Installation

c4-diagrams is available on PyPI so installation is straightforward:

pipuv

pip install c4-diagrams

uv add c4-diagrams

System Dependencies

The c4-diagrams package itself is installed via PyPI, but exporting diagrams may require additional third-party tools depending on the selected renderer.

Some renderers rely on external system binaries that must be installed separately.

PlantUML

To export diagrams using the PlantUML renderer, you need one of the following:

• A local plantuml binary available in your PATH
• A local plantuml.jar with Java installed
• A remote PlantUML server

macOS (Homebrew)Ubuntu / Debian

brew install plantuml

sudo apt install plantuml

After installation, verify that PlantUML is available:

plantuml -version