When to use this skill
Use this skill whenever the user wants to:
- Create system architecture diagrams (microservices, monolith, cloud)
- Design deployment or infrastructure diagrams (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Build C4 model diagrams (context, container, component, code)
- Generate UML component or package diagrams
- Export diagrams for documentation or design reviews
How to use this skill
Workflow
- Choose a template - Start from C4, UML, or cloud provider template in Draw.io
- Add shapes - Use the appropriate shape library (AWS, Azure, GCP, UML, or general)
- Define connections - Use labeled arrows to show data flow and dependencies
- Add legend and title - Include a legend explaining colors/shapes and a diagram title
- Export - Save as
.drawiofor version control; export PNG/SVG/PDF for docs
Quick-Start Example: C4 Container Diagram (XML)
<mxGraphModel>
<root>
<mxCell id=”0”/>
<mxCell id=”1” parent=”0”/>
<!-- Web App container -->
<mxCell id=”2” value=”Web Application
[React, TypeScript]” style=”rounded=1;whiteSpace=wrap;fillColor=#438DD5;fontColor=#ffffff;” vertex=”1” parent=”1”>
<mxGeometry x=”100” y=”100” width=”160” height=”80” as=”geometry”/>
</mxCell>
<!-- API container -->
<mxCell id=”3” value=”API Server
[Go, Gin]” style=”rounded=1;whiteSpace=wrap;fillColor=#438DD5;fontColor=#ffffff;” vertex=”1” parent=”1”>
<mxGeometry x=”400” y=”100” width=”160” height=”80” as=”geometry”/>
</mxCell>
<!-- Arrow: Web App → API -->
<mxCell id=”4” value=”REST/JSON” style=”edgeStyle=orthogonalEdgeStyle;” edge=”1” source=”2” target=”3” parent=”1”/>
</root>
</mxGraphModel>
Collaboration
- Version control - Store
.drawiofiles in Git alongside source code - Confluence - Use the Draw.io Confluence plugin for inline editing
- Google Drive - Open diagrams.net with Google Drive integration
Best Practices
- One diagram, one topic - Avoid cramming multiple concerns into a single diagram
- Consistent styling - Use the same colors, fonts, and arrow styles across all diagrams
- Add a legend - Explain what colors and shapes represent
- Layer complex systems - Use multiple diagrams at different abstraction levels (C4 levels 1-3)
- Note the update date - Add a “Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD” label for living documents
Keywords
draw.io, diagrams.net, architecture diagram, C4, deployment diagram, UML, component diagram, 架构图, 部署图, system design, cloud architecture