26 posts tagged with "features"

As new features are added to draw.io and the menu is refined, new keyboard shortcuts are also built into the editor. Here are some of the new and useful shortcuts for diagramming in draw.io.

Move selected remote shapes and connectors​

Select the shapes and connectors you want to move, then hold Shift+Alt+drag and drag the cursor to reposition the selection even if it is not currently under the cursor.

Increase/decrease font size​

Select a shape or connector or label, and press Ctrl+Shift +/- (NumPad) to increase or decrease the text size. This only works with the + and - keys on the number pad.

Increase/decrease shape size​

Select a shape, and press Ctrl+Shift+arrow key to increase or decrease the right or lower edge of the shape.

Clear all extra waypoints on a connector​

Select a connector and press Alt+Shift+R to reset the waypoints back to the default path.

More keyboard shortcuts in draw.io​

There are many other mouse + keyboard shortcut combinations in draw.io to help you diagram faster, as well as many other key combinations.

Next time you go through the draw.io menu, or right-click and open the context menu, check and see if there is a keyboard shortcut next to the command you want to use.

Here's a one-page reference sheet that you can print out containing the most common and useful keyboard shortcuts in draw.io.

draw.io is one of very few diagram editors that lets you work in dark mode. Colours of shapes, text and connectors change automatically when you switch between light and dark modes. Now with adaptive colours, instead of changing the hue, all colours in a diagram will remain the same hue in both modes, but their intensity will be altered to significantly improve readability in dark mode.

Switch to dark mode in the draw.io editor​

Click on the sun icon in the top right and select Dark to change to dark mode. Alternatively, from the draw.io menu select Settings > Appearance > Dark.

To switch back, click on the moon icon and select Light, or Settings > Appearance > Light from the menu.

Tip: Choose Automatic if you want the editor to reflect your operating system or browser mode.

Dark mode is available in draw.io Desktop, our free online editor at app.diagrams.net, and in integrations such as the unofficial draw.io extension for VSCode, and the draw.io Chrome extension for Notion.

Dark is available in draw.io for Confluence Cloud and Jira Cloud, and diagram thumbnails and the draw.io editor will switch modes automatically when you switch between dark and light themes in Confluence or Jira.

Light and dark colours in draw.io​

All colours in a diagram - shapes, text, connectors and the drawing canvas background colour - now have their intensity changed when you switch modes.

This makes sure that text that is readable and connectors that are visible in one mode, are just as legible in the other mode.

All of the style palette colours (in the Style tab of the format panel), and the global diagram styles are changed to reflect the mode you are working in.

Light mode palette colours

Dark mode palette colours

Set specific colours for light and dark mode​

1. Select a shape or connector, and click on the Fill or Line colour block in the Style tab of the format panel. For text colour, select the colour block in the Text tab of the format panel.
2. The first value (default) is for light mode. Change this to a new hex colour code.
   By default, this will automatically shift hues to remain readable when someone views or edits the diagram in dark mode.
3. Expand Advanced and enter a hex colour code for dark mode. Now, when you are in dark mode, the shape or connector will use this defined colour value instead of an automatic shifted hue.

Exporting diagrams from dark mode​

When you export a diagram to an image, you can select Dark in the Appearance list. Your diagram will be saved over a dark background in the exported image.

When you export a diagram to a PDF, HTML file, draw.io file or URL, or export to a light-mode image, the diagram will be displayed on a light background with the light colour palette.

Colours in existing diagrams​

It is assumed when using dark mode that all diagrams have been created in light mode. As this is by far the most common case, it will ensure the colour intensity change when switching to dark mode will be correct, and your diagram readable.

Note: The mode colour intensity change is a CSS filter - this does not change the colours in your diagram data.

Diagrams not using the right colours?​

If you drew a diagram in dark mode and set specific colours to suit the dark background, when you re-open that diagram in the most recent version of the editor, the colours will not be as you originally set.

This is because the algorithm for converting light-mode colour intensity to dark mode is applied to all colours in a diagram when using dark mode. This will affect a minority of users - not many have been using dark mode exclusively to diagram.

If you want to continue using the old dark mode and your customised diagram colours, open the draw.io configuration (Settings > Configuration via the draw.io menu), add the following property, and click Apply.

{
  "enableCssDarkMode": false
}

Then, reload the tab or restart draw.io Desktop to load the new configuration. The colours in the diagrams you had customised for dark mode will now look as expected.

For more information, please visit the related discussion in our draw.io GitHub repository.

Atlassian has just released a dark theme for Jira Cloud for users who don't like working on light backgrounds. With Jira's new dark theme, draw.io diagram thumbnails in a Jira issue now automatically reflect your selected theme.

draw.io has had a dark mode for some time, but diagrams attached to Jira issues displayed on a light background, whether or not you were using the dark mode in the draw.io editor.

Learn more about diagramming with draw.io in Jira

Diagrams on dark backgrounds​

draw.io makes an intelligent guess about text and shape fill colours to keep your diagrams readable when you switch between dark and light.

As your team members can use their preferred dark or light theme, and the diagram thumbnail will match their theme, it's best to double check that your diagram is easy to read in both dark and light mode.

1. Click on the Edit pencil in the toolbar when you hover over diagram thumbnail in a Jira issue to edit it with draw.io. If you don't see this section, click on the draw.io section at the top.
   
2. Click on the sun or moon in the top right to switch to the opposite theme - either Dark or Light_ - and check that your diagram is still readable on that background.
   

Choose Automatic to make the draw.io editor automatically match your operating system's mode (dark mode or light mode).

Note: Switching to dark or light mode in the draw.io editor will not affect the thumbnail on the Jira issue - whether it appears on a dark or light background is based on the Jira theme that the user looking at the issue has chosen.

To use draw.io in dark mode on the web, go to app.diagrams.net/?splash=0&ui=dark, or switch modes via the sun/moon icon in the top right or via the draw.io menu.

Set specific colours in a diagram​

Colours in certain types of diagrams may have specific meanings - if you change their colours when adapting to dark mode, the diagram might not make sense.

If you want your diagram to only ever be on a dark or a light background and not automatically adapt colours to match the user's Jira Cloud theme, you'll need to set a background colour, as well as a specific colours for both light and dark modes on the shapes, connectors and text in your diagram.

1. Open the diagram from the Jira issue in the draw.io editor.
2. Make sure nothing is selected in your diagram, then enable the Background checkbox in the Diagram tab in the format panel.
3. Click on the colour button, select a colour from the palette or enter a colour code, and click Apply. Open the Advanced drop down and set the same colour as the dark mode background colour.
   
4. Style the shapes and connectors via the Fill and Line colours in the Style tab. Make sure you set both the light colour at the top, and the dark mode colour (under Advanced). Style all text labels via the Text tab.

Now, your diagram will use your defined colours in both dark and light mode.

draw.io will be available as an integration in the web-based GitLab Wiki editor on 22 March with the GitLab 15.10 release and product kickoff. When you add your diagram to a GitLab Wiki page while editing the source of that page, it will be saved as an SVG image containing the diagram code, and displayed in the page content.

Like all files in GitLab, the image with its embedded diagram is versioned, so all changes are tracked.

Note: As this integration is still under development until release, small changes may be made.

Diagram in the GitLab Wiki editor​

Add a new diagram: Click on Insert or edit diagram in the toolbar in the Markdown editor.

A blank diagram will be opened in the Sketch whiteboard-style editor theme. Use the diagramming toolbar on the left to access templates and shape libraries.

Save your diagram: It will be added to the page in Markdown as a .drawio.svg file.

Edit an existing diagram: Make sure your cursor is in the diagram file entry in the Markdown code, and select Insert or edit diagram.

View a diagram in the page: Click on Preview to render the page containing the diagram.

Diagram with the GitLab rich text editor​

Edit a diagram: Select the diagram, and click on Edit diagram in the hover toolbar that appears above or below.

Add a new diagram: Make sure no other diagram is selected, then click on the + in the toolbar and select Create or edit diagram.

Save individual diagram files to GitLab​

You can also store your individual diagram files in GitLab. Select GitLab as the save file destination when you create a new diagram, or select Save as from the menu.

Alternatively go to our online editor to start diagramming now using GitLab to store your diagrams.

You'll need to authorise access to your GitLab repositories, if you haven't already done so.

Tip:i As draw.io uses secure direct client authorisation, your password is never shared.

Diagram in VSCode with GitLab​

1. Set up the GitLab Workflow extension for Visual Studio Code.
2. Install Henning Dieterichs' unofficial draw.io extension for Visual Studio Code

The draw.io extension for VSCode lets you view and edit the .drawio diagram files stored in your repositories.

See how this extension works in GitHub - it works in a similar way with GitLab inside VSCode.

Note: The extension only recognises files with the .drawio file extension.

TL;DR : Gliffy on Confluence Cloud saves with last write wins, you lose data concurrently editing. draw.io supports real-time collaborative editing with shared cursors.

Gliffy vs draw.io for Confluence

When comparing diagramming apps, you'll see lists of standard Confluence-supported features - sharing, import and export, search, version history, customisation, security - and, of course, pricing.

Unlike Gliffy, draw.io has concurrent diagram editing. All team members' changes are merged and synchronised - visible to each other in the diagram editor.

When you choose to show your cursor, your team will see where you move your mouse and what you select, all in real-time.

Shared cursors mean better collaboration in draw.io for Confluence​

Each person who is editing a draw.io diagram in Confluence is assigned a colour. Cursors are shared by default - you'll see everyone's name with their mouse pointer as they move around and edit the diagram.

Additionally, when you select a shape everyone else will see it highlighted in your colour.

Don't lose diagram data - use draw.io​

More importantly than seeing a mouse cursor in real time, you don't want to lose any changes as you collaboratively edit a diagram.

That's why draw.io merges and synchronises the changes while you are editing. You don't even have to publish the diagram to Confluence to see everyone's changes in the editor - draw.io saves and synchronises automatically.

Recorded using two different devices, both editing the same draw.io diagram file in Confluence Cloud. Changes are constantly merged and the draw.io diagram is updated in the editor in real time.

Now, let's contrast the collaborative editing process in draw.io the animation above with editing a diagram in Gliffy.

Gliffy vs draw.io - when a team edits a diagram​

The following example shows that you can't see the changes made by others while editing the same Gliffy diagram in Confluence, and that Gliffy follows a last-write-wins approach.

1: Person A adds a shape and publishes the edited Gliffy diagram, then returns to Confluence to view it.
2: Person B was already editing the Gliffy diagram file, so doesn't see the added shape, or that any changes were made by another person.
3: Person B deletes an existing shape and publishes their version, returning to Confluence to view it.
4: Because Person B's Gliffy diagram was the last to be published, it overwrites and ignores the changes made by Person A.

Recorded using two browser windows, both editing the same Gliffy diagram file in a Confluence Cloud instance

Person A must now manually refresh their browser tab to see the updated Gliffy diagram. Only then will they see that their changes have been overwritten by Person B.

Person B remains unaware that another person had edited the Gliffy diagram.

Use draw.io to avoid this problem - share your cursor and let others see you collaboratively edit a diagram in Confluence.

You can now edit a shape's connection points visually with the new connection point editor. Drag the connection points around the shape, add new connection points, and delete those you don't need.

While you can set custom connection points by entering the coordinates when defining a custom shape, editing the connection points visually is faster and easier.

Right click on a shape and select Edit Connection Points.

The shape will be displayed with its connection points shown as blue crosses.

Select a connection point: Click on a connection point, or select multiple connection points by dragging a selection box around them.

Move connection points: Drag a connection point to a new position. You can also drag connection points to be inside or far outside the shape's outline.

Alternatively, you can shift selected connection points to the left/right or up/down by precise percentages or points. Note that you can only shift these in one direction at a time in this way.

1. Select one or more connection points.
2. To shift them to the right, enter a value in the Dx % or pt field and press Enter. Use a negative value to shift them to the left.
3. To shift the selected connection points up, enter a value in the Dy % or pt field and press Enter. Use a negative value to shift them down.
   

Delete connection points: Select one or more connection points, then press Delete or click on the Delete icon just under the editor on the right.

Add new connection points: Double click anywhere on or around the shape to add a new connection point.

Alternatively, make sure no connection points are selected, then click Add.

• To add multiple connection points at once, change the number in the text field to the left of the Add button.
• To change which edge the connection points are added to, select another value from the drop down list.

Zoom in and out: To zoom in and out, click on the magnifying glass icons, or on the Actual Size and Fit icons directly under the editor on the left.

Define connection points on custom shapes​

You can also add and edit connection points on complex custom shapes using the same steps as above. For example:

Note: If you don't see connection points when you hover over a custom shape, check the Connection Points option in the Arrange tab of the format panel is enabled.

We've recently implemented a number of features, most popularly requested via our drawio Github repository. To reach support at draw.io for diagrams.net and our draw.io apps, please read and follow the instructions on our support page.

Skip to the end of this post to see how to upvote existing issues and feature requests.

Tip: To use the updated features in our online editor, clear the draw.io cache in your browser (clear.diagrams.net), then reload the draw.io editor.

Crop images in the diagram editor​

You can now crop images in the draw.io editor. This works on both images imported into the editor from your device, as well as images embedded from a URL.

1. Right click on an image and select Crop.
2. Resize the crop using the grab handles and drag the crop box to reposition it.
   • Click on Ellipse to use a circular or ellipse-shaped crop.
   • Click on Rounded to round the corners on the rectangular crop.
3. Click on Apply

This is a non-destructive crop. To reset the crop to the original image, click on Reset in the crop image dialog.

Merge and unmerge table cells in the Sketch editor theme​

Merge and unmerge table cells using the Table tool on the toolbar in the Sketch editor theme - our uncluttered online whiteboard theme.

These options only appear when you have selected multiple table cells or a previously merged table cell.

Merge two or more table cells

1. Select two or more adjacent table cells (hold down Shift and click on multiple cells).
2. Click on the Table tool in the toolbar and select Merge. Alternatively, click on Merge in the Arrange tab of the format panel.
   

Unmerge merged table cells

1. Select the merged cells in the table.
2. Click on the Table tool in the toolbar on the left and select Unmerge.
   

In all of the editor themes, you can also unmerge merged table cells via the Arrange tab of the format panel.

SVG export options for formatted text​

Previously, draw.io exported shapes and labels with HTML formatted text embedded as a foreign object in the SVG. This displays fine in browsers, but a number of users had issues with exporting and editing in SVG editors, which wasn't a use case we had considered.

Now, you can choose how formatted labels should be exported, and whether the SVG file it should contain a warning about the text not being SVG.

For example, in the following diagram, some of the shapes have bold and italic words in the label text - they use formatted text.

When you export this diagram as a SVG (File > Export as > SVG), you can now choose the Text Settings.

• No Change includes the warning embedded in the raw SVG data (default).
• Embed Fonts includes the fonts in the exported SVG file in case the viewer doesn't have the font installed.
• Convert Labels to SVG transmits the diagram to our servers, generates a PDF, then pipes that through Inkscape, and returns the SVG output.
  

Note with this last option:

• You transmit the diagram to our servers. Diagram data is not stored after this PDF/SVG conversion has finished and the SVG output is returned.
• The text is converted to a path. Screen readers can't read it and you can't select it.
• The file size will be larger.

To report a bug or request a feature​

If you are using our draw.io apps in Atlassian Confluence or Jira, please contact your instance administrator for details of your support entitlement.

For our online diagram editor and any of the draw.io integrations that we support via our open source project, follow the steps below.

Go to the Issues tab in our drawio GitHub repository and first search through the list of existing issues to see if your issue or idea has been previously posted.

Upvote an existing issue or feature request​

If you find an existing issue related to yours:

1. Click on the issue title to see the full issue description.
2. Click on the emoji icon at the bottom of the description, and select the 'thumbs up' icon.
   

This will ensure that the most popular bugs and feature requests get pushed to the top.

Raise a new issue or request​

If you have a question, rather than want to report an issue or request a new feature, please look under the Discussions tab in our Github repository.

1. From the Issues tab in our drawio GitHub repository, click on New issue.
2. Click on Get started next to either Bug report or Feature request.
3. Enter a clear and unambiguous title for your bug report or feature request.
4. Follow the instructions and fill in the Preflight Checklist in the large text field.
5. Describe your problems or suggested feature in the appropriate sections of the checklist, clearly and in detail.
6. Click Submit new issue when you have finished.
   

This past year has seen a number of new features and big updates to draw.io, including the online editor, our Confluence and Jira apps, and other integrations for a variety of platforms.

Data security and privacy​

As a unique security-first diagramming app, we want to provide you with the best in data privacy and data security.

Building on the data governance and lockdown options we implemented last year, our draw.io branded app for Confluence Cloud and Jira Cloud was the first secure diagramming app to meet Atlassian's rigorous Cloud Fortified standard, making it your most secure choice for diagramming and visualization.

The draw.io App for Github is an alternative authorisation method you can use to limit draw.io's repository access to specific repositories, rather than all of the repositories in your account.

We researched a stricter implementation of our content security policy on the test se.diagrams.net domain. Take up of the domain has been very low, so we will port all the changes we can from that project and then close it down.

New and updated integrations​

Several new integrations were released, and existing ones were updated in the past year. New and updated features common across all integrations are described in the following section.

draw.io for Atlassian Confluence and Jira

With the draw.io apps for Confluence Cloud and Jira Cloud, you can embed diagrams that are stored in Confluence Cloud in your Jira Cloud issues. Keep all of your visual documentation for systems, processes and software in your Confluence Cloud knowledge base, and reference them in your project tasks in Jira.

The draw.io app is now free in small Confluence Cloud instances (up to 10 users). If you are taking advantage of Atlassian's offer of a free Confluence Cloud instance for your small team, you can now add the draw.io board macro and embed diagrams in Confluence pages without needing to purchase a license.

We've improved the draw.io app's performance within Atlassian host products, updated the authentication to use the new API, and refreshed the Kennedy editor theme. The Gliffy and Lucidchart conversion features received a number of updates and bugfixes throughout the year.

The new draw.io board macro in Atlassian Confluence uses the updated Sketch editor theme by default, providing teams with an easy-to-use digital whiteboard.

draw.io for Google Workspace, Drive and Classroom

Google Classroom continued to be used extensively by schools and training providers. The draw.io app for Google Drive lets you integrate diagrams into Google Classroom assessment tasks and discussions. Diagrams set in assessment tasks can be collaboratively edited, or act like a template with each student getting their own copy.

Tip: Install the Google Workspace apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides to embed diagrams in your Workspace documents.

draw.io for VSCode and GitHub

In combination with the third-party draw.io app for VSCode, and the github.dev web-based code editor, you can now edit diagrams stored in GitHub, without needing to change to another tab. You can even compare changes side-by-side on commit.

draw.io diagrams in Notion

You can use the draw.io for Notion extension for the Chrome, Opera and Edge web browsers to store your diagram files in your Notion pages. The diagram editor loads inline in your Notion page using the simple Sketch editor theme.

draw.io for Microsoft Teams

You can now collaborate in real time on diagrams stored in Microsoft One Drive or Sharepoint, directly from your team’s channel with the draw.io app for Microsoft Teams. Install the draw.io app in your Teams channel to add diagrams to conversations or to a Teams tab.

Diagram import and file conversion

The free draw.io Importer extension for the Google Chrome browser lets you convert all of your Lucidchart diagrams to draw.io in a couple of steps. This lets you continue editing all of your diagrams now that Lucidchart has limited Lucidchart EDU, their previously free education plan, to only three editable diagrams.

New features and updates in 2021​

The Sketch editor theme, and the right-click context menu received a comprehensive overhaul. The tools and menus were simplified and reorganised to make it feel much more like a whiteboard you can sketch freely on. You can expand or collapse most of the panels, and move them to another location around the drawing canvas.

The freehand drawing tool was updated along with the whiteboard like editor theme.

You can now search for templates and click on the magnifying glass in the top right of any template to see a larger preview. The draw.io template library was also expanded with more templates and template categories.

In addition to moving diagram elements to the front or the back of an overlapping stack, you can step shapes and connectors forwards and backwards in the z-order stack using the Bring Forward and Send Backward buttons on the Arrange tab in the format panel.

You can now use a diagram page as a background behind another diagram page. It will be printed along with the diagram, and is ideal for watermarking your diagrams, providing a common layout for mockups, or adding a template for diagram metadata on development documentation.

A waypoint shape is now available in the Misc shape library (part of the General collection). You can use the small waypoint shape to join connectors together, replacing overlapping connectors with the same target or source shape neatly and cleanly.

Tags have been brought into the draw.io editor as a core feature and the experimental tags plugin has been retired. Add one or more tags to shapes and connectors to group them without needing to place them on the same layer in your diagram.

Use the Tags dialog (View > Tags) to group, select, hide or display the tagged shapes.

Several shape libraries saw new or updated stencils, including AWS, C4, GCP, BPMN 2.0, electrical and swimlane shapes.

Many more features have been updated, expanded, and some simplified. Additional interface translations have been completed, and existing translations refreshed - thank you to all of our translators!

And of course, a mountain of bugs have been squashed.

See the changelog in our drawio GitHub repository for full details of all of the releases.

In line with Microsoft's end of life date of Internet Explorer 11, we will end support for IE 11 on 15th June 2022.

Online draw.io users of app.diagrams.net​

• Saving to local device will stop working.
• Saving to cloud storage options are already not supported by the various vendors:
• Dropbox dropped IE 11 support October 2020.
• Google Drive dropped support March 2021.
• OneDrive dropped support August 2021.
• GitHub do not list IE in their supported browsers.
• Gitlab ended support for IE 11 in the 13.4 release. The gitlab.com site does not support IE.

Users of draw.io with Confluence and Jira Cloud​

Atlassian do not support IE on their cloud products, our removal of support will make no difference.

Users of draw.io with Confluence and Jira Server and Data Center​

Atlassian are removing IE 11 support on specific versions of Jira and Confluence on-premise.

• For Jira, 8.5 is the last supported release EOL 21st October 2021. The first draw.io release that does not support Jira 8.5 will not support IE 11. That will not be before Atlassian's EOL date.
• For Confluence, 7.4 is the last supported release EOL 18th August 2022. This is beyond the Microsoft EOL date, so support will end for Confluence on-premise on 15th June 2022.

Users of the draw.io codebase​

If you deploy your own version of the project from source code, releases up to and including the 15th June 2022 will support IE 11. For any releases after that date you can expect complete failure when using IE 11. Specifically, we may remove IE 11 specific functionality from the codebase to simplify the code.

If you wish to have a IE 11 supported deployment, deploy the last release prior to this date and do not update it.

Alternatives​

You can open, edit and save diagrams created with IE 11 using the desktop application. Windows releases include a no-installation build for those without admin rights on their Windows machines.

Note that we will not support IE mode in Microsoft Edge.

draw.io 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, draw.io Ltd., build, deliver and maintain alongside the online version of our editor at app.diagrams.net, our draw.io desktop application.

Confluence Cloud is a popular tool for team productivity suitable for both small and large organisations. Atlassian provides customers with free instances, as long as the instance has ten users or fewer, and you can diagram in these instances with our draw.io Confluence Cloud integration.

Diagram freely

With the draw.io app installed in your free Confluence Cloud instance, you and your small team can draw a wide range of diagrams:

• flowcharts, business process diagrams, and gitflows
• mindmaps, org charts, and tree diagrams
• kanban boards
• mobile mockups and app layouts
• infographics and diagrams for presentations
• floor plans
• circuit layouts and rack diagrams
• UML diagrams and relational schema
• cloud infrastructure diagrams and threat models
• ...
  

The draw.io diagram editor is easy to use and powerful. The draw.io app in Confluence Cloud is also secure and private - Your data stays in the browser while you are editing a diagram and is stored only in your Confluence Cloud instance when you use the draw.io app.

• Attach unlimited diagrams to pages with the draw.io macros.
• Use and connect shapes from an extensive collection of shape libraries.
• Style shapes, connectors and text labels.
• Draw freehand shapes and create custom shapes.
• Use a template from the template library to start diagramming quickly.
• Switch to various editor styles, including a simpler draw.io Board macro, ideal for brainstorming.
  

Install draw.io in a free Confluence Cloud instance​

1. Set up a new Confluence Cloud instance, choosing the Free tier of up to 10 users on Atlassian's Confluence Cloud pricing page.
2. Step through the installation and setup until you see the space landing page and Confluence Quickstart tutorial.
   

Install the draw.io app for Confluence Cloud

1. Click on the gear icon in the top right, next to your user initials to open the Confluence Cloud administration settings.
2. Under the Atlassian Marketplace section, click on Find new apps. Search for draw.io and click on it to see details about the draw.io app for Confluence Cloud.
   Alternatively, go to the draw.io app on the Atlassian Marketplace website.
   
3. Install the draw.io app in your Confluence Cloud instance. Note: If you have a team of users larger than 10, start a free trial - when the license expires, you'll still be able to create all types of diagrams, but some advanced features are limited to the licensed version in larger Confluence Cloud instances.

draw.io as an online whiteboard​

1. Edit a Confluence page, type /draw.io and insert the draw.io Board macro. The simple whiteboard-like editor will open.
2. Save your diagram and page so that your remote team members can collaborate on the draw.io Board drawing with you.

Learn more about using draw.io as an online whiteboard in Confluence

Learn the draw.io diagram editor​

1. Edit a Confluence page, then type /draw.io and insert the draw.io Diagram macro. This will open the draw.io editor.
   
2. Select the Blank Diagram template, enter a filename for your diagram, and click Create.
   
3. Get to know the layout of the diagram editor: the shape and format panels, the toolbar, menus and drawing canvas. The default layout is the same as at app.diagrams.net.
   
4. Step through the tutorial to draw a basic flowchart in the draw.io editor.
   • add and connect shapes using the shape libraries on the left
   • add labels to the shapes and connectors on the drawing canvas
   • style your diagram using the tools in the format panel on the right.
     
5. Instead of exporting your diagram, click Publish to save your new diagram, or Save & Exit to save an existing diagram, then publish your Confluence page.

License draw.io for larger teams​

The price of the draw.io app is very affordable in Confluence Cloud. See the tier-price comparison when migrating from Confluence Server to Confluence Cloud with draw.io.

If you have started a free trial in your team of more than 10 users and let the license expire, you will need to purchase draw.io to continue diagramming in your instance.

Licensing the draw.io app for your larger Confluence Cloud instance allows you to receive product support and use all of draw.io's features, including those listed below.

• Import and export .vsdx files.
• Drag and drop diagram files into the editor.
• Add multiple pages to a diagram.
• Export to PDF files and print diagrams.
• Use math typesetting.
• Set up and use custom shape libraries.
• Customise the draw.io editor and set global corporate styles with JSON configuration options.
• Use the search feature to find shapes.
• Use the collaborative editing functionality to simultaneously edit a diagram with your teammates.
• Work with the diagram file's revision history.
• Display an older version of the diagram when viewing a page.
• Import Mermaid code to automatically create a diagram.
• Import CSV data with formatting options to automatically create a diagram.
• Embed diagrams from cloud storage platforms (Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive).
  

Small teams with up to 10 Confluence Cloud users can use all of the features of the draw.io app for free.

Embed whiteboard-style diagrams in Confluence Cloud pages with the new draw.io Board macro. The Board macro is a new feature for our integration with Confluence Cloud, delivered as part of our draw.io brand.

When you add or edit a diagram using the draw.io Board macro, it uses the Sketch editor theme, with the rough sketch shape and connector styles set as the default global style. The diagram editor has a a white non-paginated background and no grid lines so it feels more like a whiteboard.

A discussion thread on the GitHub draw.io project is open if you have any questions or suggestions.

Add the draw.io Board macro to a Confluence Cloud page​

1. Edit the page and type /draw to see a list of macros you can embed.
2. Select the draw.io Board macro from the list to open the diagram editor.
   

Diagram in Confluence Cloud using the draw.io Board macro​

The draw.io Board macro uses a simplified editor theme, where the diagramming tools are reduced to the essentials. The panels you are used to seeing in draw.io are minimised to make it feel more like a whiteboard.

You can display panels and use the menus at any time to use the full functionality of the draw.io editor in the draw.io Board macro.

Zoom: To zoom in and out, click on the magnifying glass tools in the bottom right. Click on the number in the center to reset the zoom to 100%.

Dark mode: To switch between the default light theme and a dark theme (dark background and interface), click on the moon/sun tool in the bottom right.

Open the menu in the draw.io Board macro​

Click on the draw.io logo in the top left to open the menu.

Undo and redo: Click on the undo and redo arrows next to the menu icon to undo and redo the most recent changes. These will not be shown unless you have edited the diagram.

Work with shapes in the draw.io Board macro​

Add shapes: Double click on a blank space on the drawing canvas and select a shape.

Connect shapes: Hover over shapes to see direction arrows.

• Click on the direction arrow to add a new shape in that direction.
• Click and drag a new connector from the source shape and drop it on another shape to connect them.

Alternatively, click on or drag the text, sticky notes, basic shapes and connectors in the top half of the toolbar on the left to add them to the drawing canvas.

Use shape libraries in the draw.io Board macro​

To see the shape libraries and use a greater variety of shapes, click on Shapes in the toolbar to open the Shapes panel.

• Search for shapes by entering a search term and press enter.
• Drag shapes or groups of shapes from the drawing canvas to the scratchpad.
• Enable more shape libraries: Click on More Shapes toward the bottom of the shape library, select the shape library, then click Apply.
  

Draw a freehand shape in the draw.io Board macro​

You can draw images with a transparent background with your mouse.

1. Click on the Freehand tool in the toolbar.
   
2. Click Start Drawing in the Freehand panel.
3. Click and hold to draw a freehand line on the drawing canvas. You can add multiple separate lines in your freehand drawing.
4. Click Stop Drawing when you are finished, to save it as an image with a transparent background.
   

Learn more about drawing and styling freehand shapes

Tip: Use the Style tools in the format panel on the right to change your freehand shape's style, just as you would a shape from the shape libraries.

Style shapes in the draw.io Board macro​

To access the format panel, click on the minimised heading. The tools and options that are available in the format panel will depend on what you have selected in your diagram.

Insert a template in the draw.io Board macro​

Click on the Template tool to select and use a diagram template from the template library. Click on the magnifying glass in the top right of a template to see a larger preview of it.

Save the draw.io Board to Confluence Cloud​

1. Click Publish in the top right to save your diagram.
2. Enter a filename if it is a new diagram, and click Save.
   

You will return to the Confluence page and see a preview of your diagram in the draw.io Board macro.

Finally, publish your Confluence page.

Change the draw.io Board macro viewer settings​

There are two methods to change how your diagram appears to viewers:

When viewing the Confluence page, hover over the diagram, click on the gear icon in the toolbar, change the viewer settings then click Save.

Note: If the diagram uses the Simple Viewer, you will not see the toolbar

Alternatively, from within the draw.io diagram editor, make sure nothing in your diagram is selected, then open the Format panel. The Viewer options are available at the top of the Diagram tab of the format panel.

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.

The UML 2.5 specification updated the notation, or the shapes used in diagrams so they could represent a wider range of concepts more clearly. The specification document was extensively rewritten to make it easier to understand.

No new diagram types were added in UML 2.5 - the 14 diagram types that were previously defined in UML 2.0 are extended to cover the additional concepts, with many examples provided in the specification document.

UML diagram types​

UML diagrams are divided into two categories that provide you with static (structural) and dynamic (behavioural) views of a system.

• Structure diagrams: Class diagrams, component diagrams, composite structure diagrams, deployment diagrams, object diagrams, package diagrams, and profile diagrams.
• Behaviour diagrams: Activity diagrams, use case diagrams, state machine diagrams, and the four types of interaction diagrams - sequence diagrams, communication (collaboration) diagrams, interaction overview diagrams and timing diagrams.

Open this in our free diagram viewer

Enable the UML 2.5 shape library​

1. Click on More Shapes at the bottom of the left panel in draw.io, scroll down and click on the checkbox next to the UML 2.5 shape library in the Software section. You may want to also enable the UML shape library. Then click Apply.
   
2. The UML 2.5 shape library will appear in the left panel.
   

Using these shapes, and some of the shapes from the General and older UML shape libraries, you can create the full range of UML diagrams.

Example UML diagrams​

Click on a diagram below to open in our diagram viewer

Component diagrams show the dependencies between the logical and physical components of a system with the interfaces that each component requires and provides and their ports.

Composite structure diagrams are used to show the internal structure of a classifier, with its properties, parts and relationships, or how a collaboration behaves. You can break down the behaviour of a collaboration into one or more specific situations (occurrences) in a collaboration or collaboration use diagram.

Deployment diagrams shows the system infrastructure and how various software executables and artifacts are deployed on deployment targets.

Activity diagrams are used to model workflows in various ways. In this example, the workflow actions are arranged into swimlanes representing the actors, with a section that allows an interrupt (exception) to cancel the order.

Related​

• The difference between SysML and UML diagrams