Living diagrams
Architecture diagrams linked to code
Keep a diagram connected to a public source of truth. flowss's living diagrams compare supported source structures with a figure and report missing or stale entities and connections. Checks run without AI; you can fix the diagram by hand or use AI reconciliation when your plan supports it.
View the example without an account. Sign in to edit in Studio.
From starting point to finished diagram
Prepare a figure in a cloud project
Edit the example to represent your system and save it in a cloud project. Binding or reconciling requires the project's editor or owner role.
Bind a public source
Open Living Diagrams, choose Bind a diagram, select the project and figure, then choose GitHub repo, docker-compose, OpenAPI spec, SQL schema or a supported raw file URL.
Run a check and review the differences
Choose Bind & run first check, then inspect the status and missing or stale items. Use Check for subsequent comparisons, and only reconcile after confirming the source and diagram describe the same system.
D2 · Editable template
Example: a web application with an API pool
The D2 template shows a browser, load balancer, three API instances, a database and a cache. Use it as a starting view, then replace its identifiers and relationships with those in your actual source.
- For a compose binding, use service names that match the source and compare like-for-like relationships. A conceptual browser or database label is not automatically the same entity as a compose service.
- A changed file does not always mean verified architectural drift. Unsupported structures are tracked for file changes only, and the interface distinguishes Tracking from a structural check.
Read and copy the editable source
browser -> lb: HTTPS
lb -> api1
lb -> api2
lb -> api3
api1 -> db: reads/writes
api2 -> db
api3 -> db
api1 -> cache
api2 -> cache
api3 -> cache
db.shape: cylinder
cache.shape: cylinder
What a repository scan understands
The GitHub scan looks for a compose file with at least two services; if none is found, it can use a package.json workspaces monorepo with at least two packages. It derives services and dependencies from those manifests, not from every line of application code.
Keep private repositories private
The customer-facing source reader accesses public repositories and files anonymously. Do not make a private repository public to use it. Choose a public example or maintain the diagram manually when its source must remain private.
Before you start
Access and limits
- Opening the Studio requires an account. Free includes the Studio and keeps up to 3 saved figures in it and 3 cloud Library projects.
- Drift checks are available to signed-in accounts without AI. Binding needs a cloud project and its editor or owner role; supported public sources and fetch limits are listed in the integration guide.
- AI reconciliation needs an account-saved provider key from Starter or sufficient hosted points from Plus. A key stored only in your browser is not used for reconciliation.