# Suggest diagram

> Page: https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/post-v1-diagrams-suggest. Index of every page: https://docs.plotwork.dev/llms.txt

Choose the kind of diagram for a request.

`POST /v1/diagrams/suggest`

## TL;DR

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does it do? | Choose the kind of diagram for a request. |
| Which tool does the same? | [`suggest_diagram`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/mcp/tools/suggest-diagram.md) |
| What does it take? | A JSON body of type [`SuggestDiagramInput`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#suggestdiagraminput). |
| What does it return? | Status 200 with a body of type [`SuggestDiagramResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#suggestdiagramresponse). |
| What can go wrong? | `400` the body failed schema validation; `401` the api key is missing or not valid; `403` the account is on the free plan, which does not include the rest drawing and checking routes (plan.rest_not_included); `413` the body is larger than the size cap; `429` too many requests. Every failure uses the one error envelope. |

## What it does

Takes a request in plain words, such as permission matrix for these endpoints and roles, and optional pasted data (a table, a list, or numbers by period), and answers with up to 3 diagram kinds, best first, each with a one-sentence reason, a confidence, the statements to use, and a short starter source that parses, built from the names and numbers it could read. A request that names no kind is a normal 200 result with low-confidence suggestions. Deterministic, and it lays nothing out.

## Request body

The body has the type [`SuggestDiagramInput`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#suggestdiagraminput).

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `request` | `string` | yes | What the picture is for, in plain words, such as "permission matrix for these endpoints and roles" or "how a refund moves between support and billing". at least 1 character; at most 1000 characters. |
| `data` | `string` | no | Optional text to draw from: a pasted table, a list, numbers by period, or notes. Names and numbers in it are used in the starters. at most 20000 characters. |

## Responses

| Status | Meaning | Body |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | The kinds that fit, best first, each with a starter, and what to call next. | [`SuggestDiagramResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#suggestdiagramresponse) |
| 400 | The body failed schema validation. | [`ErrorResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#errorresponse) |
| 401 | The API key is missing or not valid. | [`ErrorResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#errorresponse) |
| 403 | The account is on the Free plan, which does not include the REST drawing and checking routes (plan.rest_not_included). | [`ErrorResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#errorresponse) |
| 413 | The body is larger than the size cap. | [`ErrorResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#errorresponse) |
| 429 | Too many requests. | [`ErrorResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#errorresponse) |

## Response body

A 200 answer has the type [`SuggestDiagramResponse`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md#suggestdiagramresponse).

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `request` | `string` | yes | The request that was read. |
| `suggestions` | `object[]` | yes | Up to 3, best first, one for each kind and style. |
| `suggestions[].kind` | `string` | yes | A diagram kind: flow, sequence, schema, git, gantt, class, state, timeline, journey, mindmap, treemap, pie, quadrant, layers, c4, matrix, sankey, xychart, tree, or swimlane today. Later versions add kinds, so expect others. |
| `suggestions[].style` | `string \| null` | yes | The style the starter uses: compare, score, raci, or risk for a matrix, files or org for a tree; null for the kind's only style. |
| `suggestions[].why` | `string` | yes | One sentence: why this kind fits. |
| `suggestions[].confidence` | `"high" \| "medium" \| "low"` | yes | high: the text names this kind of picture or its shape fits it exactly. medium: it leans toward it. low: a fallback worth considering. |
| `suggestions[].starter` | `string` | yes | A short Plotwork source of this kind that parses without errors: built from the names and numbers in the text where it could find them, otherwise a small example to edit. Replace every placeholder before you draw it. |
| `suggestions[].tailored` | `boolean` | yes | True when the starter uses names or numbers from the text; false when it is the kind's small example. |
| `suggestions[].statements` | `string[]` | yes | The few statements of this kind to write, as syntax. get_diagram_syntax with this kind has them all. |
| `importFormat` | `string` | no | Present when the data is, or the request names, a file import_source reads (sql, openapi, compose, terraform, and so on): call import_source with this format and the file's text instead of editing a starter. |
| `next` | `string` | yes | The next step in one sentence. |

## See also

| Doc | Why |
|---|---|
| [API reference](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/reference.md) | Every endpoint, and the error envelope |
| [Schemas](https://docs.plotwork.dev/api/schemas.md) | Every request and response type |
| [`suggest_diagram`](https://docs.plotwork.dev/mcp/tools/suggest-diagram.md) | The same operation as an MCP tool |
| [Tool reference](https://docs.plotwork.dev/mcp/tools.md) | The operations as callable tools |