You should see no difference in functionality - the diagram editor is not changing, and your existing diagrams and draw.io macros will not be changed through this transition.

No full-screen custom macro UI on Forge

We, like many other app developers, delayed moving draw.io to Forge as Atlassian has not yet implemented the full-screen custom UI dialog that is widely used by many Marketplace apps.

A reduced diagram editor size may impact productivity or cause distractions as it does not fully cover the page behind. Some have also reported related display issues with dialogs not appearing correctly on mobile devices in the Forge-only apps.

While we reported this issue back in November 2021, it is currently scheduled by Atlassian to be implemented in FY26Q2 (although, it is not yet included in the Connect-Forge capability equivalence roadmap).

If full-screen diagramming or mobile diagramming is a priority for your teams, or if you are an app developer that is affected by this bug, please do comment on the original FRGE-557 issue and the more recent ECO-195 issue.

As soon as this issue has been implemented by Atlassian, the draw.io macros in your Confluence Cloud instance will once again work in full screen.

Updating your draw.io app​

Atlassian may choose to rollout these updated Forge-only apps automatically, or your administrator may need to manually update the draw.io app.

If your teams require the full-screen app functionality as described above, we recommend not updating the draw.io app until Atlassian has resolved this issue.

Note: No diagrams or macros will be removed from any pages in which they are used or edited in any way. There is no danger of losing data on this update.

Migrating from DC to Cloud?​

Atlassian has also recently announced the end of life for Data Center, with a three-year staged transition period starting in March 2026.

If you are migrating from Confluence DC to Cloud because of this, or to take advantage of the enhanced security features of Atlassian's modernised Forge architecture, migrate your draw.io diagrams in Confluence using the PageID method that preserves in-diagram links and embedded diagrams.

Which draw.io app for Confluence Cloud?​

The draw.io for Confluence Cloud app that is transitioning to Forge is available in two editions - Standard and Advanced. The diagramming features of these two editions are the same.

The Advanced edition of the draw.io app includes premium support, custom security reviews, and additional data security options.

The draw.io Zero Egress app is already Forge-only, and provides strict data security, ensuring no diagram data leaves your Confluence instance (zero egress). For customers with such strict data security requirements, Atlassian plans to offer a single tenant Isolated Cloud and their Atlassian Government Cloud. The draw.io Zero Egress app is designed to work with Atlassian's new secure Cloud offerings.

Read more about the differences between the draw.io apps for Confluence Cloud

As the collection of shape libraries is rather large in draw.io, it will take some time to update all of those that contain multi-coloured shapes. The first two libraries that have been updated are Mockups and the AWS 3D shapes.

Each shape still contains a Fill and a Line (outline) colour that typically forms the background colour and the outer line colour of the shape. The additional colours are defined with new, customisable style settings.

For example, the Mockup Map shape has a white background and black outline, but also internal areas with different fill colours and a different internal outline colour.

The list of fill and outline colours will be different for each shape.

How it works

A default attribute was introduced for the fillcolor and strokecolor attributes.

Each shape has a list of defaultFillColors and defaultStrokeColors attributes which are used to show the customisable colours in multi-colour shapes. These are comma-separated lists that define the default colours in the fillColorStyles and strokeColorStyles attributes within a shape.

Right click on a shape, then edit the colour style attributes, then click Apply.

Which libraries have been updated?

The updated AWS 3D and Mockups shape libraries are available now in the current version of the web-based draw.io editor. The Cloud and IT shape libraries are in the process of being updated to this new, more flexible system of colours. Multi-colour shapes in other shape libraries will be updated after the IT shapes are finished.

Go to app.diagrams.net/clear.html to ensure you are using the most recent version of the online draw.io editor.

Gradients with multi-coloured shapes​

The gradient option in the Style tab of the format panel will use the main background fill colour. The gradient does not apply to any of the other additional colour styles within the multi-colour shape.

Reset to the original colour styles​

To revert to the original colour, the easiest is to copy the original style from an unstyled shape and apply it to the customised shape.

1. Select the unstyled shape. In the Style tab, click Copy Style.
2. Select the customised shape. In the Style tab, click Paste Style.
   

Learn more about styling shapes

Note: Diagram generation features are disabled by default in the draw.io apps for Confluence - ask your instance administrator to configure the draw.io editor if you want to (and are allowed to) use this feature.

While draw.io only shares the text you enter as the query to generate a diagram, and only at the time of generation.

draw.io does not share your diagram data with these LLM tools unless you specifically request that the generator modify your diagram or a selection of your diagram (this behaviour can be customised or disabled in the draw.io configuration).

Note, other diagramming applications typically share your diagram data in full and by default with these generation tools, and do not allow you to customise or limit this behaviour.

If you need to include sensitive data or draw confidential diagrams, your diagramming application must not share your diagram data.

Use an offline tool like draw.io Desktop​

Since version 10.7.5, draw.io Desktop has been a fully offline application. You do not need a connection to the internet to use all the built-in shape libraries and templates, or use your own custom shape libraries, fonts or templates stored on your device.

Diagram generation features are not available in draw.io Desktop.

Choose your platform (Windows, macOS or Linux), and download draw.io Desktop to start diagramming securely and privately.

Tip: Many extra template and example diagrams are available in the JGraph/drawio-diagrams repository on GitHub. Download these in advance to use them in draw.io Desktop.

Configure the draw.io web application​

Alternatively, you can run the web app while offline as a progressive web app, or configure the editor in your browser to disable the diagram generation features.

All versions of the draw.io application are highly configurable, including but not limited to:

• default palette colours and styles
• default and custom fonts
• custom templates and a customised template library
• default and custom shape libraries to automatically open by default
• default page and grid size

Here's a full list of the draw.io editor configuration options for the web application, draw.io Desktop, and the draw.io apps for Confluence Cloud and DC.

Only the online draw.io web application has the diagram generation enabled by default. To disable the diagram generation features, add a line to the editor configuration and refresh the tab to reload the draw.io editor.

Disable diagram generation in the draw.io configuration​

This removes the Generate tool from template library and menu, the Generate option from the search field, and the sparkle tool from the toolbar.

Note: Be careful about capitalisation - draw.io configuration options are written using lower camel case (Java).

1. Select Extras > Configuration from the menu, or ... > Settings > Configuration from the toolbar.
   
2. Add the following JSON string to the configuration: "enableAi": false
   
3. Click Apply to save your changes. Reload the browser tab to load the new draw.io configuration and disable the diagram generation features.

Note: If you set the lockdown option to true in the draw.io configuration, this will also disable the diagram generation features.

If you have older, installed versions of these apps, you may be able to continue to embed and work with diagram file in your documents.

Important: We have not disabled the Google Store listings for these apps as that would immediately disable all existing installations. Currently, those older installed versions of these apps still work.

We recommend you convert your embedded diagrams to images in those documents.

The draw.io apps for Google Workspace and the draw.io Chrome app for Google Drive are unaffected - you can continue to store your .drawio diagram files in Google Drive and work with them in our free online editor.

Use draw.io diagrams in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets​

Export your draw.io diagrams to PNG image files and then import them into your Google Docs, Slides and Sheets - drag and drop the image file into your document.

1. Open your .drawio diagram file in the draw.io editor (either our online editor or draw.io Desktop)
2. In the draw.io menu, select File > Export As > PNG, then click Export to save your diagram as an image.
3. In your Google Document, Slide, or Sheet select Insert Image from the menu, or drag and drop your image into your document.

You can work with the image of your diagram in your Google document (Docs, Slides or Sheets) as you would any other image - you can move, resize, rotate, and style it as needed.

Reopen your diagram from a draw.io image file​

If you export your diagram from draw.io to a PNG image with Include a copy of my diagram enabled, you will be able to drop that image file onto the draw.io editor to load the diagram data embedded in that file and continue diagramming.

Note: You cannot reopen images from within Google documents as diagrams as Google strips the embedded diagram data.

Overlay or fill a cell in Google Sheets​

In Google Sheets, you can either import an image of your diagram into a cell or overlay the cells.

Edges and buttons have been rounded, fonts updated, colours softened, related menu items grouped together, and every aspect styled uniformly to match the current UI standards for modern web applications.

This new streamlined design with fewer obvious separators in the header, panels and tabs, and improved text and shape library contrast ensures the draw.io editor is easier to use in high-contrast mode, whether you prefer to work in dark or light mode.

The new user interface in the first image above has fewer distracting separating lines in high contrast mode. The older interface in the second image is more cluttered with superfluous separators.

It's not just a visual refresh - the buttons and controls in the draw.io user interface have been optimised to be more responsive, and the codebase has been reworked to improve the editor's efficiency, especially on mobile devices, and allow for future improvements and feature updates.

Switch between modes and editor themes​

Although the refreshed UI is easiest to see in Classic and Simple, the three other draw.io editor themes - Minimal, Sketch and Atlas - have also been updated with contrast improvements and modernised dialog elements.

The mode switch icon (sun/moon) for dark/light modes and the classic/simple editor layout that was previously in the top right of the editor has been moved into the menu for all themes.

• Appearance submenu: automatic, dark, light and high contrast modes
• Themes submenu: automatic, Classic, Simple, Minimal, Sketch, and Atlas themes

These submenus are accessed slightly differently in each editor theme.

Simple: Click ... in the toolbar and select Settings.

Classic and Atlas: Select the Extras menu.

Minimal: Select Diagram > Settings from the toolbar.

Sketch: Select the triple horizontal bar in the top left, then select Settings.

Work with multi-page diagrams​

In Atlas, Classic and Simple themes with the refreshed user interface, the + to add a new diagram page has moved to the bottom left of the editor.
The diagram page tools in the Minimal and Sketch editor themes are unaltered.

Click on the horizontal lines to see a list of all pages in the diagram (if there are too many to fit) and work with the current page directly, or right click on any page tab at the bottom of the editor to rename, duplicate, move and delete it.

Learn more about working with multi-page diagrams in draw.io

If you are not in the early access program, your draw.io Confluence Cloud app will continue to receive regular updates and support as in your current subscription, and of course, the full features of the draw.io diagram editor, including AI-generated diagrams.

If you sign up for the new early access programme for app Editions in the Atlassian Marketplace, draw.io will be available in the following two editions for Confluence Cloud.

• The Standard edition includes all the diagramming features of the draw.io editor, including AI-generated diagrams. When you need support, your Confluence Cloud administrators can submit support tickets and receive the standard level of support (9/5 business hours).

• The Advanced edition of draw.io for Atlassian Cloud products is for large enterprise customers who require advanced support and stricter data security. Along with the fully featured draw.io app from the Standard edition, you will receive the following additional support:

  • Extended support hours and shorter initial response times.
  • A dedicated account manager as your single point of contact for enquiries.
  • Custom security reviews for compliance submissions.
  • Access to development feature previews.
  • In-depth and targeted training materials.
  • A zero-egress switch that can disable all data egress except for Atlassian API calls in the draw.io Forge app version.

Related​

See how to use draw.io in Confluence with diagram files stored in Google Drive.

Administrators can configure the draw.io app in Confluence Cloud in the Advanced edition to enable the lockdown option.

You can diagram offline with the draw.io desktop app if you need to work in a highly secure environment.

We are fully committed to data security and privacy - learn more about data protection while diagramming and using draw.io.

Open cloud infrastructure shape libraries​

1. Click on More Shapes at the bottom of the shapes panel on the left.
   
2. Scroll down to the Networking section and enable the shape libraries you want to use.
   
3. Click Apply to open them in the shapes panel next to the drawing canvas.

Tip: Alternatively, you can always search for a shape if you know its name. For example, searching for "AWS beanstalk" will show all the shapes from the various AWS libraries that have both "AWS" and "beanstalk" in their shape names, even if you don't have the AWS shape libraries open. Hover over any of the shapes to see a larger preview.

Azure Power Platform and Dynamics 365​

The Power Platform shapes have been added to the Azure shape library. These components are often combined with Dynamics365 services and applications in cloud infrastructures.

Tip:* If you prefer to diagram in dark mode, the Azure and Dynamics365 shapes and their labels will automatically change colours to remain readable when you switch between dark and light modes.

OpenStack shapes= library​

OpenStack services and apps are common components of Citrix, GCP, IBM and other large hybrid cloud infrastructures. To clearly indicate which components are provided by OpenStack in your infrastructure diagrams, enable the OpenStack shape library.

Alibaba Cloud shape library​

Enable the Alibaba Cloud shape library to document your infrastructure in Alibaba Cloud platform. These shapes cover a wide range of apps and services.

Most of the infrastructure shapes don't have labels by default, as designers tend to rely on logo-recognition for their infrastructure components.

To make your diagram more accessible, select a shape and start typing to add a label. In the Text tab of the format panel, select the Bottom position, and update the Font Colour to match the colour of the Alibaba shape so it is consistent.

Tip: Format one shape and click on Copy Style in the Style tab of the format panel. Then, right-click on the canvas and choose Select Vertices, deselect any regions you may have added, and then click on Paste Style in the Style tab to copy the style onto all of the selected shapes.

Related​

Learn more about drawing various types of network and infrastructure diagrams.

Other cloud platform shape libraries in draw.io include Salesforce, Citrix, Google GCP, Amazon AWS, IBM, and more.

Export AWS diagrams generated from your actual deployed infrastructure to the .drawio format from Cloudockit and Cloudcraft.

IBM has provided their updated shapes for the new IBM Cloud shape library in draw.io. Please refer to their documentation for their design language style guide, where they explain how shapes and icons should be used in a wide variety of technical diagrams.

Enable the IBM shape libraries in draw.io

1. Click on More Shapes at the bottom of the shapes panel in draw.io.
2. Enable the checkbox next to the SAP shape library in the Networking section and click Apply.
   

Tip: There are also several IBM infrastructures in the template library. Select Arrange > Insert > Template from the menu or + > Template in the toolbar, and look in the Cloud > IBM category.

Using old and new IBM shapes in one diagram​

The new IBM Cloud shapes are compound shapes - a coloured background shape and an icon on top in the centre. This gives you more flexibility in styling your diagram as you can change the two shapes' fill colours independently.

The older shapes are round with a white icon and blue text label, while the new IBM Cloud shapes are square with a white icon and text (in light mode) or black icon and text (in dark mode).

There is also a larger and more varied set of groups (region shapes) in the new IBM Cloud shape library.

The example above is one of the IBM templates available in draw.io with the new IBM Cloud shapes replacing some older components.

Both sets of shapes work well when diagramming in dark mode - the new shapes will switch icon and label colours automatically to remain readable.

Tip: To make the labels look the same on all of your IBM and IBM Cloud shapes, you'll need to edit the text labels to ensure their case matches and the Font Color in the Text tab of the format panel.

However, mixing shapes from the two shape libraries and using their default label styles shows which components of your infrastructure are more recent at a glance, such as for IBM's newer cloud and Watson AI services.

Make your own IBM shapes​

The shapes in both the IBM and IBM Cloud shape libraries represent only part of the constantly expanding IBM Design Language.

You can easily make your own IBM shapes in draw.io using the black IBM .svg icons.

1. Add one of the IBM Cloud shapes that matches the colour you want to use to the drawing canvas to serve as a template for your new shape.
2. Add a simple rectangle from the General shape library.
3. Select the IBM Cloud shape on the drawing canvas and select then select Copy Size in the Arrange tab of the format panel. Select the rectangle and click on Paste Size.
4. Select the IBM Cloud shape again, then select Copy Style in the Style tab of the format panel. Select the rectangle again and click on Paste Style.
   
5. You may need to deselect the Line checkbox in the Style tab, but your shape background should now look correct.
6. Add a label, and move its Position to the Bottom via the Text tab of the format panel.
7. Now, make the compound icon. Drag the .svg file of the UI icon from the UI Icons list in the IBM Design Language - either from the webpage directly, or from your device - onto the drawing canvas to import it. Then drag it over the centre of the background square.
8. Finally, drag a selection box around the new compound shape, right click and select Group from the context menu.
   

Tip: To use this new shape in multiple diagrams, drag the group onto the Scratchpad in the shapes panel.

You can also save the Scratchpad with your custom shapes to share them with your colleagues.

1. Click on the pencil to the right of the Scratchpad library.
   
2. Select Export to save all the shapes in the Scratchpad to a custom shape library.
   
3. Enter a filename, select where to save the custom shape library file and click OK.
   

Learn more about custom shape libraries

The waypoint shape​

The Waypoint shape is in the Misc shape library, which is a subcategory in the General shape library.

If you are going to use the waypoint shape or any other shape often, add it to the scratchpad so you can find it easily.

1. Search for waypoint in the shape panel.
2. Add this Waypoint shape to the canvas.
3. Drag it back onto the Scratchpad in the shape panel - by putting in the Scratchpad, you won't have to go search for it.
   

Faster and neater diagrams​

Tree diagrams, org charts and flowcharts look great with neat orthogonal connectors - lines with aligned vertical and horizontal bends. These connections look best when 'tied together' where multiple connectors attach to a single parent shape, instead of overlapping.

Select one or more connectors and choose Orthogonal (or Vertical or Horizontal) from the Waypoints drop down list in the Style tab of the format panel.

Place a waypoint shape in between the parent shape and the child shapes at the spot where the connectors would neatly separate. Then drag a connector from the parent shape to the waypoint shape. And drag connectors from the waypoint shape to each of the child shapes.

draw.io automatically repositions connectors as you move shapes around the drawing canvas, especially if you use floating connectors. Waypoint shapes help you keep your connector alignment neat.

Hide the waypoint shape​

While it is useful to see the waypoint shape in some diagrams, such as electrical wiring diagrams, you may want to hide it in tree diagrams and org charts.

1. Select the waypoint shape.
2. In the Style tab of the format panel, deselect the Line checkbox.
   

The waypoint shape will become invisible but still exist. The connectors will neatly line up and go through that point. Click on that spot to select the invisible waypoint shape if you need to move it.

Important

If you are planning to upgrade to Jira 10.0, Atlassian recommends you update all Marketplace apps that support the new version - like draw.io does - beforehand.

Dark theme Jira issues and diagrams​

1. In Jira, click on your user profile image in the top right, then select Theme.
2. Choose Dark theme, Light theme, or to Match System to match your operating system's theme.
   

To add a new diagram to a Jira issue, click on More > Add draw.io Diagram to open the draw.io editor.

Once you have saved your diagram to the issue, the Draw.io Diagrams section will be added in the right column.

Diagrams in the Draw.io Diagrams section will be displayed in whichever theme you selected in Jira automatically.

Note: The draw.io diagram in the Attachments section of the Jira issue is saved and shown as if it were light mode. To edit or open a larger version of the diagram, click on the diagram in the Draw.io Diagrams section of the issue.

Hover over the diagram and click on the edit pencil to open it in the draw.io editor.

Using draw.io in Jira DC​

• Migrate from Jira Server or DC to Jira Cloud.
• Work with diagram revisions on Jira DC issues.
• Convert a Gliffy diagram stored on a Jira DC issue to a draw.io diagram.

Dark mode diagrams in Confluence DC​

Just as Confluence has updated their colour palette for accessibility contrast to ensure text page content remains readable on a dark background, draw.io automatically switches to an enhanced dark-mode palette.

Dark mode colours with improved contrast are automatically applied to the diagram previews when you look at any Confluence DC 9.0 page, and also when you click on the diagram to open it in the draw.io lightbox viewer.

Edit draw.io diagrams in dark mode​

If you use the Confluence Dark theme, draw.io diagram macros and draw.io board macros will open the draw.io editor automatically in dark mode.

Improved contrast dark mode palette by default

The draw.io dark mode palette in Confluence DC 9.0 uses improved contrast colours by default, ensuring maximum readability of your diagrams when viewed in both dark and light modes.

draw.io board macro in dark mode

The whiteboard-like simple interface of the draw.io board macro also uses dark mode automatically when you have enabled Dark theme in Confluence DC 9.0.

Switch to light mode

To edit a diagram in light mode, change your Confluence Theme to Light first. Select your user icon in the top right, then select Theme > Light from the menu.

Search for diagrams with OpenSearch​

The new integration of OpenSearch will find draw.io diagrams in the same way the built-in Confluence search does - your diagrams are fully searchable via the Confluence search.

draw.io provides the file names and diagram label text to the Confluence search index used by both the built-in basic and advanced search functionality and OpenSearch.

See how searching for diagrams in Confluence Cloud and Data Center works and compare it with other diagramming tools.

Filename	Label text

To set up your Confluence DC 9.0 instance to use the new optional search integration, please refer to Atlassian's OpenSearch documentation.

See all the security and usability updates available in Confluence DC 9.0.

Text to diagram tools in draw.io​

There are several text-to-diagram tools built into draw.io:

• Mermaid diagrams
• SQL to entity shapes
• Specially formatted CSV data
• Basic text-to-diagram converter for trees and lists.

Example Gantt chart generated from Mermaid syntax

Some of these text-to-diagram features generate a diagram as an image on the drawing canvas, and some use draw.io shapes to automatically layout your diagram and let you continue adding draw.io shapes and connectors to it.

You can choose your preferred output when you generate a diagram from Mermaid syntax, although some diagram types - like the Gantt chart above - will only generate to an image.

Insert a Mermaid diagram in draw.io​

An example coffee machine debugging flow is described in Mermaid syntax below.

graph TD
   A(Coffee machine <br />not working) --> B{Machine has power?}
   B -->|No| H(Plug in and turn on)
   B -->|Yes| C{Out of beans or water?} -->|Yes| G(Refill beans and water)
   C -->|No| D{Filter warning?} -->|Yes| I(Replace or clean filter)
   D -->|No| F(Send for repair)

Add this Mermaid diagram to draw.io.

1. Select Arrange > Insert > Mermaid from the menu or + > Mermaid from the toolbar if you are using the Simple mode or the Sketch editor theme.
   
2. Enter the text description of your diagram using Mermaid syntax in the large text box.
3. From the drop-down list, select whether you want to insert the diagram with draw.io shapes (Diagram), or as a single image (Image), and click Insert.
   

Diagram (default): When you insert the Mermaid diagram using the draw.io shapes, you can connect additional shapes and connectors and style your diagram. To change the original Mermaid syntax, first delete the previously inserted shapes, and re-enter the Mermaid description of your diagram by repeating the steps above.

Image: To generate the Mermaid diagram as a single SVG image on the drawing canvas instead, select Image from the drop-down list before you Insert. If you hover over the SVG image, the Mermaid syntax is visible in the tooltip. Note that you can't edit or style the individual shapes or connectors in this SVG image version.

To change a Mermaid diagram added as an image, double click on the SVG on the drawing canvas and edit the Mermaid syntax to regenerate the image.

Please refer to the Mermaid documentation for the complete syntax and styling options.

New ELK layouts for large flowcharts​

The new ELK layout option, introduced in Mermaid version 9.4, can generate compacter versions of large and complex flowcharts.

Add the following renderer directive to the top your Mermaid diagram text description:

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"defaultRenderer": "elk"}} }%%

For example, to layout the example Mermaid graph shown above with the ELK renderer command, the insert Mermaid dialog looks as follows.

Click Insert, and the Mermaid diagram will be generated ad drawn with draw.io shapes.

While this example is small and simple, larger flows with complex decisions and many branches may be displayed better using this ELK renderer option.

Note: As this is an experimental feature from the Mermaid developers, it currently only supports the flowchart layout.

Large Mermaid flowchart with and without ELK

Below, one of the more complex draw.io flowchart templates has described in text using Mermaid syntax and inserted as an image. The more compact version on the left used the new ELK renderer directive, and the one on the right did not.

With the ELK renderer directive, the Mermaid code for this flowchart looks as follows.

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"defaultRenderer": "elk"}} }%%

graph TD
  A[\Replenish Value Add stock/] --->C
  B(Order product with Value Add) --->C
  C{Frequent process?} --->|Yes|D 
  C --->|No|F
  D{New template?} --->|Yes|E 
  D --->|No|G
  E(Create work order template) --->G
  F(Create work order) --->H
  G(Copy template to work order) --->I
  H(Add materials to work order processes) --->J
  I(Adjust material quantities) --->J
  J(Monitor work orders) --->K
  K{Material quantities in stock?} --->|No|L 
  K --->|Yes|M
  L(Procure materials) --->M
  M(Change status to In Progress) --->N
  N{External Vendor to perform step?} --->|Yes|O 
  N --->|No|P
  O(Add vendor costs) --->Q
  P[\Perform work order step/] --->R
  Q([Ship materials to Vendor]) --->S --->X
  R{Additional processing required?} --->|Yes|N 
  R--->|No|T
  S[\Perform work order step/] --->U
  T(Receive final stock) --->V
  U(Receive product from vendor) --->W
  V(Ship product on order) --->Y
  W{Partial quantity received?} --->|Yes|X 
  W --->|No|Z
  X[Create work order backorder] ---> J
  Y(Change status to complete) --->AA
  Z(Pay vendor invoice) --->R
  AA([Finish])

We take the same privacy and security focused approach to non-diagram data too here at JGraph - we don't use cookies or tracking pixels on our website.

Of course, if you contact us here at JGraph for support via GitHub, Google Groups, or one of our social channels, we will have your contact details - necessary to resolve your query.

In our updated privacy policy, we have now clarified that we will not send you any marketing communication using your details or data. We will also not share your personal data with any third-party company for marketing purposes.

Note: The draw.io app listings in the Atlassian Marketplace for Confluence and Jira are managed by Seibert Group GmbH, and therefore are governed by their privacy policy.

Use draw.io Desktop to diagram offline​

Our draw.io desktop app runs fully offline on your local device, and your diagram data stays on your local device. The only external communications from the software are to check for application updates.

draw.io runs on Windows, macOS and Linux - download the draw.io Desktop installer for your operating system.

Configure data transmission lockdown​

Set "lockdown": true in the editor configuration. Lockdown options only apply to cloud-based draw.io versions.

This will disable data transmission apart from directly between your browser where you are editing your diagram, and the cloud platform or location you have chosen to store the diagram file.

1. In the online version of draw.io at app.diagrams.net, select Extras > Configuration in classic mode, ... > Settings > Configuration in Simple mode or the Sketch editor theme to open the configuration.
2. Enter the "lockdown": true JSON string and click Apply.

In the draw.io app for Confluence Cloud (advanced edition only), go to the administration area, then the draw.io Configuration tab. Add "lockdown": true to the UI Configuration, and click Save changes.

Note: There are few functions that use the draw.io servers to perform operations that browsers are not capable of, including to generate a PDF version of your diagram, and import a diagram file in .gliffy format. These functions won't be available if you lockdown data transmission.

Learn more about configuring the draw.io diagram editor

Collaborative editing works in both the draw.io Diagram macro and the draw.io Board macro in Confluence DC. Note the collaboration isn't real-time, we need to ensure a slower update rate is stable and causes no performance issues in the first release.

Real-time multi-user diagramming​

Just like in draw.io for Confluence Cloud, the new collaborative editing feature in draw.io for Confluence DC uses the built-in auto-save feature.

1. When you make a change to a draw.io diagram - add, style, or delete shapes, text and connectors, the diagram will be automatically saved to the Confluence page attachments.
2. The draw.io diagram editor regularly polls the Confluence DC instance to see if any changes were made by other users, then loads these changes into your editor.

You don't need to manually save or synchronise the diagrams - changes will automatically appear in the draw.io editor for everyone editing the diagram.

No shared cursors?

As Confluence DC is not a cloud service with web sockets, there is no way to share and synchronise users' cursors as they work inside the diagram editor.

You can still make gestures on the diagram with the freehand brush to discuss a draw.io diagram in online meetings with your team - the freehand shape will appear in the other users' draw.io editor shortly after you draw it.

Changes are merged from multiple users​

If several users add shapes to the same location on a diagram, draw.io will take all those shapes and simply overlap them.

If one user adds and connects a new shape to an existing shape, but another user deletes the existing shape, both user's changes are saved:

• The child shape will appear to stand alone as its parent was deleted.
• The existing parent shape and any connectors from it to new shapes added by other users will be deleted.

This is the same process followed by the collaborative editing function in draw.io for Confluence Cloud.

Because draw.io merges all the changes made to a diagram, and does not overwrite the attachment with the most recent saved state from one user, you won't lose any data when you are editing a diagram as a team.

Change the synchronisation speed and auto-save interval​

If your Confluence DC users find that changes appear in diagrams they are editing together too slowly, an administrator can increase the polling speed in the draw.io app configuration, by specifying the number of seconds between each poll in the Add-on Configuration field.

Also, you can shorten the time between auto-saving the diagram. A shorter interval will mean more attachment versions of diagrams will be created and added to a Confluence page.

1. Go to the administration area of your Confluence DC instance.
2. Go to the Configuration tab in the draw.io Add-on Configuration section.
3. Add the following lines to the Add-on Configuration text field: pollingInterval=10000 and maxAutosaveDelay=5000
4. Click Save changes to update the draw.io configuration.
   

In the example above, we have set the polling interval to 10 seconds (which is 10,000 milliseconds).

Note: If you collaborate on extremely large and complex diagrams, you may need to set a longer polling interval.

See how to configure the draw.io editor for Confluence DC

High contrast mode simplifies and removes non-essential backgrounds and increases the definition between interface elements by adding clear outlines. You may find it is easier to read text and it can reduce eye strain.

High Contrast mode​

Choose Settings > Appearance > High Contrast from the draw.io menu.

When you enable high contrast modes or themes in your operating system, the range of colours in the interface is reduced and visual elements are simplified. Panels, tools, buttons, and toolbars have simpler backgrounds (white in light mode, black in dark mode), with a clear outline to better separate the various parts of the application's interface.

In the draw.io editor, High Contrast mode works in the same way.

• Panel backgrounds are simplified to off-white (light mode) or nearly black (dark mode).
• Text labels, shapes, and tools that were previously grey are clearer - black (light mode) or white (dark mode).
• Strong contrasting outlines are added around buttons, between the shape libraries, around the format panel tabs and other elements in the editor interface: a crisp white outline in dark mode, and a black outline in light mode.

The default dark mode is on the left in the screenshot below, and High Contrast mode on the right.

High contrast mode works with all draw.io themes in both dark and light mode, including the Sketch online whiteboard theme.

Better colours for dark mode​

Dark mode is often used to reduce eye strain - with draw.io you can diagram in dark mode using any of our editor themes (click the sun/moon icon in the top right and select the mode you want to use. Alternatively, select Settings > Appearance > Dark Mode from the menu).

A while back, we updated colours automatically change when working with draw.io in dark mode, but continue to use the light mode palette as the default. When you switch to dark mode, by default, shapes, connectors and text change intensity to ensure an improved contrast that remains readable.

• To disable adaptive colours for light and dark mode, make sure nothing is selected in your diagram, then in the document Style tab of the format panel, set Adaptive Colors to None. (Also available in the Classic mode menu via Extras > Adaptive Colors).
  

• If you want only the black and white parts of your diagram to invert in dark or light mode, set Adaptive Colors to Simple.

• If you want to choose specific dark mode colours for shapes, connectors and text instead of using an automatic adaptive colour, add the dark mode colour for that shape in the colour palette under Advanced.

Note: draw.io Desktop uses the original simple adaptive colours. Set Adaptive colour

Works on all supported DC versions​

draw.io works on all supported versions of Confluence Data Center, 7.x and later.

Regular updates are released for all supported DC versions, such as updated technical icon sets (shape libraries), new and improved features, and of course bug fixes and optimisations.

Focused on security​

While many organisations have opted to move to Confluence Cloud now that Confluence Server has reached its end of life, you may have found that Confluence Data Center is a better fit for your needs, especially if you are in a regulated industry like finance or healthcare.

draw.io is engineered differently to other diagramming apps - we take data security seriously so you can keep your diagram data secure. We participate in Atlassian's bug bounty program and release regular updates for all supported versions of Data Center.

Secure desktop app for external partners​

When you do need to collaborate confidentially with external partners, your partners can edit draw.io diagram files securely with the free draw.io desktop app, which keeps the diagram data isolated on their computer. The desktop app has the same shape libraries, templates, and tools, and is designed to work fully offline on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Technical diagrams plus an online whiteboard​

draw.io has a wide range of shape libraries with up-to-date icon sets, and a large collection of templates for many different types of technical diagrams.

Even when using the simple draw.io board macro in Confluence, you have access to all the shape libraries, features, and tools. You can use draw.io in meetings and for brainstorming, as well as to document your complex infrastructures and business procedures in great detail.

Migration and import tools​

If you choose at some point to migrate to Cloud from DC/Server, to maintain diagram links and embedded diagrams we recommend using the PageID export/import method, now that Atlassian supports 'mass permission change'.

If directed to by draw.io support, you may use the new draw.io migration tool in your old DC instance, but it may have issues if you rename pages during the migration process.

draw.io makes it easy to migrate and import from other diagramming tools in Confluence DC.

• Import all your Gliffy diagrams in your instance as a Confluence administrator.
• Drag and drop an individual diagram file, including vsdx files and Gliffy and onto the drawing canvas to import them.
  

Configure the diagram editor and draw.io settings​

As an administrator, you can configure the draw.io backend in Confluence Data Center via the app administration and set up custom diagram templates and shape libraries.

If your technical diagramming team always use a set palette of colours or shape styles, you can also configure this for everyone in your instance.

FOSDEM is organised by a large team of volunteers, and provides a space for open source software developers and users to meet, share ideas, and collaborate on open source projects.

If you would like to join a developer room at FOSDEM'24, keep an eye on list of developers that will be calling for participation shortly and the FOSDEM'24 schedule as speakers and projects are confirmed.

FOSDEM: hundreds of open source speakers and events

With well over 5000 developers and speakers attending from all over the world, it’s easily one of the largest events for open source projects.

As usual, there will be a wide variety of presentations by speakers across several tracks, along with keynotes, developer rooms and hacking sessions, lightning talks, project stands with demos and merchandise, and open discussions. You can attend as few or as many activities as you like for free - just turn up on the day.

Unlike previous events, no certification exams are planned for this year. There will be an area for recruiting and job opportunities for open source positions, and several related fringe events that you may be interested in attending.

Open source diagramming​

We greatly appreciate our open source community of developers, bug reporters, translators, contributors and sponsors, as well as the developers of the open source projects that we sponsor directly.

As one of the world’s most widely used browser-based diagramming applications, draw.io can be used online, as a desktop app, deployed locally in a variety of formats. Plus, there is an increasing number of third-party integrations, where developers have embedded our open-source diagram editor into their content and project management tools.

Connectors to and from a swapped shape will move with it, staying attached and automatically updating its path.

If you want to swap the direction of the connector as well, select the connector after you swap the shapes, then click Reverse on the Arrange tab of the format panel.

Replace an existing shape with a different shape​

Drag a shape from the shape libraries and hover over an existing shape on the drawing canvas until the replace symbol appears, then drop the shape.

Alternatively, double-click on an empty spot on the drawing canvas to open the quick selection box and drag a shape from there over an existing shape, and drop it when the replace symbol appears.

Do more with shapes in draw.io​

There are many more ways you can quickly work with shapes in draw.io. Use these FAQs, tutorials and blog posts to learn how to diagram faster and easier.

Work faster with shape libraries using keyboard shortcuts, and use keyboard + mouse modifier shortcuts to work with shapes faster on the drawing canvas.

Use the Arrange tab tools on shapes and connectors - move shapes forwards and backwards, group multiple shapes, resize shapes and groups of shapes, reposition shapes, rotate shapes and groups of shapes, and work with connector waypoints to perfectly path your connectors.

Style shapes using the Style tab in the format panel. The styles that are available will depend on the shapes you have selected.

See how you can modify the shape properties in the Style tab of a selected shape to turn a shape into a container, change the perimeter, disallow connectors, prevent it from being deleted or clones, and much more. Select a shape and click on Properties at the bottom of the style tab.

And finally, print out these draw.io keyboard shortcuts for easy reference.

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.

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.