Docs / Using the editor
Sharing and exporting
Every way to get a diagram out of Volley and in front of someone else.
On this page
Everything here is in the Share menu in the editor's toolbar.
Links
| Option | What it copies | Who can open it | Updates when you edit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy share link (unsaved diagrams) | A link that carries the whole diagram | Anyone with the link | No, it is a snapshot |
| Copy link (saved diagrams) | The short link, such as volley.sh/d/abc123 | Anyone with the link if the diagram is unlisted; only you if it is private | Yes |
| Copy snapshot link (saved diagrams) | A link that carries the diagram as it is now | Anyone with the link | No |
| Copy presentation link | A link that opens in presentation mode | Anyone with the link | Yes for saved diagrams |
| Copy embed code | An iframe for web pages. See Embeds. | Anyone who can see the page | Yes for saved diagrams |
| Copy README embed (saved diagrams) | Markdown for an image that links to the diagram. See Embeds. | Anyone who can see the README | Yes |
Share links carry the diagram
A share link looks like volley.sh/edit#src= followed by a long code. The code is the diagram's source, compressed. Because it comes after the #, browsers never send it to a server: Volley does not store share links and cannot see them. The person who opens the link gets their own copy in the editor, and the notice that appears lets them undo it if it replaced their own draft.
Very large diagrams make very long links. Some chat apps and email clients cut long links short; if a link breaks, save the diagram to your account and send the short link instead.
Short links
Signed in, a saved diagram has a short link at /d/ plus ten characters. It always shows the latest version. Someone who opens your short link sees the diagram in the editor with "Shared by" and your name in the toolbar. They can change it to try things out, but their edits are not saved to your diagram; Save a copy to your account in the Share menu gives them their own copy. See Managing diagrams.
Copy as Markdown
Copy as Markdown copies a text description of the diagram: the title, the lanes, every message in order with its replies, notes and sections, and each payload in a code block. Paste it into a pull request, a wiki page, a ticket or a chat with an AI assistant.
Downloads
| Option | You get |
|---|---|
| Download .volley file | The source as a text file, named after the title. Open it later with Open a file, keep it in a repository, or pass it to the command line tool. |
| Download SVG | A vector image in the current appearance. Inline payloads are included when Show payloads is on. |
| Download PNG | A high-resolution image, without payloads or selection. The diagram's source is stored inside the PNG, so dropping the image back on the editor reopens the diagram. |
SVG images carry a small "Made with Volley" badge on Free. Pro removes it.
PNGs that remember their source
A PNG from Volley is an ordinary image anywhere else, but Volley can read the diagram back out of it. Drop it on the editor, or choose Open a file, to keep editing. Images that did not come from Volley, or that were re-saved by another program, may have lost the source; Volley tells you when that happens.
Opening files
Open a file in the Share menu opens .volley, .txt and Volley PNG files. You can also drop a file anywhere on the editor. Import a HAR opens a browser recording; see Import a HAR file.