Create PlantUML Diagrams Easily in Miro for Enhanced Visuals

If your team already uses Miro for workshops, discovery and architecture reviews, the PlantUML app allows you to transform brief text snippets into clear, uniform UML directly on the board. You type the description; Miro generates a diagram that the entire team can comment on, version, and refine in real time — no image exports or context-switching required.

Why this matters

“Diagram-as-code” adds consistency to visuals. With PlantUML in Miro, you can standardize on text templates for sequence, class, component, and activity diagrams, and then keep those diagrams close to surrounding notes, stickies, and flows. Because it resides on the same board as your research, user journeys, and decisions, the diagram becomes part of the workshop itself, instead of an attachment that falls out of date.

What the Miro + PlantUML app does

The PlantUML app in Miro provides a focused editor that understands PlantUML syntax and converts it into native Miro objects on the board. You can paste code from documents or repositories, preview instantly, and insert the rendered diagram as a board object that stays linked to its underlying code. When you edit the code later, the diagram updates — keeping your architecture aligned with the discussion.

Key capabilities include:

• Create and update diagrams using standard PlantUML syntax (sequence, class, state, activity, use case, component, deployment, and more).

• Paste existing code from platforms like GitHub or Notion and render in seconds.

• Keep diagrams editable — modify the code to update the visual rather than redrawing shapes.

• Collaborate live: move, comment, @mention reviewers and add frames for presentations.

How it works (step-by-step)

1. Install the app: Open your Miro board, click More apps on the left toolbar, search for PlantUML, then add it to your board.

2. Open the editor: Choose PlantUML from the toolbar to create a new diagram. A code pane appears with a live preview.

3. Write or paste code: Type PlantUML text or paste existing snippets. Use comments to document assumptions.

4. Insert & iterate: Click Insert to place the diagram. Double-click later to edit the code; the preview and board object refresh automatically.

5. Collaborate & present: Add comments, @mention teammates, group with frames, and export board slices to PNG/PDF for reviews if necessary.

Tip: For quick text-only visuals during a workshop, start with a lightweight sequence diagram. You can refactor to class/component views later using the same entities and relationships.

Practical examples (copy-ready)

Sequence diagram

@startuml
actor User
participant WebApp
participant API
database DB
User -> WebApp: Clicks "Place order"
WebApp -> API: POST /orders
API -> DB: INSERT order
DB --> API: order_id
API --> WebApp: 201 Created
WebApp --> User: Order confirmed
@enduml

Component diagram

@startuml
package Checkout {
  [Web Frontend] --> [Checkout API]
  [Checkout API] --> [Payments Service]
  [Checkout API] --> [Inventory Service]
}
[Payments Service] --> (PSP)
[Inventory Service] --> (Warehouse)
@enduml

Paste either block into the PlantUML editor on your board to render instantly. Use frames to create a mini-gallery of variants and track design decisions with each frame.

Working alongside Mermaid and native shapes

Many teams combine PlantUML with Mermaid for quick sketches, or with Miro’s UML shape packs for free-form edits. That’s perfectly fine: PlantUML is excellent when you want consistency, templates, and versionable text; shape packs are ideal for whiteboarding; Mermaid provides a markdown-style syntax for flowcharts and simple graphs. All three options coexist comfortably on the same board.

FAQs

What is PlantUML?
A text-based language that generates UML diagrams (sequence, class, state, activity, component, deployment, and more). It’s perfect for versionable, repeatable visuals.

How do I add PlantUML to Miro?
From a board, open More apps → search PlantUML → Add. Then open the PlantUML editor, paste or type your code, and insert the diagram.

Can we collaborate in real time?
Yes. Miro supports multi-user editing, comments, @mentions, and frames. Diagrams placed on a board behave like other Miro objects and can be moved, grouped, and exported.

Does it work with my repositories?
You can paste code from any source. For governance, keep PlantUML snippets in your docs repository and paste into Miro during reviews; the diagram stays editable from the board.

Summary

PlantUML in Miro pairs the efficiency of text with the clarity of diagrams — all within a shared workspace. Begin with a board you're already using for discovery or design reviews, add the PlantUML app, and keep your models in step with decisions.

Want a team template pack? Generation Digital can create PlantUML starters (sequence, component, deployment) tailored to your conventions and review process.