Create C4 model architecture diagrams with AI. Generate Context, Container, and Component views from plain English. Mermaid & PlantUML C4 syntax — version controlled and diff-friendly.
The C4 model is a hierarchical approach to software architecture diagramming created by Simon Brown. Instead of one monolithic architecture diagram, C4 defines four levels of abstraction — Context, Container, Component, and Code — each zooming deeper into the system. This progressive disclosure makes architecture understandable for different audiences.
Think of it like a map: Level 1 (Context) is the satellite view showing your system in the world. Level 2 (Container) zooms to the city level showing major blocks. Level 3 (Component) zooms to the street level showing internal structure. Level 4 (Code) is the building blueprint.
C4 diagrams can be defined as code using Mermaid C4 syntax or PlantUML C4 stdlib. Cybewave Studio generates C4 diagrams from plain English descriptions — describe your system design and get properly structured C4 models instantly.
Each level targets a different audience and level of detail.
The big picture. Shows your system as a box surrounded by its users and the external systems it interacts with. Answers: "What does the system do, and who uses it?"
Audience: Everyone — stakeholders, product, engineering, operations
Zoom into the system boundary. Shows the high-level technology choices: web app, API, database, message broker, cache. Answers: "What are the main building blocks?"
Audience: Engineering leadership, architects, senior engineers
Zoom into a single container. Shows the internal components, modules, or services within one deployable unit. Answers: "How is this service structured internally?"
Audience: Engineers working on that specific service or module
Zoom into a single component. Shows classes, interfaces, and their relationships. Typically auto-generated from code rather than hand-drawn.
Audience: Individual developers working within that component
AI generates C4 models from system descriptions. No C4 syntax required.
Tell the AI about your system, users, and external integrations. It asks follow-up questions about services, data stores, and communication patterns.
Get Context, Container, and Component diagrams in Mermaid C4 or PlantUML C4 syntax. Each level zooms deeper into your architecture.
Ask the AI to add services, change relationships, add technology labels, or adjust the level of detail. Iterate until every diagram is accurate.
Download as PNG/SVG, copy the C4 code to your repo, or generate a full project scaffold with architecture documentation included.
Real C4 syntax generated by Cybewave AI.
C4Context title E-Commerce System Context Person(customer, "Customer", "Browses and buys products") System(ecommerce, "E-Commerce Platform", "Handles orders, payments, inventory") System_Ext(stripe, "Stripe", "Payment processing") System_Ext(email, "Email Service", "Transactional emails") Rel(customer, ecommerce, "Uses", "HTTPS") Rel(ecommerce, stripe, "Processes payments", "API") Rel(ecommerce, email, "Sends emails", "SMTP")
C4Container title E-Commerce Containers Person(customer, "Customer") Container(spa, "Web App", "React", "Product browsing and checkout") Container(api, "API Server", "Node.js", "REST API for all operations") Container(worker, "Order Worker", "Node.js", "Async order processing") ContainerDb(db, "PostgreSQL", "SQL", "Orders, products, users") ContainerQueue(queue, "RabbitMQ", "AMQP", "Order events") Rel(customer, spa, "Uses", "HTTPS") Rel(spa, api, "Calls", "JSON/HTTPS") Rel(api, db, "Reads/writes", "SQL") Rel(api, queue, "Publishes", "AMQP") Rel(worker, queue, "Consumes", "AMQP")
Generate multi-level C4 views of your architecture. Each level targets a different audience — from stakeholders to individual developers.
Attach C4 diagrams to ADRs showing before/after system state. Track how architecture evolves over time.
Start with Context (big picture), zoom to Container (services), then Component (internals). Progressive disclosure of complexity.
Practice C4 modeling for interview prep. Describe systems at multiple levels of abstraction — a key skill in senior engineering interviews.
Map monolith components to C4 containers. Plan migration paths with clear before/after architecture views.
Use C4 Container diagrams to show AWS/GCP/Azure services, networking, and data flows at the infrastructure level.
A hierarchical approach to software architecture diagramming with four levels: Context (system boundary), Container (technology blocks), Component (internal structure), and Code (class-level). Created by Simon Brown.
No. Most teams only need Level 1 (Context) and Level 2 (Container). Add Level 3 (Component) for complex services. Level 4 (Code) is usually auto-generated from source code.
Yes. Mermaid has native C4 support with C4Context, C4Container, C4Component, and C4Dynamic diagram types. They render on GitHub and GitLab in Markdown.
Describe your system in plain English and Cybewave AI generates properly structured C4 diagrams. It understands system boundaries, containers, and components and applies the right C4 level.
Yes. Cybewave offers a free tier with 50 AI credits per month. No credit card required. Paid plans start at $9.89/month.
Free to start. 50 AI credits/month. No credit card required.
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