Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Activity diagram

An activity diagram describes a workflow or process: the steps, the order they happen in, and the decisions and parallel paths along the way. It's well suited to business processes, algorithms, and anything that flows from a start to an end.

In PlantUML, you write each activity on its own line, using arrows and keywords like if, repeat, and fork to express control flow. The diagram is generated for you.

Text in, diagram out. Describe the flow top to bottom, branches and loops included.
Reads top to bottom. The order in your text is the order in your diagram.
Easy to restructure. Reordering steps or adding a branch is a text edit, not a redraw.

If you're maintaining older diagrams, the previous syntax is still supported but no longer recommended for new diagrams.

See common commands for features available across all diagram types.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Simple action

Activities label starts with : and ends with ;.

Text formatting can be done using creole wiki syntax.

They are implicitly linked in their definition order.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Other simple action (defined as a list)

Simple action list separated by `-`

Simple action list separated by `*`

With one level

With several levels

[Ref. GH-2376]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Start/Stop/End

You can use start and stop keywords to denote the beginning and the end of a diagram.

You can also use the end keyword.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Conditional [if, then, else, endif]

You can use if, then, else and endif keywords to put tests in your diagram. Labels can be provided using parentheses.

The 3 syntaxes are possible:

if (...) then (...) ... [else (...) ...] endif

if (...) is (...) then ... [else (...) ...] endif

if (...) equals (...) then ... [else (...) ...] endif

[Ref. QA-301]

Several tests (horizontal mode)

You can use the elseif keyword to have several tests (by default, it is the horizontal mode):

Several tests (vertical mode)

You can use the command !pragma useVerticalIf on to have the tests in vertical mode:

You can use the -P command-line option to specify the pragma:

java -jar plantuml.jar -PuseVerticalIf=on

[Refs. QA-3931, GH-582]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Switch and case [switch, case, endswitch]

You can use switch, case and endswitch keywords to put switch in your diagram.

Labels can be provided using parentheses.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Conditional with stop on an action [kill, detach]

You can stop action on a if loop.

But if you want to stop at the precise action, you can use the kill or detach keyword:

kill

[Ref. QA-265]

detach

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Repeat loop

Simple repeat loop

You can use repeat and repeat while keywords to have repeat loops.

Repeat loop with repeat action and backward action

It is also possible to use a full action as repeat target and insert an action in the return path using the backward keyword.

[Ref. QA-5826]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Break on a repeat loop [break]

You can use the break keyword after an action on a loop.

[Ref. QA-6105]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Goto and Label Processing [label, goto]

⚠ It is currently only experimental 🚧

You can use label and goto keywords to denote goto processing, with:

label <label_name>
goto <label_name>

[Ref. QA-15026, QA-12526 and initially QA-1626]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
While loop

Simple while loop

You can use while and endwhile keywords to have while loop.

It is possible to provide a label after the endwhile keyword, or using the is keyword.

While loop with backward action

It is also possible to insert an action in the return path using the backward keyword.

[Ref. QA-11144]

Infinite while loop

If you are using detach to form an infinite while loop, then you will want to also hide the partial arrow that results using -[hidden]->

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Parallel processing [fork, fork again, end fork, end merge]

You can use fork, fork again and end fork or end merge keywords to denote parallel processing.

Simple `fork`

`fork` with end merge

[Ref. QA-5320]

[Ref. QA-13731]

Label on `end fork` (or UML joinspec):

[Ref. QA-5346]

Other example

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Split processing

Split

You can use split, split again and end split keywords to denote split processing.

Input split (multi-start)

You can use hidden arrows to make an input split (multi-start):

[Ref. QA-8662]

Output split (multi-end)

You can use kill or detach to make an output split (multi-end):

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Notes

Text formatting can be done using creole wiki syntax.

A note can be floating, using floating keyword.

You can add note on backward activity:

[Ref. QA-11788]

You can add note on partition activity:

[Ref. QA-2398]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Colors

You can specify a color for some activities.

You can also use gradient color.

[Ref. QA-4906]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Lines without arrows

You can use skinparam ArrowHeadColor none in order to connect activities using lines only, without arrows.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Arrows

Using the -> notation, you can add texts to arrow, and change their color.

It's also possible to have dotted, dashed, bold or hidden arrows.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Simple colored arrow [link]

You can use simple colored arrow with the link keyword.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Multiple colored arrow

You can use multiple colored arrow.

[Ref. QA-4411]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Connector (or Circle)

You can use parentheses to denote connector.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Color on connector

You can add color on connector.

[Ref. QA-10077]

And even use style on Circle:

[Ref. QA-19975]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Grouping or partition

Group

You can group activity together by defining group:

Partition

You can group activity together by defining partition:

It's also possible to change partition color:

[Ref. QA-2793]

It's also possible to add link to partition:

[Ref. QA-542]

Group, Partition, Package, Rectangle or Card

You can group activity together by defining:

group;
partition;
package;
rectangle;
card.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Swimlanes

Using pipe |, you can define swimlanes.

It's also possible to change swimlanes color.

You can add if conditional or repeat or while loop within swimlanes.

You can also use alias with swimlanes, with this syntax:

|[#<color>|]<swimlane_alias>| <swimlane_title>

[Ref. QA-2681]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Detach or kill [detach, kill]

It's possible to remove an arrow using the detach or kill keyword:

detach

kill

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Emoji as action (with `icon` stereotype)

You can use emoji as action, with the stereotype <<icon>>:

[Ref. GH-2436]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
SDL (Specification and Description Language) (with SDL sterotype)

Table of SDL Shape Name

Name	Stereotype syntax	Deprecated syntax
Input	`<<input>>`	`<`
Output	`<<output>>`	`>`
Procedure	`<<procedure>>`	`\|`
Load	`<<load>>`	`\`
Save	`<<save>>`	`/`
Continuous	`<<continuous>>`	`}`
Task	`<<task>>`	`]`

[Ref. QA-11518, GH-1270]

SDL using stereotype (Current official form)

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
UML (Unified Modeling Language) Shape (with UML stereotype)

Table of UML Shape Name

Name	Stereotype syntax
ObjectNode	`<<object>>`
ObjectNode typed by signal	`<<objectSignal>>` or `<<object-signal>>`
AcceptEventAction without TimeEvent trigger	`<<acceptEvent>>` or `<<accept-event>>`
AcceptEventAction with TimeEvent trigger	`<<timeEvent>>` or `<<time-event>>`
SendSignalAction SendObjectAction with signal type	`<<sendSignal>>` or `<<send-signal>>`
Trigger	`<<trigger>>`

[Ref. GH-2185]

UML Shape Example using Stereotype

[Ref. GH-2185, QA-16558, GH-1659]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Complete example

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Condition Style

Inside style (by default)

Diamond style

InsideDiamond (or Foo1) style

[Ref. QA-1290 and #400]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Condition End Style

Diamond style (by default)

With one branch

With two branches (B1, B2)

Horizontal line (hline) style

With one branch

With two branches (B1, B2)

[Ref. QA-4015]

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Using (global) style

Without style (by default)

With style

You can use style to change rendering of elements.

Edit in Dokuwiki Edit in Asciidoc Edit in Markdown
Creole on Activity

You can use Creole or HTML Creole on Activity diagram:

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownActivity diagram

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownSimple action

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownOther simple action (defined as a list)

Simple action list separated by -

Simple action list separated by *

With one level

With several levels

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownStart/Stop/End

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownConditional [if, then, else, endif]

Several tests (horizontal mode)

Several tests (vertical mode)

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownSwitch and case [switch, case, endswitch]

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownConditional with stop on an action [kill, detach]

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownRepeat loop

Simple repeat loop

Repeat loop with repeat action and backward action

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownBreak on a repeat loop [break]

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownGoto and Label Processing [label, goto]

Edit in DokuwikiEdit in AsciidocEdit in MarkdownWhile loop