Getting started with Cacoo

Cacoo's simple and intuitive interface makes it easy to start creating and sharing diagrams right out of the gate. But some people like having a little guidance, so we put together this quick article to get you diagramming like a pro.

If you're on the Pro Plan, make sure to read the Individuals section. If you're on our Free, Team, or Education plan, read both!

Individuals 

In this section, you'll learn about:

• Creating diagrams using templates and shapes
• Sharing diagrams with others
• Organizing diagrams in private folders so that you can keep track of your work
• Collaborating on diagrams simultaneously with multiple users

Creating diagrams

When you log in to Cacoo, the first thing you see is your Dashboard. Here, you can view your existing diagrams, templates, and folders. You can also create new ones.

To create a new diagram, click on the  '+ Create Diagram' button in the upper-left-hand corner, or select the 'Template' icon to start from a template.

That button will bring you to the Editor where a dialog box will present you with template options.

You can select a template or select 'Blank Sheet' to start from scratch.

Next, it's time to start customizing. You can do this using a few different tools:

1.  Tool Menu. On the left-hand side of your editor is your Main Menu. Here you will find all of your options for adding objects to your canvas. You can add a new shape, text, line, or table. You can also import images or select a template.

2. Editor Menu. Editor menu will prompt when you select an object on your diagram. Editor menu allows you to further customize the style of the objects.

3. Panel and Preview Menu. To the right, you'll see previews of all of your sheets. Here you can add, delete, title, and rearrange them. Besides that, you can view the comments, start a video call or chat, or further adjust the diagram settings.

4. Properties Bar. On the bottom are your viewing options where you can perform undo and redo, change the zoom level of your diagram, and save version history.

You can learn more about the editor overview from this article. 

You can also check out our video on How to create and edit diagrams for more details.

Sharing diagrams

Your work will auto-save as you go, so whenever you're ready, you can use the Export and Share buttons at the top of your Navigation Menu to select how you would like to share your work.

There are several exporting options to choose from, including PNG, SVG, PDF, PS, and PPT.

You can share your diagram by sending a copy of your diagram link.

For a complete list of sharing options, you can also view our Sharing Diagrams in the Cacoo video.

For more info on sharing, you can visit our sharing support page.

Organizing diagrams in private folders

You can create unlimited folders and organized your diagram there.

For more on folders, watch our Managing Folders in Cacoo video.

Collaborating on diagrams

When you share a diagram or a folder:

1. You and others can edit your diagrams simultaneously.
2. You can track changes made by yourself and others with the History feature. 
3. You and your collaborators can leave Comments directly on your diagram.
    
   
4. You can also communicate in real-time with other collaborators in the diagrams using Live Chat or Video Chat.

Check out our Collaborating in Cacoo video for more detail.

Teams

In this section, you'll learn about:

• Understanding your spaces and how they relate to one another
• Organizing and Managing diagrams in the shared folders, so your team can find the diagrams relevant to them
• Inviting and managing users to your Organization

Understanding your spaces

When working with a Team plan, your relation to your Organization is as follows:  

1. Organization: Organization is the space (account) which you belong to. You may belong to one or many organizations (e.g. when working with multiple clients who use Cacoo) and access them easily from the top Navigator. 
2. Folders: Besides private folders, you have shared folders created and managed by each organization.
3. Diagrams: Finally, there are diagrams, created by you and others, that live within these shared Folders.   

Organizing and managing diagrams in shared folders

Organizing diagrams in shared folders

Shared folders make it easy to share diagrams with the members of your organization. Whenever you add a diagram to a folder, all members can see, edit, and comment on your diagram.

But remember: if your diagram is not in a shared folder, others cannot see it until you share it with them.

Managing folders

Folders keep teams organized. They make it easy to collaborate and protect your diagrams from unwanted eyes.

Only Folder Administrators can create Folders, invite users, and restrict access to Folders. So if you're a Folder Administrator, you'll need to learn the ins and outs of creating and managing Folder settings.

If you're a regular user, you'll have much less to worry about. Just make sure you have an Administrator grant you access to all the Folders you need.

Inviting and managing users

Only members of an Organization can view the Organization's space. And all members are controlled by the Organization's Administrator.

Only Organization Administrators and Members can create Folders, invite users, and restrict access to Folders. If you are your Organization's Administrator, you'll need to familiarize yourself with managing members, roles, and teams.

Our How to manage your organization video is a great place to start.

Once members have joined your Organization, you can also sort them into Teams, making it easier to invite, change access settings, or revoke access to multiple users without having to do it on an individual level.

Getting in touch

Now that you know the basics, get to know our Support page and bookmark it for any technical help you may need in the future. Then check out our Resources page for more videos, long-form guides, and customer stories.

And remember, you can always contact us if you have any questions; we're here to help.