Example C4 Diagrams

C4 Diagrams is part of experimental builds. To access this capability, contact your sales representative.

This page provides realistic C4 diagram examples across all major diagram types. Each example is designed for educational learning and testing the import features in the app. All Mermaid markup is copy-paste ready.

Understanding C4 Diagram Types

Before diving into examples, let's clarify a common question: What distinguishes different C4 diagram types?

The Hierarchy: L1, L2, L3 — Zoom Levels

The core C4 model defines four levels of zoom, each zooming deeper into a specific system:

Key insight: L1, L2, and L3 are bound together by hierarchical zoom. You create an L1 diagram, identify an interesting System, then zoom into that system for L2. From L2, you pick a Container and zoom in for L3.

What keeps them together? Not just a name — it's the relationship: L1 → shows System X → L2 zooms into System X's internals → L3 zooms into Container Y's internals.

Supplementary Diagram Types

Beyond the zoom hierarchy, the C4 model defines additional diagram types that answer different architectural questions:

These are NOT rendering view modes of L1–L3. They're supplementary diagrams that look at the architecture from different angles.

L1: System Context Diagram

The System Context diagram is the zoomed-out view showing your system and its surroundings.

Key Points

Shows one central system in a box
Shows actors (people and roles) who use the system
Shows external systems the system depends on
Shows high-level relationships with labels describing interaction type
Avoids technical detail — no databases, APIs, or protocols mentioned
Suitable for non-technical stakeholders — board members, executives, business analysts

Example: Order Management System

Test Data Setup

To recreate this in Nodinite, create:

Systems:

• Customer (C4Type: Person)
• Support Agent (C4Type: Person)
• Warehouse Staff (C4Type: Person)
• Order Management System (C4Type: InternalSystem)
• Payment Gateway (C4Type: ExternalSystem)
• Email Service (C4Type: ExternalSystem)
• Warehouse ERP (C4Type: ExternalSystem)

L2: Container Diagram

The Container diagram zooms into a specific system and shows its internal structure — the applications, services, databases, and how they communicate.

Key Points

One system boundary containing the system being described
Containers (applications, services, databases) with their technology stacks
Swimlanes/layers for organizing containers by domain or tier
Explicit relationships showing communication protocols and data flow
Shows what is inside vs outside the system boundary
Answers "How is this system built?" — useful for technical planning

Example: Order Management System Internal Structure

Test Data Setup

To recreate this in Nodinite, create:

Domains (swimlanes):

• Experience APIs
• Process APIs
• System APIs

Services in Example API:

• Web Application (C4ContainerType: WebApp, C4Technology: React.js)
• Mobile App (C4ContainerType: MobileApp, C4Technology: React Native)
• Admin Portal (C4ContainerType: WebApp, C4Technology: ASP.NET Core)

Services in Process APIs:

• Order API (C4ContainerType: RestApi, C4Technology: ASP.NET Core REST)
• Fulfillment Service (C4ContainerType: Service, C4Technology: Node.js)

Services in System APIs:

• Order Database (C4ContainerType: Database, C4Technology: SQL Server)
• Inventory Cache (C4ContainerType: Cache, C4Technology: Redis)
• Message Bus (C4ContainerType: MessageBus, C4Technology: Azure Service Bus)

L3: Component Diagram

The Component diagram zooms into a specific container and shows its internal structure — the modules, classes, and interactions within.

Key Points

One container boundary being decomposed
Components (modules, libraries, classes) with their responsibilities
Internal interactions between components
Not typically shared with non-technical audiences
Useful for developers implementing or maintaining the container

Example: Order API Components

System Landscape Diagram

The System Landscape diagram shows how multiple systems within your organization relate to each other. It's like L1, but broader — instead of focusing on one system, you see all systems and their dependencies.

Key Points

Shows multiple systems (internal and external)
Shows actors and their relationships to systems
Shows inter-system dependencies and integrations
Broader scope than L1 Context (which focuses on one system)
Useful for enterprise architecture and portfolio management

Example: Finance Department System Landscape

Dynamic Diagram (Sequence-Based)

The Dynamic diagram shows how systems or containers interact at runtime. It illustrates the sequence of calls and message flows during a specific business scenario or use case.

Key Points

Shows sequence of interactions over time
Focuses on a specific business scenario or workflow
Shows order of operations and data flow
Reveals bottlenecks and integration points
Useful for understanding workflows, performance issues, and troubleshooting

Example: Order Placement Workflow

Deployment Diagram

The Deployment diagram shows how systems and containers are deployed across infrastructure and runtime environments. It illustrates physical and virtual infrastructure — servers, containers, cloud services, databases, load balancers, etc.

Key Points

Shows deployment environments (production, staging, development)
Shows infrastructure nodes (servers, containers, cloud services)
Shows container placement on infrastructure
Shows network topology and connections
Useful for operations teams, DevOps, and capacity planning

Example: Order Management System Deployment

Quick Reference: Which Diagram to Use?

Use this table to decide which diagram type is right for your question:

Test Data Summary

All examples on this page use realistic but simplified architectures suitable for:

• Testing import features — copy Mermaid code and import into Nodinite
• Learning C4 concepts — understand what each diagram type communicates
• Repository setup — create sample Systems, Services, and Domains
• Team training — show examples to help others understand C4

To use these examples in Nodinite:

1. Copy the Mermaid code from any code block
2. Navigate to C4 Diagrams → New Diagram
3. Paste the code into the Mermaid import dialog
4. The system creates stub entities matching the diagram
5. Enrich those entities with your actual metadata

Key Takeaway: Diagrams Tell Different Stories

Remember: it's not just the name that keeps L1, L2, L3 together. It's the hierarchical zoom relationship:

L1 Context: "Here's the Order System"
↓ (zoom into Order System)
L2 Container: "It's built from Web App, APIs, Database, Message Bus"
↓ (zoom into Order API)
L3 Component: "The Order API contains Controller, OrderService, OrderRepository"

System Landscape, Dynamic, and Deployment diagrams are not zoom levels — they're supplementary questions that provide different perspectives on the same architecture.

Next Step

Ready to create your first C4 diagram? Creating Your First C4 Diagram walks you through setting up Repository properties and designing a complete diagram in the interactive Syncfusion designer.

Related Topics

• What is C4 Diagrams? — Understand the C4 model and why it matters
• Creating Your First C4 Diagram — Step-by-step walkthrough
• Mermaid View — Render and share diagrams as Mermaid markup
• Export and Sharing — Export to PNG, SVG, Draw.io, and more
• C4 Model vs Nodinite Concept Mapping — Terminology reference guide