Mermaid syntax tutorial

Mermaid Kanban Tutorial

Kanban diagrams show work grouped by status. They are useful for lightweight planning snapshots in docs, issue reports, and project updates.

Project snapshotsEditorial planningSprint summaries
Syntax

kanban

Examples

1 starter pattern

Review

5 production checks

Open Mermaid Editor

Diagram preview

Rendered Mermaid example

Kanban
Mermaid Kanban example

What You Will Learn

How to recognize when Kanban is the right Mermaid diagram, write the opening declaration, and shape a readable first version.

Best Fit

Project snapshots, Editorial planning, Sprint summaries.

Start Here

Copy the starter example, replace labels with your domain language, then simplify anything that does not help the reader.

Syntax Basics

Start with the diagram declaration, then add the smallest set of labels, relationships, and annotations needed to communicate the idea.

  • Use kanban as the declaration.
  • Create columns for workflow states.
  • Add cards under the column where they currently belong.
  • Keep card labels short and outcome-oriented.

Official Documentation Coverage

The Mermaid documentation for Kanban covers the following syntax areas. This tutorial condenses those topics into practical guidance for day-to-day documentation.

Columns

Columns is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Tasks

Tasks is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Task metadata

Task metadata is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Supported metadata keys

Supported metadata keys is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Configuration options

Use Configuration options after the diagram communicates the right structure. Styling should improve scanning and emphasis without hiding the underlying Mermaid syntax.

Full board examples

Full board examples is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

How This Tutorial Uses The Official Docs

Mermaid syntax evolves, so the official page remains the primary reference. This tutorial turns that reference material into an authoring workflow, review checklist, and production guidance.

Start with the official grammar

The official Mermaid Kanban page is the source of truth for syntax changes. Use this tutorial to choose the right authoring pattern, then confirm exact keywords and edge cases in the official reference.

Prioritize the core sections

For the first pass, focus on Columns, Tasks, Task metadata, Supported metadata keys. These sections usually explain the minimum structure required for a valid Kanban.

Add advanced syntax only when it earns its space

Treat Configuration options, Full board examples as optional layers. They are valuable when the diagram needs precision, but they should not make the first version harder to read.

Syntax Reference Map

Use this map as a practical reading order for the official syntax page. It separates the first concepts to learn from the advanced details that are better added after the diagram already communicates the right idea.

Phase
How to use it
Start
Columns

Columns is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Does this columns detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

Start
Tasks

Tasks is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Does this tasks detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

Refine
Task metadata

Task metadata is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Does this task metadata detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

Refine
Supported metadata keys

Supported metadata keys is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Does this supported metadata keys detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

Refine
Configuration options

Use Configuration options after the diagram communicates the right structure. Styling should improve scanning and emphasis without hiding the underlying Mermaid syntax.

Does this configuration options detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

Polish
Full board examples

Full board examples is part of the official Mermaid Kanban syntax surface. Add it when the starter example needs more precision for production documentation.

Does this full board examples detail make the kanban easier to understand or maintain?

How To Study The Official Syntax

The official Mermaid page is broad because it documents the full parser surface. For a working tutorial, read it in passes instead of trying to memorize every option at once.

Step 1

Skim the official Kanban documentation once to understand the full syntax surface before copying examples into production docs.

Step 2

Focus first on Columns, Tasks, Task metadata, Supported metadata keys, Configuration options because these topics usually explain the core authoring model.

Step 3

After the first diagram renders, revisit the official styling, configuration, and advanced sections only when the diagram needs that extra precision.

Authoring Workflow

This workflow turns the official syntax reference into a repeatable writing process for docs, specs, and product pages.

Step 1

Frame the reader question

Before writing syntax, decide what question the Kanban should answer. Good diagrams usually answer one question clearly instead of answering several partially.

Step 2

Draft the smallest valid diagram

Start with the declaration for kanban, add only the required elements, and render it before introducing advanced styling or configuration.

Step 3

Add semantic labels

Replace placeholder names with business or system language that readers already know. Labels should reduce explanation work.

Step 4

Review for maintenance

Remove details that are likely to drift quickly. If a value, date, or dependency changes often, explain who owns the update.

Quick Syntax Cheat Sheet

Use this compact reference when you already know the goal and need to write a valid Mermaid Kanban quickly.

Declaration
kanban

Start the code block with kanban so Mermaid selects the Kanban renderer.

Core content
Use kanban as the declaration.

Add the smallest number of statements that express the main idea before adding visual polish.

Connections
Connect the meaningful elements

Use connections only where they explain ownership, sequence, flow, dependency, or hierarchy.

Advanced topic
Columns

Use official syntax topics as optional layers, not as requirements for every diagram.

Practice Prompts

Use these prompts after reading the official syntax sections. They force the diagram to stay practical instead of becoming a syntax inventory.

Exercise 1

Create a Kanban for project snapshots using no more than eight visible elements.

Exercise 2

Rewrite the starter example with labels from your own product or engineering domain, then remove any line that does not change the reader's understanding.

Exercise 3

Add one official syntax feature from Columns, Tasks, Task metadata and explain why that feature makes the diagram clearer.

Exercise 4

Compare the result with gantt and timeline and write one sentence explaining why Kanban is still the better fit.

Examples

Copy the example into the Mermaid editor, then adjust labels and relationships for your own documentation.

Documentation Board

A simple work-in-progress board.

kanban
  Todo
    Write tutorial
    Review examples
  Doing
    Build SEO page
  Done
    Define slugs

Example Walkthrough

Read Mermaid examples from top to bottom. The first meaningful line usually selects the diagram parser; the following lines add labels, relationships, values, states, or layout hints.

kanban

This line declares the Mermaid diagram type, which tells Mermaid which parser and renderer to use.

Todo

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Write tutorial

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Review examples

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Doing

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Build SEO page

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Done

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

Define slugs

This line contributes a label, item, or nested detail that Mermaid places into the diagram.

When To Use Kanban

Project snapshots
Editorial planning
Sprint summaries
Documentation work queues

Diagram Choice Guide

A strong Mermaid tutorial should also explain when not to use the diagram type. Use this guide before adding a Kanban to a public page or technical design document.

Use this diagram when

Kanban works best for project snapshots, editorial planning, sprint summaries. It should make the reader's next decision easier, not merely decorate the page.

Choose a different diagram when

Your main question is better answered by another structure, such as gantt, timeline, swimlanes. For example, use a sequence diagram for message order and a flowchart for branching process logic.

Keep it maintainable by

Keeping the first version small, naming every important element with business language, and linking back to the official Mermaid syntax page when advanced syntax is required.

Production Checklist

Before publishing a Mermaid Kanban, run through this checklist so the diagram remains useful after the immediate conversation is over.

Confirm that Kanban is the right diagram type for the problem.
Start from the smallest example that communicates the idea clearly.
Use consistent names for nodes, actors, states, or data labels.
Check the diagram in the Mermaid editor before publishing.
Add surrounding text that explains assumptions, scale, or business context.

Production Review Questions

Before shipping the diagram in public docs, compare it against the official syntax page and then ask whether each line helps the reader make a better decision.

Does the first line clearly select the Mermaid Kanban renderer with kanban?
Are names and labels short, stable, and meaningful to the target reader?
Do the relationships, transitions, values, or hierarchy show real meaning instead of visual decoration?
Could a teammate update this diagram next month without rereading the whole surrounding document?

Troubleshooting

Most Mermaid issues come from an incorrect declaration, a syntax feature used before the base diagram works, or a diagram that is trying to communicate too many ideas at once.

The diagram does not render

Check that the first line is the correct declaration for Kanban: kanban. Then remove advanced lines until the smallest version renders.

The diagram renders but is hard to read

Shorten labels, reduce the number of visible items, and split separate ideas into separate diagrams.

The meaning is ambiguous

Add edge labels, relationship names, axis labels, or surrounding explanatory text so readers know what the diagram is proving.

The diagram becomes stale

Prefer stable concepts over volatile implementation details, and add ownership notes when the diagram documents a changing system.

Publishing Notes

For SEO and long-term documentation quality, keep the Mermaid code close to the explanation. Search engines can understand the surrounding text, while engineers can copy the exact syntax into their own editor.

If the diagram is used in a product page, add a short caption that states what decision the diagram supports. If it is used in internal docs, add ownership and update expectations so the diagram does not become stale after the system changes.

Best Practices

  • -Use stable workflow columns.
  • -Avoid turning the page into a full task tracker.
  • -Keep card text concise.
  • -Update snapshots when publishing docs.

Common Mistakes

  • -Adding too many cards to one board.
  • -Using vague column names.
  • -Leaving stale statuses in documentation.

Choosing Related Diagram Types

If Kanban does not quite match your communication goal, compare it with these nearby Mermaid diagram types.

Gantt Chart

Gantt charts show schedules, task durations, dependencies, and milestones. Use them for lightweight project plans that should live close to documentation.

Timeline

Timeline diagrams explain events in chronological order. They work well for histories, release plans, and incident reports.

Swimlanes

Swimlane-style Mermaid diagrams separate responsibilities across teams, systems, or roles. They are useful when a process moves through multiple owners.

FAQ

Is Mermaid Kanban rendered on the server?

This tutorial page is server-rendered for SEO. The Mermaid syntax is shown as plain text so search engines and readers can inspect it without waiting for client-side rendering.

Can I edit this Kanban example?

Yes. Open the Mermaid editor, paste the example, and modify the labels, relationships, or values for your own use case.