Archify — Generate Architecture Diagrams from Natural Language

Introduction

Archify is an open-source tool that converts natural language descriptions into professional architecture diagrams. Instead of manually dragging boxes and drawing arrows, you describe your system in plain text and Archify generates a clean, exportable diagram. It targets developers and architects who want to document systems quickly.

What Archify Does

• Converts text descriptions into structured architecture diagrams
• Generates diagrams in multiple visual styles and layouts
• Exports to PNG, SVG, and other standard image formats
• Provides a web-based interface for interactive editing
• Supports common architecture patterns like microservices and event-driven designs

Architecture Overview

Archify uses a web frontend that collects the user's natural language description and sends it to an LLM backend for interpretation. The model extracts components, connections, and hierarchies from the description and produces a structured graph definition. A rendering engine then lays out the graph and draws the diagram using a canvas-based renderer with customizable styling.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Clone the repository and install Node.js dependencies
• Configure an LLM API key for the natural language processing backend
• Run the development server or build for production deployment
• Customize diagram styles through the theme configuration
• Deploy behind a reverse proxy for team access

Key Features

• Natural language input removes the need for manual diagram tools
• Multiple export formats for documentation and presentations
• Customizable visual themes for consistent branding
• Web-based interface accessible from any browser
• Open source and self-hostable for private use

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Excalidraw — Freehand whiteboard tool; Archify auto-generates structured diagrams from text
• draw.io — Manual drag-and-drop editor; Archify creates diagrams from descriptions
• Mermaid — Code-based diagrams using a DSL; Archify accepts natural language instead of a specific syntax
• D2 — Declarative diagram language; Archify adds AI-powered natural language understanding

FAQ

Q: Does Archify require an LLM API key? A: Yes. Archify uses an LLM to interpret natural language descriptions and generate diagram structures.

Q: What types of diagrams can Archify generate? A: Architecture diagrams including system overviews, microservice layouts, data flow diagrams, and component hierarchies.

Q: Can I edit the generated diagrams? A: The web interface allows you to refine the generated output. You can also regenerate with modified descriptions.

Q: Is Archify suitable for large complex architectures? A: Archify handles moderate complexity well. For very large systems, break the description into subsystem diagrams.

Sources

• https://github.com/tt-a1i/archify