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Use the SQL plugin to create an entity relationship diagram

Note: Insert from SQL is built into the draw.io editor by default - select Arrange > Insert > From SQL in the draw.io menu. The plugin described below is an alternative way to insert SQL code.

This plugin should be used as-is, as an unsupported example for developers.

Insert SQL code using the SQL plugin to automatically generate entity shapes, including their attributes, as well as their primary and foreign keys. To complete your entity relationship diagram, connect the entities together and set the connector 'arrows' to describe their relationships.

Insert SQL code to create your ER diagram automatically using the SQL plugin at draw.io

Load the SQL plugin​

To create a new diagram in draw.io online with the plugin already loaded, go to https://app.diagrams.net/?splash=0&p=sql

Create an ER diagram from SQL code​

As SQL and MySQL are the most popular languages used to program and work with relational database systems, draw.io has made it easy to automatically create your diagrams from your code.

  1. Click Arrange > Insert > From SQL.
  2. Copy and paste your SQL code into the dialog, then click Insert MySQL or Insert SQL Server, whichever matches the code you just pasted.
    Insert SQL code then select which SQL it is to create an ER diagram automatically
  3. Your SQL code is converted into entities containing the attributes, as well as the primary and foreign keys your code defines.
  4. Connect the entities and choose the 'arrow' shape that defines the relationship.
    Entity shapes are automatically created based on your SQL code - draw connectors to finish your ER diagram

Tip: To see the various entity relationship styles, enable the Entity Relation shape library (via More Shapes in the left panel), then hover over the various connector shapes to show their descriptions.
Hover over connector shapes in the Entity Relation library to see them more clearly

Permanently load the plugin​

You can add the plugin to the plugins list via Extras > Plugins in Classic or Atlas editor themes, or Settings > Plugins in other editor themes, to load it each time you create or edit a diagram. Reload the browser tab after you have added or deleted a plugin.
Open the plugins list

Plugins not supported in draw.io Desktop or integrations​

Plugins work with the web version of draw.io (app.diagrams.net) or our Docker image if you want to run your own server. They do not work with draw.io for Confluence/Jira or with draw.io Desktop.