Diagram types
Mermaid supports eleven diagram types in version 11. We cover the eight most common here, each with its own landing page, cheat sheet, and one-click sample you can drop into the preview tool.
- Flowchart — Boxes and arrows for processes, decisions, and pipelines. The most-used Mermaid diagram type and a good starting point.
- Sequence diagram — Time-ordered messages between actors and services. The right tool for API request flows, retries, and asynchronous handoffs.
- Class diagram — Object-oriented classes, attributes, and relationships. Useful for domain models, library overviews, and onboarding new engineers.
- State diagram — State machines, UI flows, and lifecycle transitions. The right diagram when the same noun has multiple states with rules about how to move between them.
- ER diagram — Entity-relationship diagrams for database schemas. Shows tables, foreign keys, and cardinality at a glance.
- Gantt chart — Project schedules with sections, durations, dependencies, and milestones. A solid choice for launch plans and roadmaps that have to fit on one slide.
- Pie chart — Quick proportional charts. Best for two- or three-slice break-downs that fit in a slide.
- Mindmap — Hierarchical idea maps. Useful for brainstorms, scope summaries, and any tree-shaped notes that need to live in a Markdown file.
Want to try without reading? Open the live preview and pick an example from the dropdown.