Create, read, and update diagrams

For the basic walkthrough, start with Your first diagram. These patterns apply to larger drawings and existing files.

Create from source material

Give your AI client process notes, an inventory, or a file it can read. The client interprets that source; the Visio server doesn’t directly import arbitrary CSV, JSON, or spreadsheets.

Use the complete travel-approval.csv attached to this chat. Open Visio and create a cross-functional flowchart. Create one step per distinct StepID, with a native swimlane per department and actual lane membership. Label decision branches from the source. Report missing information instead of inventing it. Compare steps, branches, and memberships with the input, then save as a new travel-approval.vsdx.

Repeated source IDs describing branches shouldn’t become duplicate steps. For shape-sensitive drawings, resolve approved masters before authoring.

Read without editing

Inspect infrastructure.vsdx without changing or saving it. On the Architecture page, list the servers, their Shape Data, network zones, and connections. Report missing fields as unknown.

Read results can include shapes, text, relationships, and native container or swimlane membership. Request nested content when needed; the default read scope is top-level shapes. For large results, the agent must retrieve all returned chunks before drawing conclusions.

Reading supports explanation and source comparison, not visual-defect detection. For that, use validation.

Make focused updates

Read the Architecture page of infrastructure.vsdx. Change the owner of Order Service to Order Platform in Shape Data. Preserve all unrelated content, connections, formatting, and page settings. Leave the changes unsaved for review.

The agent should use exact shape identities returned by a read, not guessed names or native numeric IDs. Creation and updates target one existing page in a document retained by the server.

Manage pages and save

Page creation, renaming, resizing, ordering, activation, clearing, and deletion use separate document-management actions. Document themes apply to all foreground pages, not only the edited page.

Save instruction	Effect
Save the current drawing	Updates its current file, or generates a destination for a new drawing.
Save a new copy	Uses another destination; replacing an existing destination requires explicit overwrite.
Leave unsaved	Keeps live edits available for review in the current session.

Keep backups and avoid concurrent edits. Closing a drawing through the server discards unsaved changes; restarting loses session-scoped document identities. An error can follow partial changes, so inspect the drawing before retrying.

Related: Validate and export
Tool reference	Troubleshooting.