Create diagrams and flows with connectors and lines

Lines in FigJam let you create paths between shapes and stickies, illustrate order, or annotate something on your board. Every line can be customized with its own color, text, end points, and stroke weight.

There are two types of line shapes:

• Connectors can be reshaped and wrap around objects to create an indirect path to other objects on the board.
• Straight lines create a direct path to other objects on the board.

Create a line

Lines snap onto existing shapes and stickies. This way, a shape brings its lines along with it if it's moved around the board.

1. Click from the shapes menu in the toolbar.
2. Select between an elbow connector or straight line shape. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts X or ⇧ ShiftL to create an elbow connector, and L for a straight line.
3. Click and drag your cursor between the objects you want to connect.

The line tool stays active until you select another tool, or press V or Esc.

Once created, you can click and drag a line's start or end point to another object, or another side of the same object.

Move lines

Lines can be moved around the board and connected to other objects. Their paths can be moved to better illustrate a flow or make space for other objects on the board.

Move start and end points

When a line's start and end points are snapped to the side of an object, you can move one of the points at a time to another object, or another side of the same object.

1. Click anywhere on the line's path.
2. Click and drag the blue dot for the point you want to move.
3. Snap it to another object's side.

To place the end point of a line on any part of an object (and avoid the snapping the line to the side of the object), hold down ⌘ Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) while moving the line.

You can leave a line's start or end point unattached from objects on the board to complete the connection at a later time, or just let it vibe there.

Move entire line

To move an entire line, you'll first need to detach the start and end points from any objects they may be connected to. Once detached:

1. Select the line from the board.
2. Drag it to its new location.
3. Connect the start and end points to objects as needed.

Customize path

You can customize an elbow connector's path at any time. This lets you create paths around other objects on the board and have some fun with it. To do so:

1. Select an elbow connector.
2. Drag the path handle for the portion you want to move.

For the start and end portions of a connector, dragging can add an extra portion to the path.

Customize lines

When you first create or open a file, line styles are set to their default properties. For example, they're colored gray, have no text, and are a solid path. Once you add a line to the board, you can use its toolbar to make changes to text, color, line style, and end points.

FigJam remembers any styles last used for a line during your recent work in a file.

Color

Give your line's path a different color to illustrate separate flows, paths, or workstreams.

1. Create or select a line.
2. Click the color picker.
3. Select a new color.

Learn more about using colors in FigJam →

Line style and stroke

You can pick between solid and dashed styles for your lines. To alternate between them:

1. Create or select a line.
2. Click in the line's toolbar.
3. Select between solid and dashed.

Stroke

Lines can be given two different stroke weights: thick and thin. To change a line's stroke weight:

1. Create or select a line.
2. Click in the line's toolbar. By default, the weight is set to thin.
3. Click the weight you want for your line.

Text

Lines can have text labels added to their paths.

To add text to a path:

1. Create or select a line.
2. Click in the line's toolbar.
3. Add text.

Use Return / Enter to add a new row to the connector's text label. You can add and remove a background color for your text using the line's color picker.

Move text

Drag the text label anywhere along the line's path to make it easier for your team to see. This is only possible if the line is long enough to move the label.

Show text background

When you add text to a line, you can toggle its background on or off. To do so:

1. Create or select a line.
2. Click to add a label, then add your text. By default, the background is toggled off.
3. Click the color picker in the toolbar.
4. Click to show the text background.

Learn more about text in FigJam →

Start and end point style

Lines have five types of point styles to help you define direction in a path.

• None leaves the point with no styling, just the beginning or end of a line.
• Solid and Line arrows give the point a solid or lined triangle pointing outwards from the line.
• Triangle gives the point a solid triangle pointing inward towards the line.
• Diamond gives the point, well, a diamond.

When you create a line, the toolbar lets you set a style for the line's start and end points individually.

1. Create or select a line.
2. Use the line's toolbar to set styles as needed.

Select multiple lines using ⇧ Shift Click to edit their styling in bulk.