# Flowchart Syntax Reference for Confluence — Mermaid, DOT & Canvas

April 24, 2026 ·

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3 min read

[NGPilot](https://ngpilot.com)

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Flowcharts are one of the most common diagrams teams add to Confluence pages — for process documentation, onboarding, decision trees, and troubleshooting guides. This article shows three ways to create them using NGPILOT apps.

## Method 1: Mermaid Plus (text-based flowcharts)[​](#method-1-mermaid-plus-text-based-flowcharts "Direct link to Method 1: Mermaid Plus (text-based flowcharts)")

[Mermaid Plus for Confluence](/docs/Mermaid-Plus-for-Confluence/usage.md) renders flowcharts from a simple text syntax. It's fast, versionable, and supports complex branching.

**Copy-paste example:**

```
graph TD

  A[User submits request] --> B{Auto-validation}

  B -- Valid --> C[Route to team]

  B -- Invalid --> D[Return to user with errors]

  D --> A

  C --> E{Team review}

  E -- Approve --> F[Process request]

  E -- Reject --> G[Notify user]
```

**Steps:**

1. Edit a Confluence page
2. Type `/mermaid` and select the Mermaid Plus macro
3. Paste your flowchart code
4. Preview and save

Mermaid supports styled nodes, subgraphs, click events, and themes. See the full syntax guide: [Create Mermaid diagrams in Confluence](/blog/create-mermaid-diagrams-confluence.md).

## Method 2: Excalidraw Plus (visual drag-and-drop)[​](#method-2-excalidraw-plus-visual-drag-and-drop "Direct link to Method 2: Excalidraw Plus (visual drag-and-drop)")

[Excalidraw Plus for Confluence](/docs/Excalidraw-plus-for-Confluence/usage.md) gives you a visual canvas where you drag shapes, connect them with arrows, and add labels. It ships with built-in shape libraries for flowcharts.

**Steps:**

1. Edit a Confluence page
2. Type `/excalidraw` and select the macro
3. Drag shapes from the flowchart library onto the canvas
4. Connect shapes with arrows and add labels
5. Save

**Best for:** Teams that prefer visual editing over code, brainstorming sessions, and early-stage process mapping.

See also: [Excalidraw best practices FAQ](/blog/faq-excalidraw-best-practices.md).

## Method 3: Graphviz Charts (auto-layout graphs)[​](#method-3-graphviz-charts-auto-layout-graphs "Direct link to Method 3: Graphviz Charts (auto-layout graphs)")

[Graphviz Charts for Confluence](/docs/Graphviz-Charts-for-Confluence/usage.md) uses the DOT language to generate flowcharts with automatic layout. The engine handles node positioning, so you focus on relationships.

**Copy-paste example:**

```
digraph {

  rankdir=TD

  A [label="Start"]

  B [label="Process"]

  C [label="Decision", shape=diamond]

  D [label="End"]

  A -> B -> C

  C -> D [label="Yes"]

  C -> B [label="No"]

}
```

**Best for:** Complex graphs with many nodes where automatic layout saves time, or when you need consistent styling across many diagrams.

## Which method should you use?[​](#which-method-should-you-use "Direct link to Which method should you use?")

| Need                                  | Best choice              |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Quick flowcharts with standard shapes | Mermaid Plus             |
| Freeform brainstorming and sketches   | Excalidraw Plus          |
| Complex auto-laid-out graphs          | Graphviz Charts          |
| Version control and diffs             | Mermaid Plus or Graphviz |
| Non-technical team members            | Excalidraw Plus          |

## Related resources[​](#related-resources "Direct link to Related resources")

* [Mermaid Plus for Confluence — documentation](/apps/mermaid-plus-for-confluence.md)
* [Excalidraw Plus for Confluence — documentation](/apps/excalidraw-plus-for-confluence.md)
* [Graphviz Charts for Confluence — documentation](/apps/graphviz-charts-for-confluence.md)
* [Confluence diagram tools comparison](/blog/confluence-diagram-tools-comparison.md)
* [Mermaid troubleshooting FAQ](/blog/faq-mermaid-troubleshooting.md)

## Related guides

* [Best Diagram Tool for Confluence — Compared](/blog/confluence-diagram-tools-comparison.md)
* [How to Create Mermaid Diagrams in Jira](/blog/how-to-create-mermaid-diagrams-jira.md)
* [Export Jira Issues to Excel or CSV](/blog/export-jira-issues-to-excel.md)
* [Bulk Download Jira Attachments](/blog/bulk-download-jira-attachments.md)
* [How to Migrate Confluence Content](/blog/how-to-migrate-confluence-content.md)

Explore NGPILOT[Browse Solutions](/solutions.md)[All Apps](/apps.md)[Atlassian Marketplace →](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/vendors/1226848/?utm_source=ngpilot.com\&utm_medium=blog\&utm_campaign=hub-links)

**Tags:**

* [confluence](/blog/tags/confluence.md)
* [flowcharts](/blog/tags/flowcharts.md)
* [mermaid](/blog/tags/mermaid.md)
* [excalidraw](/blog/tags/excalidraw.md)
* [graphviz](/blog/tags/graphviz.md)
* [how-to](/blog/tags/how-to.md)