Auto Layout, also labelled Tidy Up, is the structural tidier. Rather than nudging the positions you already have, it reads the arrow graph, works out how shapes connect, and computes brand-new positions, arranging connected shapes into clean layers. Unlike Auto-Align, it can legitimately move an element right across the canvas to give the diagram a proper layout.
What it does
- It reads the arrow graph, splits it into connected groups, and lays out each group, using a layered arrangement for flow-like diagrams and breaking cycles where the graph loops back on itself.
- It infers direction from where your shapes roughly sit now, so the result follows the orientation you were already drawing in.
- It works on the whole active tab. Shapes that aren't wired to anything (loose stickies, text, or images) pass through with their positions untouched, and spacing respects each element's size.
- It is origin-preserving: the laid-out block stays pinned to the diagram's current top-left, so the result appears where you're already looking instead of jumping to the canvas origin.
- It finishes with a grid snap (the same one Auto-Align runs), so the tidied output is also grid-aligned.
Running it
Right-click an empty part of the canvas (or the active tab) to open the context menu.
Because it's one undoable operation with one activity-log entry, you can try it and revert in a single step if you preferred the previous arrangement.
When to use it
Reach for Auto Layout when a diagram has grown organically and lost its shape, or when shapes were placed without much thought and you want the connections to drive the layout. If the diagram already looks right and only needs its drift cleaned up, use Auto-Align instead.
Auto Layout is deterministic and works offline, available in every deployment. It is separate from the AI "Clean" assistance, which is the optional, key-gated path.
Was this article helpful?