Jumpstart your work in Lucidchart by importing existing files from other tools and platforms. Importing diagrams from Microsoft Visio, Gliffy, Draw.io, and OmniGraffle is available in Lucidchart.
Plan availability: Free, Individual, Team, and Enterprise.
- Available on FedRAMP accounts.
- All users, including free users, can import and view files from other platforms. However, only users with a paid subscription can edit imported documents.
- Read the Lucid Plans article for more information about what is available on your account or the Upgrade your Lucid account article for instructions to upgrade.
File format compatibility
It’s important to ensure that your files are in a compatible format before importing them into Lucidchart. This is especially relevant for files from Visio, Draw.io, and OmniGraffle. Each of these tools offers various export options, and selecting the correct one is essential for a successful import. Review the relevant section below to make sure your file imports correctly.
Visio file format
Lucidchart currently supports the following Visio formats:
- VSDX files made with Microsoft Visio 2013 or later
- VSD files made with Microsoft Visio 2007 or later
- VDX files made with Microsoft Visio 2003 or later
If you have an older Visio file, re-save it with a more recent version of Microsoft Visio as a .vsdx file, and import the new file into Lucidchart.
Tip: VSDX files tend to import with greater fidelity than other Visio formats. As a best practice, ungroup objects in your Visio document before importing into Lucid.
Draw.io file format
Draw.io files can be saved as .drawio or .xml files. You can import either of these file formats into Lucidchart, but they must have been exported from Draw.io. You cannot import .xml files that were exported from other tools.
OmniGraffle file format
OmniGraffle files must be exported as flat files in order to import them into Lucidchart.
If you are exporting a single file, follow these instructions:
- In OmniGraffle, open the export menu.
- Select “Flat file” in the export window.
To change your default export type in OmniGraffle, follow these steps:
- Open the OmniGraffle editor.
- Change the default save type from either “Package” or “Automatic” to “Flat file”.
- Files you export will now be compressed, allowing them to be imported to Lucidchart.
BPMN file format
Lucidchart supports importing files from various products that use the .bpmn or .xpdl file format. Users can select an unlimited number of files—Lucidchart processes them three at a time.
Note: When importing a .bpmn file into Lucidchart, only content that falls within the BPMN 2.0 standard is supported. Content styling, product-specific content, and non-BPMN objects are not included.
Import a file into Lucidchart
From the Documents page
To import your diagrams, follow these steps:
- Select + New.
- Click Import documents.
- Drag a file into the indicated area or click to browse your local device.
- If you choose to browse, click Open to import your file(s).
From within a document
- Open
the More menu from the top-left of the canvas.
- Hover your cursor over “File”.
- Hover your cursor over “Import”.
- Click Import documents.
- Drag a file into the indicated area or click to browse your local device.
- If you choose to browse, click Open to import your file(s).
Once the file has successfully imported, open the new Lucidchart document in a new tab by clicking View document to the right of the file name. Your imported file can be found anytime in your Documents page. To close the import window, click Done.
Note: Imported files will be saved to the Documents page as new documents.
Troubleshoot import issues
If you experience issues importing a diagram into Lucidchart, check out our Troubleshooting: Import diagrams into Lucidchart article.
Note: Importing a PDF into Lucidchart as an editable diagram is not supported functionality. To give feedback to our Product team and request this feature, let us know in the Lucid Community.
FAQ
Can I add Visio stencils to Lucidchart?
Yes, you can add Visio stencils to a custom shape library, as explained in our Shape libraries in Lucidchart article. If the file you've uploaded is a Visio stencil file that has been renamed, you will need to change the file extension back to .vssx, .vss, or .vsx. See these guidelines for renaming your file:
- If your filename ends in ".vsdx", replace the ".vsdx" with ".vssx". For example, if the filename was "myfile.vsdx", rename the file to "myfile.vssx".
- If your filename ends in ".vsd", replace the ".vsd" with ".vss". For example, if the filename was "myfile.vsd", rename the file to "myfile.vss".
- If your filename ends in ".vdx", replace the ".vdx" with ".vsx". For example, if the filename was "myfile.vdx", rename the file to "myfile.vsx".
How can I customize my document after importing my file?
You can use shapes to continue customizing your document after importing a file into Lucidchart. To learn more about accessing and using shape libraries in Lucidchart, refer to our Shape libraries in Lucidchart article.
Why can't I edit a diagram I imported into Lucidchart?
Any Lucidchart user can import an external diagram, but editing an imported diagram is a premium feature available only to Individual, Team, and Enterprise accounts.
Resources
To learn more about this feature, explore the additional resources below. These resources are available in English only.
Course
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