Editing Elements
Every element in a C4 diagram — nodes, connectors, connector message members, and boundaries — has a set of properties you can edit. These properties are surfaced in floating Inspector panels that open when you click an element.
All changes save automatically. There is no Save button in the Inspector.
Opening an Inspector
How you click an element determines which Inspector opens and what happens:
| Click target | Result |
|---|---|
| Centre of a node | Selects the node and opens the Node Inspector |
| Node header strip (top bar of the tile) | Selects the node and opens the Edit Properties panel in the right sidebar |
| Node border (within 8 px of the edge) | Selects the node only — Inspector does not open |
| Boundary header | Selects the boundary and opens the Boundary Inspector |
| Inside a boundary (not on header or a child node) | Selects the boundary |
| Connector line | Opens the Connector Inspector |
Inspectors can be repositioned by dragging their header bar. They float above the canvas and are not affected by zoom.
Press Escape to close all open Inspectors and clear the selection.
The Node Inspector
The Node Inspector is a two-column panel that combines element configuration on the left with diagram relationships on the right.
Left column — Element properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Shape label | Read-only display of the C4 element kind (e.g. "Container", "Person") |
| Binding | The Repository entity currently bound to this node. Use Resolve to search and bind, or Unbind to remove. See Repository Bindings |
| Display Name | Override the entity name shown on the canvas without changing the name in the Repository |
| Technology | Node-level override for the technology label. When set, this value is used on the canvas and in the Mermaid output instead of the entity's own C4Technology field. Leave empty to use the entity's C4Technology value. (e.g. "ASP.NET Core", "PostgreSQL") |
| Description | Narrative description of what this element does — shown in the Mermaid output |
| Component Type | The visual icon preset shown on the canvas tile and in Repository lists. This is independent of C4ContainerType — it controls the icon rendered by the UI, not the Mermaid DSL shape. When the bound entity (System, Service, or Integration) has a Component Type assigned, that entity's CT icon takes precedence over any CT set directly on this shape — you do not need to change it here. See Component Types for the full priority chain. (requires Mapify feature flag) |
| Custom Metadata | Shows a count badge. Click to open the Custom Metadata attachment modal |
| Delete | Removes the node from the diagram (does not delete the Repository entity) |
Right column — Diagram relationships
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Drill-through Links | Other C4 diagrams linked to this node. Click the icon next to a link to open it. Click Manage Links to add or remove links in the Link Manager panel |
| Article Links | Nodinite articles attached to this node. Click Manage Articles to open the Article Picker |
Operational summary
When a node is bound to a Service, System, or Contract, an operational summary appears below the properties:
For Service nodes:
- Monitoring state pill (OK / Warning / Error / Unavailable) — clickable, opens the Service's resource list
- Resource count
- Direction badge (Receive / Send / Two-way)
- Transport contracts count
- BPM count (requires BPM feature flag)
- C4 diagram usage count
For System nodes:
- Integration count
- Service count
- Transport contracts count
- C4 diagram usage count
For Contract nodes (when UseContracts is enabled):
- Contract entity badge and linked contract context
- Owning System context used for Systems-mode boundary placement
- Related service context for navigation
- C4 diagram usage count
- Contract communication direction behavior aligned with outbound initiation semantics
Inspector header badges
The Node Inspector header also shows context badges:
| Badge | When shown | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Linked diagrams count | Node has drill-through links | Opens the Manage Links panel |
| Custom metadata count | Node has metadata assigned | Opens the Custom Metadata modal |
| Article tags count | Node has articles | Expands an article list |
| Node has an ExternalUrl | Opens the URL in a new tab | |
| Remote actions | Remote actions are configured | Triggers the remote action |
The Connector Inspector
The Connector Inspector opens when you click a connector line. It shows the source and target element names in the header (e.g. "Order API → Inventory DB").
On Context, Container, and Component diagrams, the visible connector acts as a compact shell for one or more connector message members. On Dynamic diagrams, the inspector continues to edit one explicit sequence connector at a time.
| Property or action | Description |
|---|---|
| Visible canvas label | Read-only aggregate text. With one member it usually reflects that flow; with several members it becomes a count such as 3 flows |
| Member list | One row per underlying flow between the same two elements |
| Display name | The business name of the specific message or relationship |
| Message Type | Optional link to a Repository Message Type for traceability and navigation |
| Protocol | How the flow is implemented — e.g. HTTPS, AMQP, SFTP |
| Direction | Arrow routing hint: Auto, Forward, Down, Up, Left, Right, Back, Neighbor |
| Style | Solid (synchronous) or Dashed (asynchronous) |
| Step / Sequence number | Dynamic L4 only — the step number in the sequence |
| Add member / Remove member | Static diagrams only — manage multiple flows behind the same visible connector |
A brand-new static connector starts with one member, so the panel initially feels similar to the older single-connector editor. Aggregate-only fields stay read-only; the actual flow properties live on the member rows.
All fields save automatically as you type or select (with a short debounce).
The Boundary Inspector
The Boundary Inspector opens when you click a boundary header.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Boundary Type | Read-only — the boundary kind (System Boundary, Container Boundary, Enterprise Boundary) |
| Domain Binding | Bind this boundary to a Domain in the Repository. Use Unbind to remove |
| Display Name | Override the label shown in the boundary header |
| Description | Narrative description of this architectural partition |
| Delete | Removes the boundary and all its contents after confirmation |
Boundary icons follow the linked Domain. A boundary does not have a Component Type field in this panel. To display a custom icon on a boundary, link it to a Domain that has a Component Type assigned — the Domain's CT then drives the icon shown on the boundary in both view and design mode. If the boundary has no Domain link, it renders its toolbox default icon.
Resizing Elements
Resizing a node
Drag the resize handle in the bottom-right corner of any node. The node cannot be resized smaller than its minimum dimensions.
Resizing a boundary
Drag the resize handle in the bottom-right corner. A boundary cannot be made smaller than its contents — the minimum size is enforced to always contain all child elements.
Auto-save
Every property change is saved automatically in the background. A spinner is briefly visible in the Inspector while the save request is in flight. The spinner disappears once the save completes.
You do not need to click Save, submit a form, or navigate away to persist your changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I clicked a node but the Inspector did not open
You may have clicked the node border (within 8 px of the edge), which selects the node without opening the Inspector. Click in the centre area of the node's tile to open the Inspector.
I accidentally deleted a node — can I undo?
The Designer does not have an Undo function. If you deleted a node, add it again from the Toolbox and re-bind it to the Repository entity. This is why the Diagram Lifecycle recommends cloning an Active diagram before making large structural changes.
Display Name vs entity name — which is shown where?
- The Display Name in the Inspector overrides what appears on the canvas tile
- The underlying entity name in the Repository is unchanged
- Mermaid output uses the Display Name if set, otherwise falls back to the entity name