How to Generate Diagrams with ChatGPT Effectively
Tired of squinting at text-heavy documents? Diagrams can make your ideas click instantly — and ChatGPT can help you create them without being a designer.
Why Use ChatGPT for Diagrams?
ChatGPT doesn't draw images directly, but it's brilliant at generating: Mermaid.js code, PlantUML specifications, Graphviz scripts, ASCII art, and detailed prompts for diagram tools like Lucidchart or Canva.
The Simple Workflow
- Describe what you want — Explain your diagram concept in plain English
- Ask for the code — Request Mermaid or PlantUML format
- Copy and render — Paste into a live editor
Example
You: "Create a flowchart showing the customer order process: customer places order → system confirms → payment processes → order ships → customer receives."
ChatGPT gives you:
graph TD
A[Customer Places Order] → B[System Confirms]
B → C[Payment Processes]
C → D[Order Ships]
D → E[Customer Receives]
Best Practices
- Be specific about shapes and connections
- Specify landscape vs portrait
- Mention color preferences if relevant
- Ask for alternatives if the first version isn't right
Tools That Accept Mermaid
- Mermaid Live Editor (free)
- Notion
- Obsidian
- GitHub README files
- Many more
Bottom Line
ChatGPT + Mermaid = fast diagrams without the design hassle. It's perfect for documentation, presentations, and explaining concepts to your team.