# Start a diagram from a template or AI

> Begin a diagram from a ready-made flowchart, org chart, mind map or approval flow, or describe a process and let AI draw and lay it out.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-templates-and-ai
Section: Office > Diagrams
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

You do not have to start a diagram from an empty canvas. PlexiiDiagrams has four templates to build on, and AI can draw a whole diagram from a description of a process, then set it out neatly for you.

## Before you start

- Templates and AI are on every plan.
- The AI needs to be set up: PlexiDesk credits while you are signed in, or your own Anthropic key. See [AI credits and where your AI runs](https://plexiidesk.com/help/ai-credits).
- Open a diagram, or start a new one. See [PlexiiDiagrams overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-overview).

> **Note:**
> A template or an AI map replaces everything on the canvas, and PlexiiDiagrams has no undo. Use them on a new diagram, or choose **File** > **Make a copy** first to keep what you have.

## Start from a template

1. Click **Templates** in the toolbar.
2. Choose one.

The template replaces the canvas and the view zooms to show all of it.

| Template | What you get |
| --- | --- |
| **Flowchart** | A start, a step, a "Looks good?" decision with Yes and No branches, a dashed retry loop back, and an end. |
| **Org chart** | A head of the organisation with three teams under it. |
| **Mind map** | A central idea with four branches: Why, Who, How and When. |
| **Approval flow** | Three lanes, Requester, Approver and System, with a request that is submitted, approved or sent back for revision, and recorded. |

Every shape in a template is an ordinary shape. Double-click one to rename it, drag it to move it, and add or delete shapes as you need. See [Draw a flowchart](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-draw-a-flowchart).

## Generate a diagram with AI

1. Click **AI map** in the toolbar. The **Generate a map with AI** window opens.
2. Describe the process, decision flow or structure. For example: "How a support ticket moves from the customer to a fix, with an escalation step."
3. Click **Generate**, or press `⌘` `Enter` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `Enter` on Windows.

AI works out the steps and how they connect, and PlexiiDiagrams lays them out in layers and fits them in view. The diagram replaces what was on the canvas.

What an AI diagram has:

- Between 5 and 14 shapes, forming one connected flow.
- **Start / End** shapes for where it begins and ends, **Process** shapes for steps, **Decision** shapes for yes or no questions, and **Data** and **Store** shapes where something goes in, comes out or is kept.
- Connectors from each decision labelled Yes and No.
- A colour for each kind of shape, so the steps, decisions and stores are easy to tell apart.

Edit the result like any diagram. To try again, click **AI map** and generate a new one. To leave the window without generating, click **Cancel**.

> **Tip:**
> Say what matters in your description: who is involved, where decisions are made, and where the process ends. Naming the decision points gives you the Yes and No branches.

## Create a new diagram with AI from the Documents page

To get an AI diagram as a new file, without opening one first:

1. Open the Documents page. See [The Documents page](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-documents-page).
2. Under the AI box at the top, click **Map**.
3. Describe the diagram. You can also say who it is for in **Who is it for? (optional)**.
4. Click **Create with AI**.

A new diagram opens, with a title AI gives it.

## Common questions

**I picked a template and lost my diagram.** A template replaces the canvas. Open **File** > **Version history** to go back to an earlier version. See [Version history](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-version-history).

**The AI window says no Anthropic API key is set.** AI is not set up yet. Sign in to use PlexiDesk credits, or add your own key. See [AI settings](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-ai) and [Add your own API keys](https://plexiidesk.com/help/api-keys).

**The AI says the map came back empty.** Make the description more specific: name the steps or the people involved, and try again.

**Can AI add to the diagram I have, instead of replacing it?** No. **AI map** always draws a whole new diagram. To combine, generate into a new diagram and rebuild the part you need in yours.

**Can I make my own templates?** Keep a diagram you want to reuse, and choose **File** > **Make a copy** each time you need a fresh one.

## Related tasks

- [PlexiiDiagrams overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-overview)
- [Draw a flowchart](https://plexiidesk.com/help/diagrams-draw-a-flowchart)
- [The Documents page](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-documents-page)
- [Templates and starting points](https://plexiidesk.com/help/office-templates)
- [AI credits and where your AI runs](https://plexiidesk.com/help/ai-credits)