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Architecture diagrams engineers actually update.

Most architecture docs go stale the week after they ship. SketchPad keeps the canvas fast enough, shareable enough, and versioned enough that diagrams stay honest through every refactor.

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What makes it work

Purpose-built for precise diagramming.

Snap, grid, and smart connectors

Lines lock to 45° angles, shapes snap to pixel grids, and connectors stay attached when you move a service box — no manual cleanup.

Layered canvases

Separate deployment, data flow, and network views in layers. Toggle them on or off to explain one dimension at a time.

Version history that matters

Every save is recoverable. Compare diagrams across sprints, restore the shape of your system at any point in time.

Export to docs and decks

PNG, SVG, and vector PDF exports drop cleanly into Notion, Confluence, RFCs, and postmortems without blurring.

A typical workflow

From blank canvas to reviewed diagram.

01

Start from a blank canvas

No template lock-in. Rectangles, ellipses, diamonds, arrows, and text cover 95% of architecture diagrams.

02

Drop services and connect them

Click a shape, label it, and drag a connector to the next one. Arrows follow the boxes as you rearrange.

03

Annotate the why

Add callout notes, stroke colors for hot paths, and legends so the diagram reads on its own in an RFC.

04

Share, review, revise

Invite engineers to comment inline. Keep the canvas alongside the design doc, not buried in someone's laptop.

Architecture diagramming FAQ.

Do you support AWS / GCP / Kubernetes shapes?
We keep the shape library deliberately small — the clarity of rectangles with labels beats icon soup in most code reviews. You can paste cloud icons as images when needed.
Can I export diagrams for use in RFCs?
Yes. SVG and PDF exports are vector and scale cleanly. PNG export supports transparent background and custom DPI for docs.
How does version history work?
Every change is autosaved. You can also create named snapshots before big refactors and roll back to any named version in one click.
Is it fast with 200+ shapes?
Yes. The canvas renderer is tuned for complex scenes. Most architecture diagrams stay well under that threshold; we benchmark at 10,000+ elements.

Diagram your next system in SketchPad.

Start a fresh canvas, invite your team, and ship the diagram alongside the RFC.

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