mermaid-diagram

Mermaid Diagram Creator

Generate Mermaid diagrams embedded in markdown that communicate clearly — showing relationships, flows, and structure that words alone can't express.

See examples.md for ready-to-use templates for each diagram type. See references.md for official docs and tools.

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Core Philosophy

• Diagrams should clarify, not decorate — every element must serve a purpose
• Text-first — Mermaid is text-based, version-controllable, and diff-friendly
• Right diagram for the job — pick the type that matches the concept (see Decision Guide)
• Validate before sharing — test in Mermaid Live Editor or render locally with mmdc

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Diagram Type Decision Guide

You want to show...	Use	Mermaid keyword
Steps, decisions, branches	Flowchart	flowchart TD
API calls between services over time	Sequence Diagram	sequenceDiagram
Object relationships, inheritance	Class Diagram	classDiagram
Database tables and relationships	ER Diagram	erDiagram
Transitions between states	State Diagram	stateDiagram-v2
Project timeline, task dependencies	Gantt Chart	gantt
Proportions, distribution	Pie Chart	pie
Hierarchical idea breakdown	Mindmap	mindmap
Git branching strategy	Git Graph	gitGraph
User experience steps	User Journey	journey
Chronological events	Timeline	timeline

---

Flowcharts

The most common diagram type. Use for workflows, decision trees, and process flows.

Direction

Code	Direction
TD / TB	Top → Down
LR	Left → Right
BT	Bottom → Top
RL	Right → Left

Node Shapes

Syntax	Shape	Use for
[text]	Rectangle	Process, action
(text)	Rounded	Start/end
{text}	Diamond	Decision
((text))	Circle	Event, trigger
[(text)]	Cylinder	Database, storage
[[text]]	Subroutine	External process

Arrow Types

Syntax	Style
-->	Solid arrow
-.->	Dashed arrow
==>	Bold arrow
--text-->	Arrow with label
~~~	Invisible link (layout)

Subgraphs

Group related nodes into labeled containers:

subgraph Title
  direction LR
  A --> B
end

---

Sequence Diagrams

Use for API flows, service interactions, and request/response patterns. Ideal for documenting Express routes, middleware chains, and client-server communication.

Syntax

Element	Syntax
Solid arrow (request)	->>
Dashed arrow (response)	-->>
Solid line (sync)	->
Dashed line (async)	-->
Cross (destroy)	-x
Note	Note right of A: text
Activation	activate A / deactivate A
Alt/else	alt condition / else / end
Loop	loop label / end
Opt (optional)	opt condition / end

---

Class Diagrams

Use for data models, Mongoose schemas, and object relationships.

Relationships

Syntax	Meaning
<|--	Inheritance
*--	Composition (strong ownership)
o--	Aggregation (weak ownership)
-->	Association
<|..	Interface implementation
..>	Dependency

Class Definition

class ClassName {
  +String publicField
  -Number privateField
  #Date protectedField
  +methodName() ReturnType
  -privateMethod() void
}

---

ER Diagrams

Use for MongoDB schema relationships, database design.

Relationship Syntax

Syntax	Meaning
||--||	One-to-one
||--o{	One-to-many
}o--o{	Many-to-many
||--o|	One-to-zero-or-one

Entity Definition

ENTITY {
  string fieldName PK "Primary Key"
  string otherField FK "Foreign Key"
  number numericField
  date dateField
}

---

State Diagrams

Use for component lifecycle, auth flows, or any finite state machine.

Syntax

Element	Syntax
Start	[*] --> State1
End	State1 --> [*]
Transition	State1 --> State2 : event
Composite state	state StateName { ... }
Fork/Join	state fork_state <<fork>>
Choice	state choice_state <<choice>>
Note	note right of State : text

---

Gantt Charts

Use for project planning, sprint timelines, implementation plans.

Syntax

gantt
  dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD
  title Project Timeline
  section Phase 1
    Task A :a1, 2024-01-01, 5d
    Task B :after a1, 3d
  section Phase 2
    Task C :2024-01-10, 7d

Duration formats: 1d (days), 1w (weeks), 1h (hours) Dependencies: after taskId for sequential tasks

---

Styling and Theming

Inline Styles

style nodeId fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
classDef className fill:#bbf,stroke:#333
class nodeId className

Theme Configuration

%%{init: {'theme': 'base', 'themeVariables': {'primaryColor': '#ff6b6b'}}}%%

Available themes: default, dark, forest, neutral, base (customizable)

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Best Practices

Do

• Pick the right direction — LR for timelines/flows, TD for hierarchies/decisions
• Label edges — unlabeled arrows force the reader to guess the relationship
• Use subgraphs — group related nodes to reduce visual complexity
• Keep nodes concise — short labels, no paragraphs in boxes
• Use consistent naming — camelCase for IDs, readable text for labels
• Validate syntax — test in Mermaid Live Editor before committing
• Wrap in markdown — use triple-backtick mermaid code blocks

Don't

• Don't exceed ~20 nodes per diagram — split into multiple diagrams instead
• Don't use flowcharts for everything — sequence diagrams are better for API flows
• Don't mix directions — stick to one direction per flowchart (LR or TD)
• Don't hardcode colors unless necessary — let the theme handle consistency
• Don't use invisible links (~~~) as a first resort — fix the layout with direction/grouping first

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Rendering

In Markdown

GitHub, GitLab, Notion, and most markdown renderers support mermaid blocks natively:

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A --> B
```

CLI Rendering

If mmdc (Mermaid CLI) is available:

# PNG output
mmdc -i diagram.md -o diagram.png

# SVG output
mmdc -i diagram.md -o diagram.svg -t dark

# With custom width
mmdc -i diagram.md -o diagram.png -w 1200

Validation

Before sharing any diagram:

1. Check syntax in Mermaid Live Editor
2. Verify all arrows connect to valid node IDs
3. Ensure labels are readable at the rendered size
4. Test with the intended theme (light/dark)