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.

All 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). You can also export as PNG, PDF, JPG, and SVG.

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.

Usage is measured in credits based on the AI tokens used. Simple diagrams cost about 1 credit, complex ones 2–3 credits, and edits about 0.5 credits—so you can iterate without penalty. Free gets 10 credits; Pro gets 75/month with rollover; Power gets 250/month with rollover. Failed generations do not use credits. Rate limiting may apply for fair use.

Yes, on any plan including Free. Add your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key under Settings, and diagram generation runs on your key instead of consuming plan credits, giving you effectively unlimited generation at your own API cost.

Free tier diagrams are public and appear in the community gallery. Private diagrams are a Pro and Power feature: on a paid plan you can toggle any diagram between public and private at any time.

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. You can optionally bring your own supported provider key on any plan, including Free.

Failed generations do not count against your diagram or credit limits. 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 → AI Provider and generate diagrams from scripts, CI, or agents — calls use the same credits as the app, on every plan. 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. After export, you can open the .drawio file in Draw.io and swap shapes or add custom images using Draw.io's own libraries.