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    UML Activity Diagram

    Behavioral

    A UML workflow diagram for business processes, decisions, and parallel work.

    Overview

    Activity diagrams model control flow: start, actions, decisions, forks, and end. Use them for onboarding, order processing, and approvals. This page is a studio-ready example. The activity diagram tutorial goes deeper on swimlanes and notation.

    Keywords
    Workflow
    Decision
    Fork
    Join
    Action
    Swimlane
    Components
    Key elements that make up this diagram type

    Start / End

    Initial and final nodes of the flow.

    Action

    A rounded rectangle for a step.

    Decision

    A diamond with guarded outgoing paths.

    Fork and join

    Split and merge parallel branches.

    Where It's Used
    Common applications and scenarios for this diagram
    • •Requirements workshops
    • •SOP documentation
    • •QA test planning
    • •Automation design
    Use Cases & Industries

    Use Cases:

    Business process modeling
    Onboarding flows
    Order fulfillment
    Document approval

    Industries:

    Software Development
    Operations
    E-commerce Platforms
    Enterprise Applications
    How to Create with UML Diagram Studio
    Step-by-step guide to create this diagram in our studio
    1

    Open UML Diagram Studio

    Use the homepage editor with PlantUML activity syntax.

    2

    Start the flow

    Use start, :actions;, if, and stop.

    @startuml
start
:Receive order;
if (Paid?) then (yes)
  :Ship;
else (no)
  :Remind customer;
endif
stop
@enduml
    3

    Preview and export

    Confirm branches in the live preview, then export.

    Complete Example Code
    Full PlantUML code example you can use in the studio
    @startuml
start
:Customer submits order;
if (In stock?) then (yes)
  :Reserve items;
  :Charge payment;
  :Ship;
else (no)
  :Notify backorder;
endif
stop
@enduml
    Best Practices
    • ✓Name actions as verbs
    • ✓Label every decision branch
    • ✓Split huge processes into several diagrams
    • ✓Use swimlanes when roles matter
    Related Tutorials
    Learn more about activity diagrams with our guides
    Explore More
    Discover other diagram types and resources

    Sequence Diagrams

    Learn about sequence diagrams

    Activity Diagrams

    Model workflows effectively

    State Diagrams

    Model system behavior

    All Diagrams

    Browse all diagram types

    Related Diagrams
    Other diagram types you might find useful
    Sequence Diagram - messages between objects
    State Diagram - object lifecycle instead of process steps
    Use Case Diagram - who starts the process