DiagramGPT — Eraser

How to generate an architecture diagram

Tips on making an Architecture Diagram

• If you’re in a hurry, instead of writing a prompt from scratch, consider pasting excerpts from existing documents, call transcripts, code (e.g. Terraform, Pulumi, AWS CloudFormation), or uploading image files.
• Working with an LLM to create a fleshed out diagram prompt can be effective. Ask it to list out structural components as well as steps of a data or request flow through the system.

Example diagrams

• Basic web app on Azure
• Video on demand on AWS
• Website hosting on Google Cloud

Write a prompt describing the architecture

A simple one-liner can work too but the best prompts are usually at least 3-4 sentences long. Applying the below framework generally yields good results:

• First, write out the structural components of the diagram. List out the resources as well as hierarchical groupings such as semantic groups (e.g. Microservices) or network boundaries (e.g. VPC).
• Then, write out how those components should be connected. An easy way to do this is to write out the sequential flow of how data or a request travels through the system (e.g. User uploads file to web application).

Make a diagram with the completed prompt

Edit the diagram with follow-up prompts (this step requires signing in to Eraser)

Manually adjust the layout using GUI controls (this step requires signing into Eraser)

Generate any type of diagram with AI

• Swimlane](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-swimlane-diagram-maker)
• Sequence](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-sequence-diagram-maker)
• Flowchart](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-flowchart-maker)
• ERD](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-erd-maker)
• Data Flow](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-data-flow-diagram-maker)
• Network](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-network-diagram-maker)
• AWS](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-aws-diagram-maker)
• Azure](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-azure-diagram-maker)
• Terraform](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-terraform-diagram-maker)
• Kubernetes](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-kubernetes-diagram-maker)
• Use Case](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-use-case-diagram-maker)
• State](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-state-diagram-maker)
• UML](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-uml-diagram-maker)
• Block](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-block-diagram-maker)
• Process Flow](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-process-flow-diagram-maker)
• Process Map](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-process-map-maker)
• User Journey Map](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-user-journey-map-maker)
• Workflow](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-workflow-diagram-maker)
• User Flow](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-user-flow-diagram-maker)
• Org Chart](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-org-chart-maker)
• System Architecture](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-system-architecture-diagram-maker)
• Mermaid Editor](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-mermaid-diagram-maker)
• PlantUML Editor](https://www.eraser.io/make/free-plantuml-maker)

Frequently asked questions

• Can I edit the generated architecture diagram?

  Yes. Click “Save and Edit Diagram” to open it in Eraser, where you can edit using diagram-as-code syntax or the visual GUI.

• What can I use as a prompt?

  Plain English, a nested list, or a code snippet. You can also paste excerpts from requirements docs, transcripts, or knowledge-base articles.

• Can I use this from an AI agent?

  Yes. Eraser runs an MCP server, so any MCP-compatible client – Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT – can create and edit these diagrams directly. See the MCP catalog for what it exposes.

• Who created this tool?

  The architecture diagram maker was created by the team at Eraser, leveraging frontier AI models. Eraser is an AI tool for technical design and documentation.

• Is it free?

  Generating an architecture diagram is free and requires no sign-up. Sign in to a free Eraser account to edit, save, and export your diagrams.

• Is there an API?

  Yes, you can read our API documentation. The API is only available to Starter, Business, and Enterprise Plan teams.

• Is there an MCP server?

  Yes. The Eraser MCP server lets an agent create, search, read, update and export diagrams from clients like Claude, Cursor, VS Code and ChatGPT. It is free to use, subject to the AI credit limits of your plan.

• Do you use my data to train AI models?

  No. Neither Eraser nor our model providers use your data to train AI models. Eraser may analyze usage to improve and enhance our AI features.

• How do I get started?

  Describe what you need in the prompt box above and generate. You can keep refining the result with follow-up prompts.

• What’s next for this tool?

  It only gets better from here. We’re working to improve accuracy and layout customization. If there’s something you’d like to see, drop us a note at hello@eraser.io.

• How do I get in touch?

  We’d love to hear from you. Reach out at hello@eraser.io, on X (@eraserlabs), or join our Slack community.