Frequently Asked Questions

Diagrams.so is a web-based SaaS platform that transforms natural language descriptions into professional, editable Draw.io architecture diagrams. It uses AI to generate standard .drawio XML files with correct cloud provider icons (AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes) and proper layout. In seconds, not hours.

On the paid plan, diagrams export as standard .drawio XML files (the same format used by Draw.io (diagrams.net). These files open natively in Draw.io desktop, Draw.io web, Confluence, VS Code, Notion, and any tool that supports the .drawio format). Both plans export PNG and SVG, with a watermark on Free. There is no one-click PDF export: export the SVG and use your browser's Print to PDF, which stays sharp at any page size.

Draw.io's native AI generates basic diagrams within their editor. Diagrams.so provides a purpose-built experience with architecture-specific prompt optimization, a warnings engine that catches common mistakes (single-AZ, public exposure), an Opinionated Mode that suggests missing components, a community gallery for sharing and forking, and a web-first workflow. No menu-diving required.

No. Diagrams.so is entirely browser-based. No extensions, no API keys, no local servers, no Node.js setup. Visit diagrams.so, describe your architecture, and download your diagram. That's it.

AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Kubernetes icon libraries are fully supported with official icons. We also support generic network, database, security, and general-purpose shapes for non-cloud diagrams including mechanical engineering, workflow, and process diagrams.

As much as you like, on either plan. Nothing is metered: unlimited diagrams and edits on both plans, with no monthly allowance. The paid plan does not buy you more diagrams. It removes the watermark from your exports and adds the editable .drawio file.

Every plan can make a diagram private. You can toggle any diagram between public and private at any time, and a public diagram appears in the community gallery.

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). Diagrams are stored in AWS infrastructure with SOC 2-aligned security practices. We never train AI models on your diagrams or prompts. See our Security page for full details.

Yes. Both monthly and annual plans can be cancelled at any time from your account settings or Stripe customer portal. Monthly plans end at the current billing period. Your first paid subscription purchase, monthly or annual, is covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee, once per customer.

Yes. You can upload any .drawio file and manage it alongside your AI-generated diagrams. Import is free on all plans, including the Free tier. Your imported diagrams get the same version history, folder organization, and sharing capabilities as generated ones.

Initial and follow-up prompts are limited to 30,000 characters. Use the Enhance prompt button to refine your text before generating.

Prompts work best in English. The AI is optimized for English architecture terminology, cloud service names (e.g. EC2, Azure Front Door), and common patterns. You can try other languages, but accuracy and icon selection are most reliable in English.

Very accurate for standard AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes services and for straightforward architectures (e.g. a single VPC with a few services). The model uses official icon libraries and maps service names to the correct shapes (e.g. EC2 vs Lambda vs ECS). Complex or hybrid setups may occasionally need a quick manual tweak in Draw.io. Clear, specific prompts improve results.

Most diagrams are generated in under 60 seconds. Simple architectures often complete in 20–30 seconds; complex multi-service diagrams may take up to 40–60 seconds. Generation time depends on prompt complexity and server load.

We use leading AI providers, listed on our subprocessor page at diagrams.so/policy/subprocessors.

Failed generations cost you nothing and there is nothing to use up. You can retry immediately. If failures persist, try shortening the prompt, simplifying the architecture description, or using the Enhance prompt feature. Our systems automatically retry on transient errors.

Diagram labels are generated in English by default to match cloud provider terminology and icon conventions. You can edit any label after export in Draw.io: change text, add annotations, or translate labels to another language in the editor.

Diagrams.so works in modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) on desktop and tablet. A large screen is recommended for the best diagram editing experience. Mobile browsers are supported for viewing and light edits; for full creation and export, desktop is recommended.

Yes. The public API, MCP server, and Python/TypeScript SDKs are live. Create a key under Settings → API Keys and generate diagrams from scripts, CI, or agents. API calls are unmetered, the same as the app, on both plans. Docs and quickstart at diagrams.so/developers.

There is no hard cap on the number of components in a single diagram, but very large diagrams (e.g. dozens of nodes and many connections) may take longer to generate and can be slower to open in Draw.io. For very complex systems, consider splitting into multiple diagrams or simplifying the prompt.

Generation uses our built-in 30+ libraries (AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and more). Custom icon sets are not supported in the generator. On the paid plan, you can export the .drawio file, open it in Draw.io, and swap shapes or add custom images using Draw.io's own libraries.