Activity Diagram Examples & Templates

Activity diagrams illustrate the flow of activities and actions in a system, showing the sequence of activities and decision points that lead from a start to an end point.

When to Use Activity Diagrams

Use activity diagrams to model business workflows, document processes, show parallel processing, and illustrate complex algorithmic procedures.

Common Use Cases:

  • Business process workflows
  • Order fulfillment procedures
  • Incident response protocols
  • Multi-step user journeys
  • Automated system processes

Featured Activity Diagram Examples

Explore 3 real-world activity diagram examples with detailed explanations and PlantUML source code.

Security Incident Response FlowSecurity Incident Response FlowDetect Security EventReal Incident?YesNoInvestigateAssess SeverityHigh Severity?YesNoContain ThreatRemove ThreatRestore SystemsStandard ResponseDocument IncidentUpdate SecurityClose AlertResponse Phases:- Detection- Investigation- Containment- Recovery- Learning

Security Incident Response Flow

An activity diagram showing the complete security incident response workflow with decision nodes based on alert severity and swimlanes for different roles including monitoring systems, analysts, and incident commanders.

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Automated Irrigation System - Activity DiagramAutomated Irrigation System - Activity DiagramInitialize SystemMonitor Soil MoistureMoisture Level?LowNormalCheck WeatherRain Expected?YesNoSkip IrrigationStart IrrigationWater CropsRecord UsageContinue MonitoringWait for Next CheckSystem Active?Shutdown SystemSystem Triggers:- Soil moisture sensors- Weather forecasts- Scheduled monitoringNo

Automated Crop Irrigation System Cycle

An activity diagram illustrating the complete cycle of an automated crop irrigation system with time and signal events triggered by soil moisture levels and time of day, including decision nodes for weather forecast analysis before irrigation starts.

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Book Publication WorkflowBook Publication WorkflowSubmit ManuscriptRevise ManuscriptReceive RejectionReview Final ProofApprove?yesnoSign AgreementReview ManuscriptAccept?yesnoEdit ContentyesRevisions Needed?Finalize EditDesign LayoutCreate CoverMake ChangesPrint BooksDistribute BooksAuthorEditorDesignerPublisher

Book Submission to Final Publication Workflow

Activity diagram illustrating the comprehensive workflow of book publishing from manuscript submission to final publication, with swimlanes showing collaboration across Author, Editor, Designer, Printer, and Marketing departments.

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How to Create Activity Diagrams in PlantUML

With Plantdiagrams AI-powered editor, you can create professional activity diagrams in seconds. Simply describe what you want to diagram, and our AI will generate the PlantUML code for you.

1

Open the Editor

Start with our free online PlantUML editor - no installation required.

2

Describe Your Diagram

Use our AI assistant to generate activity diagram code from natural language.

3

Customize & Export

Edit the diagram with live preview, then export or share with your team.

Need More Examples?

Explore our full gallery of PlantUML diagram examples across all diagram types and industries.