How to Use Excalidraw in Confluence for Whiteboarding and Diagrams
Need a whiteboard or diagram tool inside Confluence? Excalidraw Plus brings the popular open-source drawing tool directly into your pages — with 220+ component libraries, Mermaid support, and a hand-drawn style that makes documentation feel human.
Why Teams Need a Whiteboard in Confluence
Confluence is where your team documents decisions, plans sprints, and shares knowledge. But when you need to sketch an architecture diagram, map out a user flow, or brainstorm ideas, you typically have to switch to an external tool — draw.io, Miro, or Figma — and then embed or screenshot the result back into your page.
That context switching costs time and breaks your workflow. What if you could draw directly inside Confluence, without ever leaving the editor?
Enter Excalidraw Plus for Confluence
Excalidraw Plus is a Confluence macro that embeds a full-featured Excalidraw editor right into your pages. It combines:
- Excalidraw — the freehand, hand-drawn-style whiteboard loved by developers and designers
- Mermaid — code-based diagramming for flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, and more
- 220+ component libraries — pre-built shapes for AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, UML, ERD, network diagrams, and more
Think of it as a modern, faster alternative to draw.io that lives natively inside Confluence.
How to Get Started
Step 1: Install the App
- Go to the Excalidraw Plus for Confluence page on Atlassian Marketplace
- Click Get app or Try it free
- Follow the installation wizard
Step 2: Insert the Macro
You have two options:
- Slash command: Type
/excalidrawin the Confluence editor and press Enter - Toolbar: Click the
+button, search for "Excalidraw Plus", and click to insert
Step 3: Start Drawing
The Excalidraw editor opens inline. You can:
- Drag shapes from the 220+ libraries — AWS architecture, Kubernetes pods, UML components, network icons, and more
- Use the freehand pencil for brainstorming and rough sketches
- Add text labels and annotations
- Customize colors, line styles, and opacity
- Switch to Mermaid mode for code-based diagrams
Step 4: Save and Publish
Click outside the editor, then save your Confluence page. Your diagram is stored securely within Confluence — no external service dependencies.
What Can You Draw?
Here are common use cases teams use Excalidraw Plus for every day:
Architecture Diagrams
Drag pre-built AWS, Azure, or GCP icons from the library to map out your cloud infrastructure. The hand-drawn style keeps things informal enough for brainstorming but clear enough for documentation.
Flowcharts and Process Maps
Use the built-in shape tools — rectangles, diamonds, arrows — to map out business processes, approval workflows, or user journeys.
Mind Maps and Brainstorming
Start with a central idea and branch out with the freehand drawing tool. Perfect for sprint planning, retrospectives, or product ideation.
UML and ERD
The component libraries include standard UML class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and entity-relationship diagrams for software design documentation.
Wireframes and UI Sketches
Quickly sketch page layouts, navigation flows, or component mockups without switching to a dedicated design tool.
Excalidraw vs Mermaid: When to Use Each
Excalidraw Plus includes both drawing modes. Here's when to pick each:
| Excalidraw | Mermaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brainstorming, wireframes, architecture sketches | Flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts |
| Input method | Drag-and-drop, freehand drawing | Code-based text syntax |
| Style | Hand-drawn, creative | Precise, structured |
| Learning curve | Zero — start drawing immediately | Learn Mermaid syntax first |
| Version control | Visual changes | Text diffs in page history |
For teams that need both creative freedom and structured diagrams, the Excalidraw Plus documentation covers all features in detail.
Export Options
Need your diagram outside Confluence? Export to:
- PNG — for presentations and emails
- SVG — for scalable, high-quality graphics
- JSON — for backup or importing into other Excalidraw instances
Why Teams Choose Excalidraw Plus
- No external dependencies — everything runs inside Confluence, your data stays in your instance
- 220+ libraries — the largest component library collection of any Excalidraw Confluence app
- Fast and lightweight — loads instantly, no Java applets or heavy plugins
- Dark mode support — matches your Confluence theme automatically
- Both Excalidraw and Mermaid — two diagram paradigms in one app
Get Started Today
Ready to bring whiteboarding and diagramming directly into Confluence?
Have questions or feedback? Reach out to us at service@ngpilot.com — we'd love to hear from you.