How to Create Diagrams With ChatGPT for Your Projects

If you’re a project manager, you must be familiar with diagraming tools like Lucidchart, Miro, and Draw.io.

They’re great for precision, custom styling, and team collaboration. However, they can be time-consuming.  Chances are, you’re spending more time aligning boxes than thinking through the logic.

With ChatGPT, it’s the opposite. Describe what you need in plain English. Say “Create a swimlane diagram for our QA process,” and you’ll get a draft in seconds. When you’re looking for ideation or simplifying concepts on the fly, it works great. 

In this article, we explain how to create diagrams with ChatGPT using simple, easy steps that anyone can follow.

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⭐ Featured Template

The first one is a UML diagram template. Software engineers and developers use it to understand processes, organize data, and decipher relationship lines.

ClickUp’s UML Activity Template helps your teams map complex workflows. From user stories to project management, they provide a way to track and document all your processes.

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With this whiteboard template, you can: 

• Create tasks with custom statuses to manage your UML diagrams and provide visibility to stakeholders 
• Design activities for any process using whiteboards 
• Visualize complex workflows with drag-and-drop tools 

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How to Create Diagrams with ChatGPT?

ChatGPT has myriad uses, including content creation, brainstorming, visual planning, and structuring complex ideas. But it can’t directly generate diagrams like a design tool would. 

With the right prompt, it can output a visual layout in text, Mermaid.js, or even generate an image, making it a powerful assistant for rapid diagram creation. Here’s how to make the most of it.

Step 1: Start with your objective 

When you define the objective first, you’re giving ChatGPT the ‘what’ and ‘why’ behind the diagram. That helps it choose the right structure and logical flow, saving you the effort of having to backtrack or explain corrections later.  

For example:

• If your objective is to map a process, a flowchart or a swimlane works better
• If you’re trying to brainstorm campaign ideas, a mind map is more useful
• If you need to clarify roles, it might be a RACI or org chart

Step 2: Choose your diagram type 

The right diagram depends on your goal. 

Project managers often map workflows, clarify responsibilities, or prep stakeholder updates. Engineers use diagrams to explain system architecture, API flows, or dev handoffs.

For example, flowcharts capture linear processes, swimlanes show team responsibilities, and sequence diagrams map real-time interactions between systems.

Let’s look at the different diagram examples you could explore for your projects: 

When your teams are cross-functional, visuals make communication faster and reduce ambiguity. 

Step 3: Describe it in plain language 

The quality of your diagram entirely depends on how clean and clear your prompt is, as well as how you detail each step.

Let’s understand this with a quick example. 

Suppose you are a project manager working on an online payment app. Now, if you prompt the tool for a sequence diagram of an online payment app without proper context or details, the tool provides a text-based output rather than a diagram.

Now, let’s try again with a prompt that includes the steps in detail, along with the elements and their relationships.

ChatGPT will respond with either:

• Text-based layout (ASCII)
• Mermaid.js code
• Or an auto-generated image, if enabled

In the case below, we’ve asked ChatGPT to respond with Mermaid.js code. 

Notice the improvement? The clearer your input, the better your output.

You can even go beyond diagrams. Use ChatGPT to generate actionable tasks based on each element of your flow or user journey.

Step 4: Turn the code into a diagram 

Once you generate the code, you can copy and paste it into third-party apps like draw.io or Mermaid Live Editor to generate your diagram.

Your final diagram output will look something like this: 

Most tools allow you to download the diagrams without any hassle. In the case of Mermaid Live Editor, you can share your diagram, the code, and more as shown below:

Step 5: Refine your diagram 

There is a good chance that the generated code may require some error correction, or you may want to add or remove certain elements. Whatever the case, most third-party apps allow you to alter code, fix errors, and add elements and images. 

Considering the same example, let’s assume you want to stack the steps vertically; in that case, ChatGPT’s output would look like this: 

When you copy and paste this code in Mermaid Live Editor, your diagram would look like this:

You can also add details. For instance, you can modify your Mermaid code to highlight failure paths in red. Here is how the output would look: 

You can continue to tweak the code until you achieve the desired output. 

Step 6: Export, embed, or translate 

What’s next after you have the diagram from ChatGPT? Here are some ways to use it in your workflows: 

Text-based layouts

• Great for quick sharing in Slack, email, or inline documentation
• You can paste them into meeting notes or use them as rough drafts for whiteboarding
• If you’re working in tools like ClickUp Docs, Notion, or Confluence, text layouts make a great starting point for brainstorming sections

Mermaid.js code

If ChatGPT outputs Mermaid syntax, you can copy it directly into:

• Notion (code block + Mermaid extension)
• Obsidian (with Mermaid enabled) 
• Confluence (via Mermaid plugins) 
• GitHub README files (for documenting repos) 

Generated images 

Download as-is for use in: 

• Slide decks (PowerPoint, Google Slides)
• Pitch docs (PDFs, Notion, Canva)
• Internal wikis

Translate to another format

You can ask ChatGPT to reformat the diagram if you want to switch styles:

• “Convert this Mermaid flowchart into a plain-text layout”
• “Turn this text outline into an image”

Versioning and updates

• Since the diagram lives in your chat, you can return to it anytime and say, “Update this flow to include a new approval step” or “Change QA to UAT”
• It becomes less of a static export and more of a living visual you can evolve as the project changes

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Limitations of Creating Diagrams With ChatGPT

Besides the benefits of diagramming using ChatGPT, there are some limitations and challenges attached.  

❌ No direct image creation: Although ChatGPT generates diagram code, it cannot produce finished images on its own. You’ll always need to paste the code into external, third-party diagram makers. This extra step is time-consuming, especially when you need to generate diagrams in bulk

❌ Complex layouts need manual intervention: Simple diagrams and flows work perfectly. However, this doesn’t apply to diagrams that have multiple interconnected or complex elements, which require human intervention or fine-tuning

❌ Syntax errors: Occasionally, the generated code may contain minor issues that can prevent rendering. Some common issues include a missing comma, bracket, TD, or LR (Top-down, left-right) element, or incorrect arrow types. This can lead to back-and-forth to get the perfect diagram (which might again not be ideal for quick tasks)

❌ Struggle with advanced technical diagrams: It may lack depth and accuracy when it comes to advanced ChatGPT examples, such as technical and engineering diagrams or exact architectural plans that require precise measurements and specialized tools

❌ Static output only: Unlike dedicated diagramming tools, ChatGPT-generated diagrams may lack interactive features, such as clickable elements, pop-ups, or dynamic updates and changes

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Create Diagrams With ClickUp 

If you’re a project manager mapping out sprint plans or an educator breaking down complex ideas, ChatGPT can give you the first draft. 

But when it’s time to turn those ideas into something you can actually present or collaborate on, you’ll need a visual tool. 

That’s where ClickUp, the everything app for work, makes your life easier. 

Let’s see how!

ClickUp Brain

ClickUp Brain is ClickUp’s built-in AI assistant that works right inside your tasks, docs, and projects.

Instead of switching between ChatGPT and your workflow tools, you can bring the power of AI directly into where the work happens. From writing to reasoning to visual planning, it helps teams move faster, without jumping between apps.

Now let’s put this into context. 

Your project management team can ask Brain to generate a workflow diagram draft, summarize meeting notes, or create a visual sprint roadmap—all within the task or doc they’re already using. 

Here, we ask Brain to generate a 4-sprint roadmap for the launch of a payment app. 

Meanwhile, your developers can use the same space to generate sequence diagrams, request code snippets, or document backend architecture, without leaving ClickUp.

Now, for the above sprint, you can even generate code snippets for each step. If you’re a project manager, the benefit of this feature is that you don’t need to depend on the tech team for every small change. You can make them yourself. 

Since ClickUp Brain allows users to choose from multiple external AI models, including Claude, ChatGPT-4.0, and Gemini, you can use Brain to brainstorm, write, reason, and code, among many other things. 

Adding to that, with AI image prompts, you can even generate images within ClickUp. 

Whether you need technical assistance or creative brainstorming, ClickUp Brain allows you to do it all. 

ClickUp Agents 

Once you’ve created diagrams with ChatGPT and ClickUp Brain, what if they could update or trigger automatically, based on actual work happening in your project?

That’s where ClickUp Agents come in.

These intelligent, customizable assistants can take action on your behalf. For example:

• A project update triggers an Agent to generate a new workflow diagram summarizing what changed
• After a sprint review is logged, an Agent can summarize the discussion and attach a mind map of key takeaways
• When a new team member is onboarded, the AI Agent can auto-generate an org chart or training flow

Regardless of your workflow diagram—whether managing dev sprints, cross-functional workflows, or stakeholder handoffs—ClickUp Agents turn manual diagramming into automated, context-aware actions.

You focus on the thinking. Let your workspace handle the updates.

Visualize and collaborate with ClickUp Whiteboards

You’ve completed the first step of drafting a diagram with Brain. 

Now, when you want to collaborate or brainstorm ideas with your team, you need a virtual whiteboard. 

ClickUp Whiteboards gives you a drag-and-drop visual space to map workflows, brainstorm solutions, or co-create architecture diagrams. 

You can drop in tasks, link ideas, annotate directly, and turn sticky notes into action items without leaving the canvas.

Here’s how you can use Whiteboard: 

• Ask ClickUp Brain to generate a user journey map based on your specifications
• Add it to your whiteboard
• Collaborate cross-functionally during sprint planning
• Visually walk stakeholders through a proposed feature flow

Let’s see how ClickUp Whiteboards helps you take your ideas from concept to execution.  

In just a few minutes, the product team sketches a workflow, adds sticky notes, and links every shape to real tasks, so you can watch an idea move from rough diagram to live project without ever leaving ClickUp.

What’s the edge over diagraming tools? 

Whiteboards are directly connected to your tasks and projects in ClickUp, so everything stays actionable and in sync.

Structure ideas with ClickUp Mind Maps

For more structured planning, ClickUp Mind Maps help you turn abstract ideas into clear, connected task hierarchies. 

Say you’re a project manager building a product rpadmpa. Or a developer visualizing system architecture before translating components into development tasks. Or a knowledge worker wanting to organize research findings into connected themes. 

ClickUp Mind Maps are your go-to tool for clarity.

With Mind Maps, you can:

• Outline project phases with branching dependencies
• Organize research, user stories, or feature requests
• Convert branches directly into tasks or subtasks

Pre-built templates 

Even with ChatGPT and AI-assisted planning, starting from a blank canvas can feel overwhelming. More so when you’re pressed for time or unsure how to structure your thoughts.

That’s where ClickUp’s pre-built templates come in.

They solve key pain points like:

• Repetitive setup work: No need to rebuild swimlanes, mind map branches, or architecture blocks every time. Templates give you an instant starting point
• Unclear structure: Whether you’re planning a sprint, diagramming a system, or running a retrospective, templates provide built-in formatting and guidance to keep things on track
• Wasted time on formatting: Instead of aligning boxes or building node trees manually, you can focus on inputs and decisions. ClickUp handles the layout
• Poor collaboration flow: Templates are built into ClickUp’s Whiteboards and Mind Maps, so your team can jump in, comment, assign tasks, and iterate—no export/import needed

Whether you’re diagramming workflows, mapping dependencies, or ideating features, ClickUp’s templates help you go from AI draft → collaborative diagram → actionable task list in minutes.

Here are some templates to help you get started. 

The first one is ClickUp’s Pyramid Whiteboard Template, which helps you organize your ideas into pyramids for quick comprehension. You get the best of both worlds: the freedom to draw diagrams and diagrams with just the right structure to easily document and visualize your work.

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This whiteboard template allows you to: 

• Store all your diagrams in a collaborative workspace for future reference 
• Improve tracking the progress of your projects and ideas with priority labels, nested subtasks, and add assignees to respective tasks 
• Facilitate collaboration by allowing everyone in your team to contribute ideas 

Lastly, ClickUp’s User Flow Mind Map Template allows you to create a visual map of how users will interact with your product or website. This template helps you identify areas of opportunity and potential gaps and gain insights into how people will interact with your product. 

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Here’s how you can use this template efficiently: 

• Create a ClickUp Doc to gather all the information you need: tasks involved, actions at each step, and expected outcomes 
• Brainstorm the user flows using Whiteboards, sticky notes, and other visual aids 
• Set up recurring tasks to regularly review and update the user flow 

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Turn Your Ideas into Actionable Diagrams With ClickUp 

You now know how to create diagrams with ChatGPT. They’re fast, flexible, and intuitive. 

But when you embed that into ClickUp, your diagrams do more than communicate—they activate. 

From AI-generated roadmaps to automated updates and collaborative whiteboards, your entire team can work visually, quickly, and in sync.

Explore ClickUp Brain, Agents, Mind Maps, and Whiteboards to turn your next diagram into something truly dynamic.

Build with ClickUp. Collaborate without context-switching. Sign up for free. 

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