Node-based diagram framework
Build interactive flowgraphs from nodes connected by edges, with a React component model that fits existing React applications.
React Flow
RevendiquerReact Flow is a MIT-licensed React library for building interactive node-based UIs, flow editors, and diagram builders with customizable nodes, edges, and theming.
Overview
React Flow is a MIT-licensed open source library for building node-based UIs in React. It is designed for interactive flowgraphs, where nodes are connected by edges and the diagram can be edited directly in the browser.
The library provides the core pieces needed for flow editors and diagram builders, including built-in interactions like dragging, zooming, panning, and multi-selection. It also exposes React components for custom nodes and supporting UI, so teams can assemble workflow builders, no-code tools, visualizers, and other interactive diagram experiences.
Core capabilities
Interactive editing out of the box
Use built-in dragging, zooming, panning, multi-select, and add/remove behaviors without wiring the basics yourself.
Custom node composition
Create custom nodes as regular React components, including interactive controls, visualizations, and multiple connection handles.
Flexible edge support
Work with built-in edge types such as bezier, smoothstep, step, and straight, then customize routing and appearance as needed.
Built-in UI components
Add diagram affordances with components like Background, Controls, MiniMap, Panel, NodeToolbar, and NodeResizer.
Multiple theming paths
Style flows with default CSS, custom CSS, inline styles, CSS variables, or Tailwind-compatible theming.
Common use cases
Workflow builders
Create internal or customer-facing workflows where users can connect steps, move nodes around, and inspect a graph directly in the browser.
No-code apps
Build application experiences without writing every editor primitive from scratch, using custom nodes and built-in interactions as the base layer.
Interactive visualizers
Display and manipulate graphs for tasks such as data processing, process documentation, or survey logic visualization.
Custom domain editors
Compose specialized editors such as chatbot builders, machine learning tools, or musical synthesizers, where connected nodes represent configurable parts of a system.
Branded diagram UIs
Use the theming and CSS hooks to fit the diagram into an existing product UI or design system.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Open source and MIT licensed.
- Core interactions such as dragging, zooming, panning, multi-select, and element add/remove are built in.
- Supports custom nodes, custom edges, and multiple built-in diagram components for richer editors.
- Works with plain CSS and Tailwind, making it adaptable to different design systems.
- Quick start, examples, and templates are available for getting up and running faster.
Cons
- The site does not provide pricing details on the pricing page linked from the nav; that page returns a 404 in the collected evidence.
- Advanced styling and behavior often depend on building custom nodes, custom edges, or using the lower-level APIs described in the docs.
FAQ
How do you get started with React Flow?
React Flow is installed as the `@xyflow/react` package and used inside an existing React project. The quick start shows importing the package, rendering the `<ReactFlow />` component, and supplying nodes, edges, and change handlers.
Can I start from a template or online example?
The docs show a basic React Flow app created with the core `<ReactFlow />` component plus node and edge state. For a faster setup, the site also points to a Vite template and CodeSandbox starter projects.
Can React Flow be styled to match an app’s design system?
Yes. The theming docs explain that React Flow ships with a minimal default theme, and that you can customize appearance with CSS, inline style props, CSS variables, or by using Tailwind CSS.
What interactions are built in?
React Flow includes built-in interaction patterns such as dragging nodes, zooming, panning, selecting multiple nodes, and adding or removing elements. It also supports custom nodes and edges for more advanced behavior.
What kinds of building blocks does React Flow provide?
The docs show that the library is built around nodes, handles, edges, the viewport, and built-in components such as Background, Controls, MiniMap, Panel, NodeToolbar, and NodeResizer.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer Tool
- Product type
- React library
- License
- MIT
- Package
- @xyflow/react
- Source domain
- reactflow.dev
- Maintainer
- xyflow
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