# Diagram settings overview

Diagram settings exist at three levels, and they resolve in a fixed order. Almost every confusing settings question is really a question about which level is deciding.

The rule is simple: the macro wins if it has an opinion, then the space, then the site.

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## When you would change this

* Before changing anything, so you change it in the right place.
* When a setting appears to have no effect.
* Rolling a standard out across a site rather than page by page.

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## What you can set

| **Setting**    | **What it does**                                                                  |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Site settings  | Which languages exist, shape libraries, templates, AI, egress, renderer.          |
| Space settings | Rendering defaults for every diagram in a space: display mode, dark mode, titles. |
| Macro settings | One diagram, overriding the space where it chooses to.                            |

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## Which level wins

| **Setting**                     | **Set at**     | **Overridden by**                      |
| ------------------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Available languages             | Site           | Nothing; this is the master list       |
| Display mode, dark mode, sizing | Space          | The macro, when not set to inherit     |
| Shape libraries                 | Site           | Nothing; they are available everywhere |
| Templates                       | Site and space | Neither; both appear in the picker     |
| AI features                     | Site           | Nothing                                |

ℹ️

**Start at the space.** Space settings are where most useful standardisation happens, and they are reversible without touching a single page.

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## A few things that catch people out

* Most macro settings default to inherit, which means "use the space value". That is what makes space defaults useful.
* Turning a language off site-wide hides it from the picker but does not delete existing diagrams.
* Site settings need Confluence administrator rights; space settings need space admin.

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## Related

[Turn diagram languages on or offThirty-one languages is a lot for one picker.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/turn-diagram-languages-on-or-off.html)

[Language presetsThree lists, one click.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/language-presets.html)

[ExamplesWorking diagrams you can copy.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/examples.html)

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_Set it once, in the right place._