Documentation
Everything you need to know about creating, editing, and exporting professional circuit diagrams. From your first schematic to advanced layout techniques, this guide covers the complete Circuit Diagram Maker workflow.
Open the editor in your browser with no download or account required. You will see the toolbar at the top, the component library on the left, the drawing canvas in the center, and the properties panel on the right.
Browse or search the sidebar for resistors, capacitors, ICs, connectors, and other symbols. Drag any component onto the canvas and it will snap to the 20px grid automatically.
Switch to the Wire tool with the toolbar or by pressing W. Click one component pin, then click the destination pin, and the Manhattan routing engine will generate a clean orthogonal path.
Press L to add text labels to your circuit diagram. Double-click components to edit reference designators such as R1, C1, or U1, and name important nets like VCC, GND, CLK, or DATA.
Use the Export button in the toolbar to download your work. Choose SVG for scalable vector output, PNG for presentations and web pages, or JSON when you want to reopen and edit the project later.
Duplicate repeated blocks with Ctrl+D and organize complex schematics from left to right. Keep power sections, logic blocks, and outputs visually separated so the final diagram is easy to review.
SVG export works especially well for papers, reports, and LaTeX workflows because the output stays crisp at any zoom level and can be converted cleanly into print-ready assets.
Use JSON export when teammates need to continue editing the same schematic. Instead of sharing a static image, you can pass around a live project file that opens directly in the browser editor.
Master these shortcuts to create circuit diagrams faster. Every core editor action has a keyboard equivalent.
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| V | Select Tool | Click and drag to select, move, and group components on the canvas |
| W | Wire Tool | Draw orthogonal wire connections between component pins |
| L | Label Tool | Add text labels and net names to your circuit diagram |
| R | Rotate | Rotate the selected component 90 degrees clockwise |
| H | Flip Horizontal | Mirror the selected component horizontally |
| F | Flip Vertical | Mirror the selected component vertically |
| Del / Backspace | Delete | Remove selected components or wires from the diagram |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo | Undo the last action in the circuit diagram editor |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo | Redo the previously undone action |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate | Create a copy of the selected component or group |
| Ctrl+S | Save | Save the circuit diagram to browser local storage |
| Ctrl+N | New | Create a new blank circuit diagram |
| Scroll Wheel | Zoom In/Out | Zoom the canvas in and out for detail work |
| Space + Drag | Pan Canvas | Hold spacebar and drag to pan around the canvas |
Before you export or share your circuit diagram, run through this checklist to keep the schematic clean, readable, and technically consistent.
To create clear, professional circuit diagrams with Circuit Diagram Maker, follow these industry-standard conventions:
Place inputs on the left, processing in the center, and outputs on the right. Most readers expect signal flow to move left to right.
Place positive rails such as VCC or VDD near the top and ground near the bottom to match standard schematic reading habits.
Use common prefixes such as R for resistors, C for capacitors, U for ICs, Q for transistors, D for diodes, J for connectors, and L for inductors.