How does the AI diagram generator work?

Describe your diagram in plain English — like 'microservice architecture with API gateway' or 'git branching workflow' — and AI generates valid Graph-Easy notation with nodes, edges, labels, and groups. The diagram renders instantly as ASCII art. No need to learn the syntax.

How do I convert Mermaid to ASCII text diagrams?

Mermaid does not output ASCII art natively. This tool is the best free Mermaid to ASCII alternative. Use AI to describe your diagram in English or write Graph-Easy notation like [A] -> [B]. The output works in terminals, README files, and plain-text docs. Export to PNG, SVG, and PDF too.

How do I export a diagram to PNG, SVG, or PDF?

Select the GraphViz DOT output format and click Render. Export buttons for PNG, SVG, and PDF appear above the output. All rendering happens client-side via Viz.js with no upload required.

Can AI generate architecture and system design diagrams?

Yes. Describe your architecture in English — like 'microservices with API gateway connecting to user service, order service, each with its own database' — and AI generates the complete Graph-Easy notation with groups, labeled edges, and proper structure.

Can I paste the output into a GitHub README?

Yes. ASCII art output renders correctly on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and any plain-text viewer. Wrap in a fenced code block with triple backticks. No image hosting needed.

Yes, completely free with no signup. AI diagram generation, rendering, editing, and export are all available immediately. The tool runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly.

What is the syntax for edge labels, groups, and styling?

Add labels: [A] -> { label: yes; } [B]. Styles: { style: dashed; }. Groups: ( Backend ). Or just describe what you want in English and let AI generate the syntax for you.

How do I share a diagram?

Click Share to generate a URL that encodes your diagram. Anyone who opens the link sees it pre-loaded and auto-rendered. You can also copy ASCII output directly into Slack, email, Jira, or docs.

AI ASCII Diagram Generator - Describe in En...

Loading Perl runtime (~4MB compressed)...

AI — describe your diagram

Graph Notation Input

Output Format

Examples

Quick Syntax Reference

Syntax	Description	Example
`[ Node ]`	Create a node	`[ Server ]`
`->`	Directed edge	`[ A ] -> [ B ]`
`<->`	Bidirectional edge	`[ A ] <-> [ B ]`
`--`	Undirected edge	`[ A ] -- [ B ]`
`{ label: text; }`	Edge label	`-> { label: yes; }`
`( Group )`	Node group	`( Frontend )`

Understanding Graph-Easy

What is Graph-Easy?

Graph-Easy is a Perl library that converts simple text notation into beautiful ASCII art diagrams. Originally created by Tels, it's widely used for documenting software architecture, creating flowcharts in documentation, and generating diagrams that can be embedded in plain text files like README files.

Output Formats

ASCII Art

Classic text-based diagrams using +, -, |, and other ASCII characters. Works everywhere.

Box Art

Uses Unicode box-drawing characters for cleaner, professional-looking diagrams.

GraphViz DOT Export

DOT format with PNG/SVG/PDF export via Viz.js rendering.

HTML Preview

HTML table output with live preview. Toggle to view source code.

Common Use Cases

Documentation: Create architecture diagrams that live alongside your code
README files: Add visual flowcharts to project documentation
System design: Quickly sketch component relationships
Process flows: Document workflows and decision trees
Git workflows: Visualize branching strategies

Syntax Examples

Simple Chain

[ Input ] -> [ Process ] -> [ Output ]

With Labels

[ Decision ] -> { label: yes; } [ Success ] [ Decision ] -> { label: no; } [ Retry ]

Bidirectional

[ Client ] <-> [ Server ] [ Server ] <-> [ Database ]

Groups

( Backend ) [ API ] -> [ Service ] -> [ DB ]

Graph-Easy vs Other Diagram Tools

Feature	Graph-Easy	Mermaid	PlantUML	ASCII Flow
ASCII Art Output	Native	No	Limited	Yes
PNG/SVG Export	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
README Compatible	Perfect	Needs render	Needs render	Yes
No Server Required	Browser only	Yes	Needs Java	Yes
Learning Curve	Easy	Medium	Medium	Visual/Easy
Best For	Docs, README, Terminal	Web docs, Markdown	UML, Complex diagrams	Quick sketches

Who Uses This Tool?

💻

Developers README diagrams

⚙️

DevOps/SRE Architecture docs

📚

Tech Writers Documentation

🎓

Students Flowcharts

Tips:

Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on Mac) to quickly render your graph.
Select GraphViz DOT format to export your diagram as PNG, SVG, or PDF.
Select HTML format to see a live preview — toggle between preview and source code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Graph-Easy is a text-to-diagram tool that converts simple text notation into ASCII art flowcharts and graphs. Write [Node A] -> [Node B] and it automatically generates properly formatted diagrams with boxes, arrows, and connections. This tool runs the full Perl Graph-Easy library in your browser via WebAssembly.

Mermaid does not output ASCII art natively. Graph-Easy is the best free Mermaid to ASCII alternative. Rewrite your diagram in Graph-Easy notation like [A] -> [B] and select ASCII Art or Box Art format. The output works in terminals, README files, and plain-text docs. You can also export to PNG, SVG, and PDF just like Mermaid.

Yes! Select 'GraphViz DOT' format, render your diagram, then use the PNG, SVG, or PDF export buttons. The tool uses Viz.js to convert DOT to high-resolution images entirely in your browser.

Use groups with parentheses like (Frontend) and (Backend) to organize components. Connect services with labeled edges: [API] -> { label: REST; } [Database]. This is perfect for documenting microservices, cloud architecture, and system designs.

Absolutely! ASCII art output is perfect for README files since it displays correctly on GitHub, GitLab, and any plain text viewer. Copy the output directly into your markdown files without needing external image hosting.

No account required! The tool runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly (Perl compiled to WASM). After the initial load, diagram generation works offline. Your data never leaves your browser.

Add labels with { label: text; } between nodes: [A] -> { label: yes; } [B]. For styling use { style: dashed; } or { style: bold; }. You can combine multiple attributes in one block. Use ( Group Name ) to group related nodes.

Click the Share button to generate a URL that encodes your diagram notation. Anyone with the link will see your diagram pre-loaded and auto-rendered. You can also copy the ASCII output directly into emails, Slack, or documentation.

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Graph-Easy ASCII Diagram Generator

Understanding Graph-Easy

What is Graph-Easy?

Output Formats

ASCII Art

Box Art

GraphViz DOT Export

HTML Preview

Common Use Cases

Syntax Examples

Graph-Easy vs Other Diagram Tools

Who Uses This Tool?

Frequently Asked Questions

Support This Free Tool

Understanding Graph-Easy

What is Graph-Easy?

Output Formats

ASCII Art

Box Art

GraphViz DOT Export

HTML Preview

Common Use Cases

Syntax Examples

Graph-Easy vs Other Diagram Tools

Who Uses This Tool?

Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Support This Free Tool

Export Graph

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Graph-Easy ASCII Diagram Generator