> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.docdiagram.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Standalone diagrams
> Turn a prompt into an image file with one command. No docs project or repo required.
`/docdiagram:diagram` is the zero-setup path. You give it a prompt, it generates a diagram and saves the image to your current folder. Use it when you want a picture for a slide, a README, an issue, or a chat, and you do not need the diagram tied to a docs page.
First time? Finish [Setup](/claude-code/setup) so `/docdiagram:auth` has stored your key. The skill needs nothing else: no open file, no repo, no GitHub install.
## 1. Run the command
Inside a Claude Code session, call the skill with your prompt:
```
> /docdiagram:diagram a sequence diagram of a user signing in with Google OAuth: browser, our API, Google, and the database
```
DocDiagram creates the diagram, waits for it to render, and downloads the image into the directory you launched Claude Code from.
## 2. Write a good prompt
The same prompting habits that work in the web app work here. Be specific about the diagram type and the pieces involved.
**Prompts that work well:**
* *"An architecture diagram for a Next.js app on Vercel with a Postgres database and a Redis cache."*
* *"A flowchart of a CI pipeline: lint, test, build, deploy, with a manual approval gate before deploy."*
* *"An ER diagram with Users, Posts, and Comments. Users have many Posts, Posts have many Comments."*
**Tips:**
* Name the diagram type (sequence, architecture, flowchart, ER, org chart).
* List the entities or steps explicitly.
* Mention the direction of flow if it matters, such as "left to right".
## 3. Use the output
The command reports two things:
* **The saved file path**, for example `oauth-refresh.png` in your current folder. Diagrams render in both light and dark; the light variant is saved by default.
* **A chat URL** like `https://app.docdiagram.com/c/`. Open it to refine the diagram in the web editor, switch themes, or export other formats.
Ask for a specific name and Claude will use it, for example "save it as auth-flow". Otherwise the file is named `diagram`.
## Refining
Because the result is a plain image, you iterate by running the command again with a sharper prompt, or by opening the chat URL and editing there. To keep a diagram under version control and revise it in place over time, use [embedded diagrams](/claude-code/embedded-diagrams) instead.
## Watermarks
On the free tier, generated images carry a watermark. Upgrade your account for clean exports. Generation itself is unchanged either way.
## Troubleshooting
| What you see | What it means |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A prompt to run `/docdiagram:auth` | Your key is missing or expired. Re-run auth. |
| `failed_geometry_qa`, `failed_off_topic`, or `failed_no_match` | A quality or topic gate rejected the prompt. Rephrase and try again. |
| `no_default_project` | Your account has no project to attach the chat to. Create one in the [app](https://app.docdiagram.com). |
| `render_timeout` | The job is still running. The error includes the chat slug; open the chat URL shortly to pick up the finished render. |
## Next
Bind a diagram to a docs page and keep it synced in your repo.