# Mermaid Erd Creation

> Comprehensive guide for creating entity relationship diagrams using Mermaid syntax

- Skill: `snoodleboot-io/mermaid-erd-creation` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add snoodleboot-io/mermaid-erd-creation`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/snoodleboot-io/mermaid-erd-creation/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: snoodleboot-io (https://skillmd.com/u/snoodleboot-io)
- Updated: 2026-08-19
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/snoodleboot-io/mermaid-erd-creation

---


## Mermaid ERD Creation Guide

Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) visualize database schemas and relationships between entities. Use Mermaid syntax for all ERD diagrams in this project.

---

## Basic Syntax

### Minimal ERD Example

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email
        timestamp created_at
    }
    ORDER {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        string status
    }
    USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
```

### Entity Declaration

**Format:** `ENTITY_NAME { }`

Rules:
- Entity names in UPPERCASE (e.g., `USER`, `ORDER`, `PAYMENT`)
- Use singular nouns (USER not USERS)
- Avoid abbreviations unless industry-standard (e.g., `OAUTH_TOKEN` is fine)

### Field Declaration

**Format:** `type name constraint`

**Components:**
1. **Type** - Data type (string, int, uuid, timestamp, boolean, decimal, text, json)
2. **Name** - Field name in snake_case
3. **Constraint** - PK (primary key), FK (foreign key), UK (unique key), or empty

**Examples:**
```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email UK
        string password_hash
        timestamp created_at
        timestamp updated_at
        boolean is_active
        int login_count
    }
```

### Relationship Declaration

**Format:** `ENTITY_A CARDINALITY ENTITY_B : "relationship_label"`

**Cardinality Symbols:**
- `||--||` : Exactly one to exactly one
- `||--o|` : Exactly one to zero or one
- `||--o{` : Exactly one to zero or many
- `}o--o{` : Zero or many to zero or many
- `}|--|{` : One or many to one or many

**Reading Relationships:**
- `||` = exactly one
- `o|` = zero or one
- `o{` = zero or many
- `|{` = one or many

---

## Relationship Types Explained

### One-to-One (1:1)

**Use case:** Extension tables, profile data

**Syntax:** `||--||`

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email
    }
    USER_PROFILE {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        string bio
        string avatar_url
    }
    USER ||--|| USER_PROFILE : "has"
```

**When to use:**
- Each user has exactly one profile
- Splitting large tables for performance
- Separating frequently vs rarely accessed data

---

### One-to-Many (1:N)

**Use case:** Most common relationship type

**Syntax:** `||--o{` (one to zero-or-many)

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email
    }
    ORDER {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        decimal total
        string status
    }
    USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
```

**Reading:** "One USER places zero or many ORDERS"

**When to use:**
- Parent-child relationships
- Ownership (user owns posts, orders, etc.)
- Hierarchical data

---

### Many-to-Many (N:M)

**Use case:** Multiple associations in both directions

**Syntax:** `}o--o{` (zero-or-many to zero-or-many)

**IMPORTANT:** Requires junction table

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email
    }
    ROLE {
        uuid id PK
        string name UK
    }
    USER_ROLE {
        uuid user_id FK
        uuid role_id FK
    }
    USER ||--o{ USER_ROLE : "has"
    ROLE ||--o{ USER_ROLE : "assigned_to"
    USER }o--o{ ROLE : "has_roles"
```

**When to use:**
- Users have multiple roles, roles have multiple users
- Products in multiple categories, categories have multiple products
- Students enrolled in courses, courses have multiple students

**Best Practice:** Always create explicit junction table

---

## Complete Example: E-Commerce System

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email UK
        string password_hash
        string first_name
        string last_name
        timestamp created_at
        timestamp updated_at
        boolean is_active
    }
    
    ADDRESS {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        string street_line1
        string street_line2
        string city
        string state
        string postal_code
        string country
        boolean is_default
    }
    
    ORDER {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        uuid shipping_address_id FK
        uuid billing_address_id FK
        decimal subtotal
        decimal tax
        decimal shipping_cost
        decimal total
        string status
        timestamp created_at
        timestamp updated_at
    }
    
    ORDER_ITEM {
        uuid id PK
        uuid order_id FK
        uuid product_id FK
        int quantity
        decimal unit_price
        decimal total_price
    }
    
    PRODUCT {
        uuid id PK
        string sku UK
        string name
        text description
        decimal price
        int stock_quantity
        boolean is_active
        timestamp created_at
        timestamp updated_at
    }
    
    CATEGORY {
        uuid id PK
        string name UK
        string slug UK
        text description
    }
    
    PRODUCT_CATEGORY {
        uuid product_id FK
        uuid category_id FK
    }
    
    PAYMENT {
        uuid id PK
        uuid order_id FK
        decimal amount
        string payment_method
        string transaction_id UK
        string status
        timestamp created_at
    }
    
    USER ||--o{ ADDRESS : "has"
    USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
    ADDRESS ||--o{ ORDER : "ships_to"
    ADDRESS ||--o{ ORDER : "bills_to"
    ORDER ||--o{ ORDER_ITEM : "contains"
    ORDER ||--o| PAYMENT : "paid_by"
    PRODUCT ||--o{ ORDER_ITEM : "ordered_as"
    PRODUCT ||--o{ PRODUCT_CATEGORY : "categorized_in"
    CATEGORY ||--o{ PRODUCT_CATEGORY : "contains"
    PRODUCT }o--o{ CATEGORY : "belongs_to"
```

---

## Advanced Patterns

### Self-Referencing Relationships

**Use case:** Hierarchies (org charts, comment threads)

```mermaid
erDiagram
    COMMENT {
        uuid id PK
        uuid parent_comment_id FK
        uuid user_id FK
        text content
        timestamp created_at
    }
    
    COMMENT ||--o{ COMMENT : "replies_to"
```

**Reading:** "A COMMENT can have zero or many child COMMENTS"

---

### Polymorphic Relationships

**Use case:** Comments on multiple entity types

**Approach 1: Separate junction tables (recommended)**

```mermaid
erDiagram
    COMMENT {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        text content
        timestamp created_at
    }
    
    POST {
        uuid id PK
        string title
    }
    
    VIDEO {
        uuid id PK
        string title
    }
    
    POST_COMMENT {
        uuid post_id FK
        uuid comment_id FK
    }
    
    VIDEO_COMMENT {
        uuid video_id FK
        uuid comment_id FK
    }
    
    POST ||--o{ POST_COMMENT : "has"
    COMMENT ||--o{ POST_COMMENT : "on"
    VIDEO ||--o{ VIDEO_COMMENT : "has"
    COMMENT ||--o{ VIDEO_COMMENT : "on"
```

**Approach 2: Type discriminator (not recommended)**

```mermaid
erDiagram
    COMMENT {
        uuid id PK
        uuid user_id FK
        uuid commentable_id FK
        string commentable_type
        text content
        timestamp created_at
    }
```

**Problem:** Can't use foreign key constraints, breaks referential integrity.

---

## Naming Conventions

### Entity Names
- **Use:** UPPERCASE, singular nouns
- **Examples:** USER, ORDER, PRODUCT, PAYMENT
- **Avoid:** USERS (plural), user (lowercase), Usr (abbreviation)

### Field Names
- **Use:** snake_case
- **Examples:** user_id, created_at, email_verified, password_hash
- **Avoid:** userId (camelCase), USERID (uppercase), usrID (abbreviation)

### Relationship Labels
- **Use:** Verb phrases describing the relationship
- **Examples:** "places", "has", "belongs_to", "ships_to", "paid_by"
- **Avoid:** Vague labels like "related", "associated", "linked"

---

## Common Patterns

### Timestamps (Audit Fields)

**Always include:**
```
timestamp created_at
timestamp updated_at
```

**Optional (for soft deletes):**
```
timestamp deleted_at
```

---

### Soft Deletes

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
        string email UK
        boolean is_deleted
        timestamp deleted_at
        timestamp created_at
        timestamp updated_at
    }
```

**When to use:**
- Regulatory requirements (data retention)
- Audit trails needed
- Undelete functionality required

---

### Versioning

```mermaid
erDiagram
    DOCUMENT {
        uuid id PK
        string title
        int version
        timestamp created_at
    }
    
    DOCUMENT_VERSION {
        uuid id PK
        uuid document_id FK
        int version_number
        text content
        uuid created_by_user_id FK
        timestamp created_at
    }
    
    DOCUMENT ||--o{ DOCUMENT_VERSION : "has_versions"
```

---

## Best Practices

### 1. Always Define Primary Keys
**Good:**
```
USER {
    uuid id PK
    string email
}
```

**Bad:**
```
USER {
    string email
}
```

### 2. Use Meaningful Foreign Key Names
**Good:**
```
ORDER {
    uuid id PK
    uuid user_id FK
    uuid shipping_address_id FK
}
```

**Bad:**
```
ORDER {
    uuid id PK
    uuid fk1 FK
    uuid fk2 FK
}
```

### 3. Include Relationship Labels
**Good:**
```
USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
```

**Bad:**
```
USER ||--o{ ORDER : ""
```

### 4. Document Constraints
Use `UK` for unique constraints:
```
USER {
    uuid id PK
    string email UK
}
```

### 5. Be Explicit About Optionality
- Use `||--o{` for "zero or many" (optional)
- Use `||--|{` for "one or many" (required)

---

## Common Mistakes

### Mistake 1: Forgetting Junction Tables

❌ **Wrong:**
```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER }o--o{ ROLE : "has"
```

✓ **Correct:**
```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER {
        uuid id PK
    }
    ROLE {
        uuid id PK
    }
    USER_ROLE {
        uuid user_id FK
        uuid role_id FK
    }
    USER ||--o{ USER_ROLE : "has"
    ROLE ||--o{ USER_ROLE : "assigned_to"
```

---

### Mistake 2: Wrong Cardinality

❌ **Wrong:** User has exactly one order
```
USER ||--|| ORDER : "places"
```

✓ **Correct:** User has zero or many orders
```
USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
```

---

### Mistake 3: Missing Foreign Keys

❌ **Wrong:**
```
ORDER {
    uuid id PK
    uuid user_id
}
```

✓ **Correct:**
```
ORDER {
    uuid id PK
    uuid user_id FK
}
```

---

### Mistake 4: Plural Entity Names

❌ **Wrong:**
```
USERS {
    uuid id PK
}
```

✓ **Correct:**
```
USER {
    uuid id PK
}
```

---

## When to Use ERDs

### Always Use For:
1. **Data model design phase** - Before writing any schema code
2. **Schema migrations** - Visualize changes before implementing
3. **Documentation** - Include in architecture docs, ADRs
4. **Stakeholder communication** - Non-technical reviewers need visuals

### Update ERDs When:
1. Adding new entities
2. Adding/removing relationships
3. Changing cardinality (1:1 → 1:N)
4. Adding significant fields (foreign keys, unique constraints)

### Don't Bother For:
1. Adding simple fields to existing entities (unless FK)
2. Index-only changes (ERD shows logical schema, not physical)
3. Minor data type changes

---

## Integration with Data Model Design Process

### Step 1: Discovery (use data-model-discovery skill)
Ask questions about entities, relationships, query patterns.

### Step 2: ERD Creation (this skill)
Create visual diagram of entities and relationships.

### Step 3: Schema Definition
Translate ERD to SQL/ORM schema:

```sql
CREATE TABLE users (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY,
    email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW()
);

CREATE TABLE orders (
    id UUID PRIMARY KEY,
    user_id UUID NOT NULL REFERENCES users(id),
    total DECIMAL(10, 2) NOT NULL,
    created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL DEFAULT NOW()
);
```

### Step 4: Review
Validate ERD against:
- Normalization rules (3NF typically)
- Query patterns (denormalize if needed)
- Performance requirements (indexes)

---

## Tools & Rendering

### Rendering Options
1. **Mermaid Live Editor** - https://mermaid.live
2. **GitHub/GitLab** - Auto-renders in markdown
3. **VS Code** - Mermaid preview extensions
4. **Documentation sites** - Sphinx, MkDocs with mermaid plugin

### Example Markdown Integration

````markdown
# Database Schema

Our e-commerce system uses the following schema:

```mermaid
erDiagram
    USER ||--o{ ORDER : "places"
    ORDER ||--o{ ORDER_ITEM : "contains"
```
````

---

## Output Checklist

Before finalizing an ERD:

- [ ] All entities in UPPERCASE
- [ ] All fields in snake_case
- [ ] Primary keys marked with PK
- [ ] Foreign keys marked with FK
- [ ] Unique constraints marked with UK
- [ ] Relationships have cardinality symbols
- [ ] Relationships have descriptive labels
- [ ] Junction tables for many-to-many relationships
- [ ] Timestamps (created_at, updated_at) on all entities
- [ ] No plural entity names
- [ ] Diagram renders correctly in Mermaid Live Editor

---

## Summary

**Key Principles:**
1. Entities = UPPERCASE singular nouns
2. Fields = snake_case with type and constraints
3. Relationships = correct cardinality + descriptive label
4. Many-to-many = always use junction table
5. ERDs are living documents - update with schema changes