for using a library in various ways

17 Feb 2025

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UML overview - where and why each UML diagram is used

UML notation is one of the most popular technical diagramming standards defining a wide range of diagrams useful in many different industries and professions, not just software engineering. That many different technical diagrams can be daunting, so here is an overview of each of the different types of UML diagrams, who draws or reads them, and why they are useful.

30 Jan 2025

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What makes a good UML diagram tool?

There are a wide range of UML diagramming tools available, as standalone applications, as online-only cloud software, and embedded in various content platforms. Some take text input to generate diagrams, and others are specialised to draw just one type of UML diagram.

18 Oct 2024

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What's the difference between a process map, process model and a flowchart?

There are many terms for diagrams that show a series of steps and decisions - flowchart, process diagram, process map, workflow, and process model. While many sources claim large differences between these terms, in practice, they are used interchangeably.
Flowchart and process model shapes are in the General and Flowchart shape libraries in draw.io

26 Jul 2024

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How to write better queries for smart template diagrams

Query writing, also known as prompt engineering, is becoming an important skill as large language models and AI tools become more popular. It is hard to write a good query to ensure a good outcome from any type of content generator. Here’s how you can make the most of the smart templates feature in draw.io.
Generate diagrams of many different types from a text description via the template library in draw.io

19 Jun 2024

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Configure the draw.io template library to use custom template diagrams

If you are using draw.io outside of Confluence, you can now customise the template library via the draw.io configuration using the templateFile property. Add your own custom templates, and specify which shape libraries and custom shape libraries are opened whenever a new diagram is created from a template.
You can configure draw.io to use a custom template library with your own diagram templates and custom shape libraries

07 Feb 2024

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Create and share custom template libraries with draw.io

You can use custom shape libraries to store and share custom template diagrams, in addition to your favourite shapes, freehand sketches, and custom shapes. As you can also store icons, watermarks, images, parts of a diagram, and entire finished diagrams in custom shape libraries, they are an excellent way of sharing your custom templates with people outside your organisation.
An imported custom library will appear in the shapes panel on the left in draw.io

22 Jan 2024

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Use a waypoint shape to connect an association class in UML class diagrams

Association classes in UML class diagrams ‘hang’ off the relationship between two other classes. Instead of leaving an unconnected end on your connector, add a waypoint shape between them and connect all three class shapes to the waypoint shape.
Connect an association class in a UML class diagram in draw.io with a waypoint shape

13 Sep 2023

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UML component diagrams show the structure of a system

UML component diagrams are used to model the high-level software components and subsystems in service-oriented architectures and component-based development projects, and more importantly, define the interfaces between those components. As component diagrams provide a clear visual overview of a system, they are drawn early in a project as they are useful both to seek approval from stakeholders and to develop an implementation roadmap.

30 Aug 2023

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How to draw and use concept maps

Concept maps are a broad category of diagrams that are useful for brainstorming with teams, learning and training, showing hierarchical information, planning events or product campaigns, and exploring solutions to problems. They are widely used throughout all industries, especially in medicine and education.

17 May 2023

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Diagrams for teachers

Diagrams are an effective way of teaching and learning because we all understand complex information more easily when it is visualised. Graphic organisers, mindmaps, timelines, cause and effect charts, Venn diagrams, flowcharts, scientific illustrations - all of these can created in draw.io.
Taking notes graphically helps with understanding and remembering the information more clearly

31 Mar 2023

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Smart diagram generation for more template diagrams

When you create a new diagram with the draw.io web editor, you can now choose to use our new smart diagram generator instead of one of our existing templates. Describe your diagram in a text phrase, and the tool will generate a diagram based on what it parses. For example, this entity relationship model was generated from the phrase “a customer purchases a product from a web store”.
Generate diagrams of many different types from a text description via the template library in draw.io

20 Mar 2023

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Draw UML activity diagrams

UML activity diagrams show the sequence of actions and the flow of control in a system or a process. You can model the behaviour of physical and digital systems, as well as business process flows with activity diagrams.
UML activity diagrams are used to model the flow of control and sequence of actions in a process or system
UML activity diagram template in draw.io

23 Nov 2022

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Draw a UML use case diagram

UML use case diagrams show all of the ways an end-user interacts with your systems, with all of its pre- and post-conditions, exceptions and alternate paths. These diagrams are used to establish your system requirements, whether that be a software system or an interaction with another person or team.

26 Sep 2022

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Draw a UML state machine diagram

The concept of state diagrams or state machine graphs has been around since the mid 1900s, long before David Harel modified them into the form used today as part of the UML standard.

05 Aug 2022

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Diagrams for marketing analysts - 5C, SWOT & PEST

Marketing teams commonly use 5C situational analyses, simpler SWOT analyses, PEST and PESTLE analyses to examine and improve their products and services. By presenting the information visually, you won’t get bogged down in unnecessary details.
draw.io has many Venn diagram templates with various numbers of sets

13 Jul 2022

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Create infographics and slides using layered shapes

When you slice a 3D shape up and layer it in a diagram, you clearly visualise that a concept or process is broken up into smaller parts. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to create your own infographic using shapes from the basic draw.io shape libraries.

27 Jun 2022

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Venn diagrams and templates

Venn diagrams are widely used in business, education and research to visualise commonalities and differences. Although, you have probably most often seen theme used in memes.

Open this Venn diagram in our diagram viewer

23 May 2022

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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.
draw.io contains several examples of UML sequence diagrams in its template library

16 May 2022

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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

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Draw timelines and roadmaps in draw.io

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 draw.io 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

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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 the draw.io editor in a number of ways.
Create a circular flowchart using basic shapes in draw.io

31 Jan 2022

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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

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Draw dependency graphs in draw.io

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.
A PERT diagram template that is available in draw.io

09 Jul 2021

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Template diagrams with previews, subcategories and search

You can now search for template diagrams and preview templates in the template library in draw.io. The new subcategories make it easier to find a specific template diagram in categories with many diagrams, such as the cloud infrastructure templates.

14 Jun 2021

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Create a remote kanban board with draw.io

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.
The kanban template in draw.io automatically updates colours and labels when you move tasks to another column

21 May 2021

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Work with entity relationship table shapes in draw.io

Entity relationship diagrams or ER models in software engineering show the structure of and relationships between database objects. They are used extensively in database modelling to plan new systems, and document existing systems for maintenance and updates.

Open this ER model in the draw.io editor

19 Mar 2021

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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.
The basic cross-functional flowchart template after being styled, as provided in the draw.io template manager

09 Mar 2021

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Use AWS icons to create a free Amazon architecture diagram

Draw your Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure with draw.io for free. You don’t need to register or sign-up, and you can store your diagrams in your favourite cloud storage platforms, like Google Drive, One Drive, and Dropbox.

03 Sep 2020

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Create a rack diagram in draw.io

draw.io 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

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Network and infrastructure diagrams

Network diagrams, or infrastructure diagrams, let you understand a computer network quickly.

30 Mar 2020

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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

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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

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