Archify AI: Cloud Architecture in Minutes

Archify is an open-source tool that leverages artificial intelligence to transform textual descriptions of cloud architectures into visual diagrams. This tool aims to simplify and accelerate the documentation and design process, supporting major providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP, and generating output in standard formats such as Mermaid or Draw.io.

Tested on: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS · Archify v0.1.0 · August 2026

Intro

How many times have you found yourself drawing yet another architecture diagram, spending hours in Lucidchart, Draw.io, or Visio, only to realize that at the first change, the diagrams became obsolete? In an enterprise environment with 300+ VMs and dozens of cloud services, keeping documentation updated is a losing battle from the start. The need to quickly visualize how components interact, especially during design or troubleshooting phases, is crucial. Archify promises to solve this problem by transforming a simple text description into a comprehensible diagram, reducing the initial drafting time for a complex architecture from hours to just a few minutes.

Prerequisites / Test Environment

To use Archify, you need Python 3.8+ and pip installed. The tool integrates with OpenAI’s language models or other compatible LLMs. For this test, we used a Linux environment with Python 3.10 and an OpenAI API key.

# Verify Python version
python3 --version

# Install pip if not present
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y python3-pip

# Clone the Archify repository
git clone https://github.com/tt-a1i/archify.git
cd archify

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Configure OpenAI API key (replace with your key)
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_openai_api_key"

1. Generating Your First Diagram with Archify

Using Archify is intuitive. Once installed and the API key configured, you can invoke the archify command by specifying the architecture description and the desired output format.

Let’s say we want to generate an AWS architecture for a serverless web application.

archify generate --description "A serverless web application on AWS using API Gateway, AWS Lambda for business logic, DynamoDB for data persistence, and S3 for static storage. Users access via CloudFront." --format mermaid

Archify will process the description and generate an output similar to this (exact content may vary based on the LLM model version and description specificity):

graph TD
    A[User] --> B(CloudFront)
    B --> C(API Gateway)
    C --> D(AWS Lambda)
    D --> E(DynamoDB)
    D --> F(S3)

This output can then be pasted into a compatible Mermaid editor (like Mermaid Live Editor or GitHub markdown) to visualize the diagram. Read also: Documenting with Mermaid: Simple Diagrams in Code

2. More Complex Architectures and Other Formats

Archify supports more detailed and complex descriptions, allowing you to specify additional relationships and services. You can also request output in Draw.io format, which offers greater flexibility for subsequent customization.

Example of an Azure architecture with Draw.io output:

archify generate --description "An enterprise application on Azure with a web frontend hosted on App Service, an API backend on Azure Functions, Azure SQL Database for relational data, and Azure Blob Storage for files. All protected by Azure Application Gateway." --format drawio > azure_architecture.drawio

This command will save the XML content of the diagram to azure_architecture.drawio, which can be opened and modified with Draw.io. The accuracy of the diagram heavily depends on the clarity and specificity of the provided description. Read also: Azure Functions: Developing and Deploying Microservices

3. Integration and Customization

Archify can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines to automatically generate updated diagrams with every infrastructure-as-code change, or to support rapid architectural reviews. While the output is AI-generated, human review is always recommended to ensure accuracy and adherence to corporate standards. The ability to generate Draw.io files allows for further customization and the addition of specific details that the AI might not capture on its own. Read also: Ansible vs Scripts: Managing 200 Servers

Common Errors and Troubleshooting

AuthenticationError: Invalid API key: Ensure that the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable is set correctly and that the key is valid and not expired. Try regenerating the API key on the OpenAI portal.
Generic or incomplete output: This is often due to overly vague descriptions. Be as specific as possible about services, their interactions, and cloud providers. For example, instead of “a database,” specify “DynamoDB” or “Azure SQL Database.”
Dependency installation issues: Check that pip is up to date (pip install --upgrade pip) and that there are no package version conflicts. Using a Python virtual environment is always recommended to avoid system-level dependency problems.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Can Archify replace a cloud architect?

No, Archify is an automation and support tool. It does not replace the experience and judgment of an architect. It excels at generating initial drafts, standardizing basic documentation, and speeding up the process, but validation, optimization, and understanding design implications remain human tasks.

What output formats does Archify support?

Currently, Archify supports generating diagrams in Mermaid and Draw.io formats. These formats are widely used and allow for easy integration with various documentation and visualization tools.

Is it possible to use Archify with other LLM models besides OpenAI?

The project is configurable to use different LLM providers. This depends on Archify’s internal implementation and its dependencies. It is advisable to consult the official repository documentation for language model configuration options.

Is it safe to use Archify with sensitive architecture descriptions?

When using external AI services like OpenAI, the descriptions sent are processed on the provider’s servers. It is crucial to read the AI provider’s privacy and data usage policies. For extremely sensitive architectures, it is preferable not to include confidential details in the description or to consider on-premise solutions if available.

Conclusions with Operational Takeaways

Archify represents a significant step forward in automating cloud architecture documentation. Its ability to transform natural language into structured diagrams can save IT teams valuable hours. It is particularly useful for: 1) rapid prototyping and drafting, 2) keeping basic documentation updated, and 3) facilitating communication between technical and non-technical teams. While not a “plug-and-play” solution for every scenario and requiring human verification, Archify is a tool to add to your arsenal for improving efficiency in the cloud infrastructure design and management lifecycle.

Sources

Updated: August 2026