Next AI Draw.io is an open-source web application built with Next.js that brings AI-powered diagram generation to draw.io. It allows users to create, modify, and enhance technical diagrams — including cloud architectures (AWS, GCP, Azure), flowcharts, and even simple illustrations — using natural language commands. By integrating with multiple large language models via the Vercel AI SDK and react-drawio, it eliminates the need for manual drag-and-drop diagramming. This tool is designed for developers, DevOps engineers, and technical writers who need to quickly visualize system architectures or explain complex workflows without relying on traditional diagramming tools.
The app supports both browser-based usage and local deployment, with options to use your own API keys or leverage server-side model configurations. Its experimental MCP Server integration even allows AI agents like Claude Desktop and VS Code extensions to generate diagrams directly from your code editor. With features like diagram history, image-to-diagram conversion, and PDF/text file extraction, it bridges the gap between natural language communication and structured visual documentation.
What You Get
- LLM-Powered Diagram Creation - Generate draw.io diagrams from natural language prompts like “Create a GCP architecture with load balancers and VMs” — the AI converts text into valid draw.io XML.
- Image-Based Diagram Replication - Upload PNG or JPG diagrams and the AI reconstructs them as editable draw.io elements, preserving layout and structure.
- PDF & Text File Upload - Extract structured information from PDFs or plain text files to auto-generate diagrams, ideal for turning technical documents into visual architectures.
- AI Reasoning Display - View the AI’s step-by-step thought process before rendering diagrams, enhancing transparency for complex requests on supported models like GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, and Gemini.
- Diagram History - Track all edits made to a diagram via AI or manual changes, with version restore functionality to revert to any prior state.
- Interactive Chat Interface - Refine diagrams iteratively through conversational prompts — e.g., “Make the connectors thicker” or “Add a Redis cache between services”.
- Cloud Architecture Diagram Support - Pre-trained to recognize and render AWS, GCP, and Azure icons accurately using model-specific training data.
- Animated Connectors - Generate dynamic, animated connectors between diagram elements to illustrate data flow or sequence in visualizations.
- MCP Server Integration (Preview) - Use Next AI Draw.io as a backend for AI agents via Model Context Protocol; configure with npx @next-ai-drawio/mcp-server@latest to enable diagram generation in Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code.
Common Use Cases
- Building cloud architecture diagrams - DevOps teams generate accurate AWS/GCP/Azure diagrams from textual requirements without manually dragging icons, saving hours per diagram.
- Documenting legacy systems - Engineers upload screenshots or PDFs of old system diagrams and use AI to recreate them as editable, scalable draw.io files for modern documentation.
- Prompt → Diagram workflow - A developer types “Show me a microservice architecture with Kafka, PostgreSQL, and Redis” and instantly receives an accurate, icon-correct diagram without using a GUI tool.
- Team collaboration on technical docs - Technical writers and developers collaborate in real-time using the chat interface to refine diagrams during sprint planning or architecture reviews.
Under The Hood
Next AI Draw.io is an open-source, AI-powered diagram creation tool that merges natural language processing with draw.io’s visualization capabilities. It enables users to generate architecture diagrams and flowcharts through conversational AI, supporting multiple AI providers and offering both web and desktop deployment options.
Architecture
The project follows a modern full-stack architecture with a Next.js frontend, API routes for backend logic, and modular components organized by feature. It supports multi-language UIs and includes both web and Electron-based desktop applications.
- Separation of concerns with distinct API routes for chat, config, feedback, and validation
- Modular component structure with reusable UI elements and AI-specific components
- Multi-platform support including web, Electron desktop app, and edge deployment
Tech Stack
Built using TypeScript and Next.js, the project leverages modern web technologies with extensive AI integration. It uses various AI SDKs and includes comprehensive tooling for development and deployment.
- TypeScript with Next.js 14 and React for the frontend
- AI SDKs from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, AWS Bedrock and others
- Electron for desktop application support
- Docker and Vercel for deployment flexibility
Code Quality
The codebase demonstrates good practices with consistent TypeScript usage, clear component organization, and comprehensive error handling. It includes extensive documentation and follows modern React patterns.
- Strong TypeScript typing with consistent naming conventions
- Comprehensive error handling and API response management
- Modular component design with reusable UI elements
- Extensive documentation in multiple languages and configuration files
What Makes It Unique
This project uniquely combines natural language AI with draw.io’s diagramming capabilities, offering a novel approach to architecture visualization. It provides extensive multi-language support and cross-platform deployment options that are rare in similar tools.
- Seamless integration of natural language AI with draw.io XML generation
- Multi-language UI support with localized documentation and content
- Cross-platform availability including Electron desktop app and web deployment
- Extensible support for multiple AI providers with unified API interface