# Edit the diagram XML

Underneath the canvas is draw.io XML, and you can edit it directly. That makes bulk changes trivial: rename thirty shapes, restyle everything, or fix something the UI makes awkward.

It is also how you paste in a diagram somebody sent you as XML.

![image-20260907-082241.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/ea52880a-ff88-43ae-8598-a280b28117de.webp)

Click Extras → Edit Diagram

![Screenshot 2026-09-07 at 09.22.50.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/3740d19e-2f01-4c4e-a0eb-1ac945871b08.webp)

Paste in the Draw.io XML file

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## What this is for

* Bulk edits that would take a hundred clicks.
* Pasting in a diagram supplied as XML.
* Debugging a diagram that behaves oddly.

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## How it works

| **Action**             | **How**                                                                      |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Open the XML           | Extras, Edit Diagram.                                                        |
| Replace the diagram    | Paste new XML over the existing content and confirm.                         |
| Edit one shape's style | Ctrl+E with the shape selected, which is a smaller version of the same idea. |
| Cancel                 | Close without confirming; nothing is applied.                                |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Invalid XML is rejected rather than applied, so the worst case is that nothing happens.
* Take a copy before a large hand edit. The undo history does not always survive a full replace.
* The XML is standard draw.io, so it opens anywhere else too. See [Reference](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/reference.html).

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## Related

[draw.io keyboard shortcutsThe dozen that matter.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-keyboard-shortcuts.html)

[Drafts and recovery in draw.ioSaving is manual, and there is a safety net.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/drafts-and-recovery-in-draw-io.html)

[draw.io editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-editor.html)

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_The canvas rewards ten minutes of learning._