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Overview

ChartDB provides over 40 pre-built database templates based on real-world applications, popular frameworks, and common use cases. These templates are fully functional, editable diagrams that serve as starting points for your projects.
All templates are based on actual open-source projects and production database schemas. They represent battle-tested database designs used by thousands of applications.

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Template Categories

Templates are organized into several categories based on their purpose and origin.

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Framework Authentication & Authorization

Database schemas from popular framework authentication systems:

Laravel

Laravel AuthenticationLaravel’s default authentication system with users, password resets, and sessions.Tags: PHP, Laravel, MySQL

Laravel Permission

Spatie Laravel PermissionRole-based access control (RBAC) system with roles, permissions, and model permissions.Tags: PHP, Laravel, MySQL

Django

Django AuthenticationDjango’s built-in authentication system with users, groups, and permissions.Tags: Python, Django, PostgreSQL

Devise

Devise (Rails)Flexible authentication solution for Rails with multiple authentication strategies.Tags: Ruby, Rails, PostgreSQL

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Additional Framework Templates:

  • Adonis ACL - Access control for Adonis.js
  • Bouncer - Elegant authorization library for Laravel
  • Doorkeeper - OAuth 2 provider for Rails
  • Django Axes - Keep track of failed login attempts

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Content Management Systems

Full-featured CMS database schemas:

WordPress

WordPress DatabaseComplete WordPress schema with posts, comments, users, taxonomy, and meta tables.Tables: 12 tables including wp_posts, wp_users, wp_termsTags: PHP, MySQL, CMS

Flarum

Flarum ForumModern forum software schema with discussions, posts, users, and tags.Tags: PHP, Forum, MySQL

BookStack

BookStackDocumentation platform with books, chapters, pages, and permissions.Tags: PHP, Documentation, MySQL

Canvas

Canvas BlogMinimal publishing platform for Laravel with posts, tags, and views.Tags: PHP, Laravel, Blog

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Business Applications

Production-ready business application schemas:

Akaunting

Akaunting AccountingFree accounting software schema with invoices, bills, transactions, and reports.Features: Double-entry accounting, multi-currencyTags: PHP, Accounting, MySQL

Snipe-IT

Snipe-IT Asset ManagementIT asset management system with assets, licenses, consumables, and maintenance.Tags: PHP, Asset Management, MySQL

Attendize

Attendize TicketingEvent ticketing and management platform with events, tickets, and orders.Tags: PHP, Events, MySQL

FreeScout

FreeScout Help DeskHelp desk and shared inbox system with tickets, conversations, and customers.Tags: PHP, Support, MySQL

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Additional Business Templates:

  • Ticketit - Laravel ticketing system
  • Staytus - Service status page
  • Cachet - Status page system
  • Deployer - Deployment tool

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E-commerce

Complete e-commerce database schemas:

Sylius

Sylius E-commerceFull-featured e-commerce platform schema with:
  • Products, variants, and attributes
  • Orders and shipments
  • Customers and addresses
  • Payments and promotions
  • Inventory management
Tags: PHP, Symfony, E-commerce, PostgreSQL

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Personal & Productivity

Monica

Monica CRMPersonal relationship management system with contacts, activities, tasks, and gifts.Features: Relationships, notes, remindersTags: PHP, CRM, MySQL

Koel

Koel Music StreamingPersonal music streaming service with songs, albums, artists, and playlists.Tags: PHP, Music, MySQL

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Social & Communication

BuddyPress

BuddyPress Social NetworkWordPress social networking plugin with groups, messages, activities, and friendships.Tags: PHP, WordPress, Social, MySQL

Pixelfed

Pixelfed Photo SharingImage sharing platform schema with posts, profiles, follows, and likes.Tags: PHP, Social Media, PostgreSQL

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Additional Social Templates:

  • Talk - Laravel real-time messaging
  • Octobox - GitHub notification management
  • Feedbin - RSS reader

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Example Applications

Simplified versions of popular applications:

Twitter Clone

Twitter DatabaseSimplified Twitter-like schema:
  • Users and profiles
  • Tweets and retweets
  • Follows and followers
  • Likes and mentions
Tags: Social Media, Example Apps

Airbnb Clone

Airbnb DatabaseVacation rental platform schema:
  • Properties and listings
  • Users and hosts
  • Bookings and reservations
  • Reviews and ratings
Tags: Marketplace, Example Apps

Hacker News

Hacker NewsNews aggregator schema:
  • Stories and submissions
  • Comments (nested)
  • Users and karma
  • Votes
Tags: News, Example Apps

Lobsters

Lobsters CommunityTechnology-focused news aggregator:
  • Stories and tags
  • Comments and threads
  • User invitations
  • Moderation
Tags: News, Community

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Domain-Specific Templates

Employee Database

Employee ManagementHR and employee management schema:
  • Employees and personal info
  • Departments and managers
  • Salaries and titles
  • Employment history
  • Database views for reporting
Tables: 8 tables (6 tables + 2 views)Tags: MySQL, HR, EnterpriseSource: MySQL sample database

Pokemon Database

Pokemon Information SystemComprehensive Pokemon data schema:
  • Pokemon and species
  • Types and type effectiveness
  • Moves and abilities
  • Evolutions
  • Stats and habitats
Tables: 19 tables (14 tables + 5 views)Tags: MySQL, Gaming, ReferenceSource: Pokemon Database

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Utility & Feature Modules

Specific feature implementations:

Taggit

Django TaggitSimple tagging system for Django with tags and tagged items.Tags: Python, Django, Feature

Flipper

Flipper Feature FlagsFeature flag system for Rails with gates and boolean/group/actor flags.Tags: Ruby, Rails, Feature Flags

Reversion

Django ReversionVersion control for Django models with revisions and versions.Tags: Python, Django, Versioning

Laravel Activitylog

Spatie Activity LogActivity logging for Laravel with customizable log entries.Tags: PHP, Laravel, Logging

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Additional Utility Templates:

  • Pay Rails - Payment processing for Rails
  • Orchid - Laravel administration platform
  • Voyager - Laravel admin package
  • RefineryCMS - Rails content management
  • Comfortable Mexican Sofa - Rails CMS

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SaaS & Multi-tenant

SaaS Pegasus

SaaS PegasusDjango SaaS boilerplate schema:
  • Multi-tenant organization structure
  • Team and membership management
  • Subscription and billing
  • Invitations and onboarding
Tags: Python, Django, SaaS, PostgreSQL

Laravel Spark

Laravel SparkLaravel SaaS framework schema:
  • Teams and team members
  • Subscriptions and invoices
  • API tokens
  • Announcements
Tags: PHP, Laravel, SaaS, MySQL

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Specialized Applications

Polr

Polr URL ShortenerURL shortening service with links, clicks, and analytics.Tags: PHP, URL Shortener

Screeenly

Screeenly ScreenshotsWebsite screenshot service with screenshots, systems, and captures.Tags: PHP, Screenshots

Cabot

Cabot MonitoringService monitoring and alerting with checks, alerts, and incidents.Tags: Python, Monitoring

Gravity Forms

Gravity FormsWordPress form builder with forms, entries, and fields.Tags: PHP, WordPress, Forms

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Using Templates

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Selecting a Template

1

Browse Templates

From the ChartDB home screen or new diagram dialog:
  • View all available templates
  • Filter by tags or search by name
  • Preview template screenshots
2

Review Details

Click on a template to see:
  • Full description
  • Number of tables and relationships
  • Database type
  • Source project URL (if available)
  • Screenshot of the diagram
3

Create from Template

Click Use Template to:
  • Create a new diagram based on the template
  • All tables, fields, and relationships are copied
  • Diagram name is set to the template name
  • You can immediately start editing

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Customizing Templates

Templates are fully editable:
Templates are starting points. Add your own tables:
  • Right-click canvas → New Table
  • Import additional SQL schemas
  • Duplicate and modify existing tables
Remove tables you don’t need:
  • Right-click table → Delete Table
  • Relationships are automatically removed
  • Simplify templates to match your use case
Adjust fields to your requirements:
  • Add/remove fields
  • Change data types
  • Update constraints and defaults
  • Add comments and documentation
Modify the relationship structure:
  • Add new relationships
  • Change cardinality (1:1, 1:N, N:M)
  • Update foreign keys
  • Remove unused relationships

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Template Details

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Template Structure

Each template includes: 
interface Template {
  slug: string;                  // URL-friendly identifier
  name: string;                  // Display name
  shortDescription: string;      // Brief summary
  description: string;           // Full description  
  image: string;                 // Light theme preview
  imageDark: string;            // Dark theme preview
  diagram: Diagram;             // Full diagram data
  tags: string[];               // Category tags
  featured: boolean;            // Show on home page
  url?: string;                 // Source project URL
}

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Template Data Structure

Templates contain complete diagram specifications:
  • Tables: Full table definitions with fields, indexes, and constraints
  • Relationships: All foreign key relationships with cardinality
  • Areas: Visual grouping (some templates)
  • Notes: Documentation annotations (some templates)
  • Database Type: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, etc.
  • Metadata: Creation date, update date, diagram name
The following templates are featured on the home page:
  1. Employee Database - Classic HR schema
  2. Pokemon Database - Complex reference data
  3. Airbnb Clone - Marketplace platform
  4. WordPress - Popular CMS
  5. Django - Python framework auth
  6. Laravel - PHP framework auth
  7. Twitter Clone - Social network
  8. Visual Novel - Game database

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Template Use Cases

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Learning Database Design

Study real-world schemas: 
Beginner → Employee Database
           Simple, well-structured schema
           Clear relationships
           Good for learning SQL

Intermediate → WordPress
               Metadata pattern
               Taxonomy structure
               Polymorphic relationships

Advanced → Sylius E-commerce
           Complex business logic
           Multi-table relationships
           Advanced patterns

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Jump-starting Projects

Start projects faster:
Use Laravel or Django auth templates as foundation:
  1. Select Laravel/Django template
  2. Add your domain-specific tables
  3. Connect to auth tables
  4. Export SQL and deploy

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Understanding Frameworks

Learn how popular frameworks structure data:
  • Laravel patterns: Polymorphic relationships, soft deletes, timestamps
  • Django patterns: Generic foreign keys, through tables, permissions
  • Rails patterns: Join tables, STI, polymorphic associations

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Database Migration Planning

Plan migrations using templates:
  1. Load current system template (e.g., WordPress)
  2. Create copy for target system
  3. Add new schema elements
  4. Plan migration path
  5. Export migration SQL

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Best Practices

Choose a template that matches your use case:
  • Building a blog? → WordPress or Canvas
  • Building a marketplace? → Airbnb or Sylius
  • Building a SaaS? → Laravel Spark or SaaS Pegasus
It’s easier to modify a similar schema than start from scratch.
Templates are guides, not requirements:
  • Remove what you don’t need
  • Simplify where possible
  • Add what’s missing
  • Adapt to your specific needs
Compare how different systems solve similar problems:
  • User authentication across Laravel, Django, Rails
  • Permission systems in different frameworks
  • E-commerce product models
  • Content taxonomy approaches
When customizing templates:
  • Add notes explaining modifications
  • Document why you removed features
  • Explain custom additions
  • Track deviation from template

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Contributing Templates

Want to contribute a template? ChartDB welcomes template submissions from real-world, open-source projects.

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Template Criteria

  1. Based on real project: Must be from an actual open-source application
  2. Well-structured: Clean schema design with proper relationships
  3. Documented: Include description and source URL
  4. Complete: Include all core tables (can exclude auxiliary tables)
  5. Licensed: Ensure compatible open-source license

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Submission Process

1

Create Diagram

Build the template diagram in ChartDB:
  • Import from project’s schema
  • Ensure all relationships are correct
  • Add appropriate colors
  • Position tables logically
2

Export Template Data

Export as ChartDB diagram format (JSON).
3

Prepare Metadata

Gather information:
  • Project name and description
  • Database type
  • Tags and categories
  • Source repository URL
  • License information
4

Submit

Create pull request to ChartDB repository with:
  • Template TypeScript file
  • Preview images (light and dark)
  • Documentation

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Next Steps

Creating Diagrams

Learn how to create diagrams from templates

Editing Schema

Customize template tables and fields

Export Schema

Export template schemas to SQL

Quickstart

Get started with ChartDB

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