**Source URL:** https://general.veevavault.dev/commercial/vault-toolbox/browser-extension/guides/erd-explorer

# Using the ERD Explorer

Vault Toolbox includes an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) Explorer that allows you to visualize and explore Vault object relationships from an interactive canvas. Diagrams in the ERD Explorer are highly customizable. You can reposition objects, control which fields are displayed, adjust visual settings, and export the result as an image, a [Mermaid](https://mermaid.js.org/) diagram, or a project file.

This guide explains how to use the ERD Explorer to build, navigate, and export entity relationship diagrams.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_dark.png" alt="Visualize Vault object relationships with the ERD Explorer" />

## Adding Objects

Populate the canvas from the **Add Objects** sidebar tab. Click objects in the list to select them, then click **Add selected** at the bottom to place them.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_add_objects_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_add_objects_dark.png" alt="Add Objects tab in the ERD Explorer" />

In addition to the search bar, the tab includes several ways to narrow the list:

*   **Categories**: Show only **Standard**, **Custom**, or **System** objects.
*   **State**: Limit the list to objects **On Canvas** or currently **Selected** for addition.

Click **Reload objects from Vault** (<Icon name="ph:arrow-clockwise" />) to refresh the object list.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_on_canvas_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_on_canvas_dark.png" alt="On Canvas badge in the ERD Explorer" />

For objects already on the canvas, an **On Canvas** badge appears with an <Icon name="ph:x" /> to remove them. Click **View related objects** (<Icon name="ph:caret-double-right-bold" />) on any object with relationships to open a filtered view of its inbound and outbound related objects.

<Aside type="note">
While *Documents* is not a Vault object, you can add it to the canvas to visualize the objects that reference it.
</Aside>

### Viewing Object Relationships

Click **Options** (<Icon name="ph:dots-three-vertical" />) on any object on the canvas to open a dialog with the following tabs:

*   **Add related**: Filter and search the object's inbound and outbound relationships, then select objects to add to the canvas.
*   **Add related (recursive)**: Expand the graph outward automatically. See  for more information.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_view_connections_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_view_connections_dark.png" alt="Viewing object relationships in the ERD Explorer" />

The dialog also includes <Icon name="ph:trash" /> **Remove from canvas** to remove the object directly.

### Add Related Recursive

From the **Add related (recursive)** tab, indicate the number of levels to expand the object relationships and whether to follow **Inbound** relationships, **Outbound** relationships, or both. Then click **Add selected** to expand the graph. Expansions that would add 100 or more new objects require confirmation. The ERD Explorer does not support expansions of 500 or more new objects.

## Navigating the Canvas

The canvas includes the following panning and zooming capabilities:

*   **Pan**: Right-click drag or middle-click drag.
*   **Zoom**: Scroll wheel, or use **+** / **−** in the bottom-left controls.
*   **Fit to view** (<Icon name="ph:corners-out" />): Click the icon in the bottom-left controls to zoom and center all objects at once.

A minimap in the bottom-right corner shows an overview of the full canvas. Click and drag it to pan.

### Finding Objects on the Canvas

Use the **Find object on canvas** search bar in the bottom-left canvas controls to locate an object by name. Select a result to pan and zoom the canvas to that object.

Vault Toolbox automatically centers newly placed objects on the canvas, a related-objects selection, or a recursive add in view shortly after they're added.

### Moving and Selecting Objects

The canvas allows the following capabilities to relocate and select objects:

*   **Move**: Left-click drag a selected object to reposition it.
*   **Multi-select**: Hold `Shift`, `Cmd`, or `Ctrl` while clicking to add or remove individual objects from the selection, or left-click drag on empty canvas space to draw a selection box. Hold `Shift` while drawing the selection box to extend the current selection instead of replacing it.
*   **Select all**: Click **Select all** in the bottom-left controls to select all objects on the canvas.
*   **Remove selected**: Press `Backspace` or `Delete` to remove all selected objects from the canvas.
*   **Tidy layout**: Click **Tidy** (<Icon name="ph:broom" />) to automatically arrange all objects in an organized layout.
*   **Clear canvas**: Click **Clear** (<Icon name="ph:trash" />) to remove all objects at once.

When you select two or more objects, a toolbar appears above the canvas showing the number of objects selected, the field visibility presets described in , and a <Icon name="ph:trash" /> **Delete** button to remove them.

### Viewing Relationship Details

Hover over an arrow to see a tooltip with its outbound and inbound field names and relationship type.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_relationship_details_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_relationship_details_dark.png" alt="Viewing relationship details in the ERD Explorer" />

### Field Selector Tab

Select exactly one object on the canvas, then open the **Field Selector** (<Icon name="ph:list-checks" />) sidebar tab to control the fields that appear on that object.

The tab includes several ways to narrow the list of fields:

*   **Categories**: Filter the list to **Reference**, **Data**, **Standard**, or **System** fields. Data refers to custom fields that don't have a relationship.
*   **State**: Toggle **Selected** to show only fields currently visible on the object.
*   **Quick Select**: Apply **All**, **Relationships**, or **None** to the selected object.

<ThemeImage srcLight="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_field_selector_light.png" srcDark="/images/toolbox/browser-extension/26r3_vault_toolbox_object_erd_field_selector_dark.png" alt="Field Selector tab in the ERD Explorer" />

To apply field visibility presets across multiple objects at once, select two or more objects on the canvas. A toolbar appears above the canvas with the same **All** / **Relationships** / **None** presets.

### View Settings Tab

The **View Settings** (<Icon name="ph:sliders" />) sidebar tab contains the following options:

*   **Color-coded relationships**: Assign distinct colors to relationship types. Turning this on reveals a **Legend** toggle. Turning on both **Color-coded relationships** and **Legend** reveals individually customizable colors for reference, parent-child, simple join, and complex join relationships, and displays the legend on the canvas.
*   **Relationship line labels**: Show or hide the relationship type label on each relationship line.
*   **Object source badges**: Show or hide the standard, custom, or system badge on each object relationship line.
*   **Hide simple joins** / **Hide complex joins**: When enabled, matching join objects are hidden from the canvas and automatically placed once both of their parent objects are present on the canvas. A single many-to-many relationship line, colored using the corresponding join color, represents the relationship between the two parents.

Click **Restore defaults** to reset all settings to their defaults.

## Saving and Exporting

To save your work, click **Export**. The downloaded project file (JSON) records the objects that are on the canvas and the field visibility settings for each object. The project file does not store relationship line positions and canvas settings.

To resume a saved project, click **Import** and choose your project file. If the canvas already has objects on it, Vault Toolbox prompts you whether to **Merge** the import with the current canvas or **Replace** the canvas entirely.

### PNG and SVG Export

Click the caret next to **Export** and select **PNG Image** or **SVG Image** to export the full canvas as an image, automatically sized to cover all placed objects. The output reflects the current light or dark mode theme.

### Mermaid Markdown Export

Click the caret next to **Export** and select **Mermaid Markdown** to export the ERD in [Mermaid](https://mermaid.js.org/) format. The output only includes fields currently visible on each object.

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**Next:** [Using the Workflow Activity Log Inspector](/commercial/vault-toolbox/browser-extension/guides/workflow-inspector)