Migrating draw.io from Data Center to Cloud: FAQs

If you’re a long-term draw.io Data Center user preparing to move to Confluence Cloud, this FAQ covers the most common questions, from preserving your diagrams and handling embedded content to custom templates, shape libraries, and security.

Here’s what you need to know before, during, and after the migration.

Pre-Migration Questions

How can I migrate my draw.io diagrams from Confluence Data Center to Confluence Cloud, and will my diagrams be preserved?

Migrating your draw.io diagrams is a straightforward process, similar to a standard Confluence migration.

For a detailed guide on how to smoothly change deployments, visit this blogpost by our developers at draw.io Ltd. By following the outlined steps, your diagrams will be preserved.

For a broader overview of the migration process, see our Whitepaper, The Great Migration.

Is my diagram data secure in draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

In draw.io for Confluence Cloud, diagram data is stored exclusively within the Confluence page content on Atlassian’s infrastructure or in the user’s browser.

The draw.io Zero Egress app for Confluence Cloud provides an enhanced security experience by enforcing data isolation and preventing any external data egress.

How can I migrate my Gliffy diagrams to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

draw.io has a built-in Gliffy Mass Import tool that can convert all diagrams across your entire instance (or specific spaces) into draw.io format with one click. This tool replaces Gliffy macros with their draw.io equivalents while keeping the original Gliffy diagrams attached to the Confluence page. The migration process is fast, with approximately 500 Gliffy diagrams migrated in under a minute.

If you’re looking to migrate to draw.io for Confluence Cloud from Gliffy Confluence Data Center, we recommend migrating to draw.io first, before moving to Cloud. This will make the transition much smoother. You can perform the migration (test and final deployment) using trial keys, meaning you won’t have to pay for draw.io before you migrate.

Learn more by checking out our in-depth migration guide for migrating to draw.io from Gliffy.

How can I migrate my Lucidchart diagrams to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

Lucidchart diagrams can be imported to draw.io by exporting them as .vsdx or Lucid’s own format and then dragging them directly into draw.io’s board editor.

There isn’t a “one-click” native mass-migrator for Lucid as there is for Gliffy, but the manual import is highly reliable.

Post-Migration Questions

Will my diagrams look exactly the same after migrating from Gliffy to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

Most standard shapes and connectors will migrate perfectly. Please note that complex custom shapes or those requiring specific Gliffy-only features might look different and may require minor manual touch-ups after the import.

What will happen to diagrams that link to Confluence pages after migrating to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

Diagrams that link to other Confluence pages rely on Page IDs. When you migrate your instance to Cloud, Atlassian assigns new Page IDs to every page, which may break your links.

To ensure diagram links function properly after the migration, you will need to use the draw.io Page ID Export/Import tool.

What will happen to my embedded draw.io diagrams after migrating to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

If you have a diagram on “Page A” that is an embedded version of a diagram stored on “Page B,” you may encounter a “Diagram Not Found” error after migrating from draw.io for Confluence Data Center to draw.io for Confluence Cloud. To display embedded diagrams correctly, you will need to use the Page ID Export/Import tool.

Is the draw.io editor the same in Cloud as in Data Center?

The diagram editor interface is the same in both Cloud and Data Center. There are two minor differences between both versions:

• Due to the restrictions on the Atlassian Forge platform, the draw.io diagram editor in Confluence Cloud appears slightly wider and is not a full-screen UI dialog. (For more information, see The draw.io app for Confluence Cloud transitions to Forge-only).

• draw.io for Confluence Cloud contains additional features that cannot be provided on Data Center, such as the Generate tool, our AI-assisted diagramming feature, accessed via the Sparkle button.

Simply put, if you know how to create diagrams in DC, you know how to create them in draw.io for Confluence Cloud.

What will happen to my custom templates after migrating to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

In draw.io for Confluence Data Center, you can set the link to custom template pages yourself.

Confluence Cloud requires templates to reside under a specific, pre-defined parent page within the configuration space. To ensure your templates work after migrating, simply move your existing template pages to be child pages of the required Cloud parent page. Once they are in the correct location, you’re all set.

What happens to my custom shape libraries after migrating to draw.io for Confluence Cloud?

Custom shape libraries will need to be re-added manually. They can be downloaded from the draw.io configuration page in Data Center and then uploaded to the configuration page in Cloud.

Other Migration Questions

Can I try draw.io for free? If so, for how long?

Yes. You can start a free draw.io for Confluence Cloud evaluation via the Atlassian Marketplace. The evaluation period is 30 days. If you cannot complete the evaluation within this timeframe, just get in touch with us.

I need a basic security questionnaire answered before obtaining draw.io. How can I get it completed?

Here are some resources that offer valuable insights into data security in draw.io:

• Our technical and organizational measures (TOM)

• Our Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

• Our Cloud end-user license agreement (EULA)

• Our Data Center end-user license agreement (EULA)

• Our data governance and lockdown settings in Confluence Cloud

For specific security questions, feel free to reach out to our support team.

Can we license draw.io only for a subset of users instead of the whole team?

No. Atlassian requires all Marketplace apps to be subscribed to the entire user base of the host product (in this case, Confluence or Jira). This is an Atlassian Marketplace requirement, not specific to draw.io.

That said, our pricing compares favorably to per-seat diagramming tools outside the Marketplace, particularly at scale.

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.