C4 Container Diagram
The C4 Container Diagram breaks down the system into containers such as applications, databases, or services, showing their relationships and responsibilities.
Instant Container-Level Architecture Generation
With the AI chatbot, mapping out your container architecture becomes a fast and intuitive process. Describe the major building blocks of your system — such as APIs, data stores, client applications, or microservices — and the chatbot will transform your explanation into a complete C4 Container diagram. Each container is generated with clear responsibilities, technology tags, and well-defined interactions, giving you a precise architectural snapshot without manual drawing.
Iterate, Expand, and Adjust Through Simple Conversation
Refining your architecture is as easy as continuing the dialogue. You can request changes like splitting a service, adding a new database, or updating communication flows, and the AI will instantly reshape the diagram. This conversational workflow makes architectural iteration frictionless, allowing you to explore different system structures, validate decisions, and maintain a diagram that always reflects your current thinking.
Benefits of Creating C4 Container Diagrams with the AI Chatbot
Converts plain-language descriptions into structured, C4-compliant diagrams.
Automatically applies clear labeling for technologies, responsibilities, and protocols.
Simplifies architectural evolution by enabling rapid updates through conversation.
Ensures consistent interpretation of C4 notation across your team.
Maintains a synchronized source of truth throughout development.
Helps onboard developers quickly by producing clean, readable architecture maps.
Examples of Generating C4 Container Diagram
Use simple text prompts to generate this diagram in seconds. Here are a few examples to get you started:
Smart Agriculture Monitoring System
“Create a C4 Container Diagram for a Smart Agriculture Monitoring System. “
Hospital Blood Bank Management System
“Show a C4 Container Diagram for a Hospital Blood Bank Management System.”
Maritime Shipping Logistics System
“Show a C4 Container Diagram for a Maritime Shipping Logistics System.”
What Is a C4 Container Diagram?
A C4 Container Diagram represents the major executable parts of a software system, showing the key applications, services, databases, and storage elements that work together to deliver functionality. It highlights how responsibilities are distributed, which technologies power each container, and how they communicate.
Unlike the high-level System Context diagram, the Container Diagram takes you one step deeper into the technical structure. It focuses on the deployable and runnable units of the system, helping teams understand system boundaries, dependencies, and internal composition with clarity.
Key Concepts
C4 Container Diagram
A C4 Container Diagram models the high-level technology architecture of a system, showing containers (applications, services, databases) and their interactions with users, external systems, and each other. It sits between the System Context Diagram and Component Diagram in the C4 hierarchy.
Systems / External Systems
- System – The internal system being modeled.
- SystemDb – A database within the system.
- SystemQueue – A messaging or queuing system within the system.
- System_Ext – An external system interacting with your system.
- SystemDb_Ext – An external database system.
- SystemQueue_Ext – An external messaging or queuing system.
Boundaries
Boundary – General boundary grouping elements.
Enterprise_Boundary – Defines the scope of the organization or enterprise.
System_Boundary – Defines the boundary of the system, separating internal containers from external systems.
Container_Boundary – Defines the boundary of a container, grouping its internal elements.
People / External Actors
Person – A human user interacting with the system.
Person_Ext – An external user or role outside the system boundary.
Containers / External Containers
Container – A deployable application, service, or microservice that hosts components.
ContainerDb – A database container storing persistent data.
ContainerQueue – A messaging or queuing container.
Container_Ext – An external container interacting with your system.
ContainerDb_Ext – An external database container.
ContainerQueue_Ext – An external messaging container.
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