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Getting Started

ThinkERD is an all-in-one data modeling platform for data architects and modelers. From precise ERD design based on Barker's Notation, to real-time team collaboration and data standardization — all the tools you need for data structure design are available in a single browser.

ThinkERD Main Editor — ERD canvas with entities, relationships, sidebar, and toolbar

Get Started in 5 Minutes

  • Step 1 — Sign Up

    Sign up with email or a social account, and a workspace is instantly created for you. No installation or configuration required.

    Sign-up Guide

  • Step 2 — Create Your First ERD

    Create a project, define entities and relationships to complete your first data model. This single tutorial covers the core workflow.

    Tutorial

  • Step 3 — Team Collaboration

    Invite team members to simultaneously edit the same diagram. Cursors and selections are shared in real time, so you can follow each other's workflow without extra communication.

    Collaboration Guide

Core Concepts

ThinkERD resources are organized in the following hierarchy:

Workspace                       ← Team / Organization unit
  └─ Project                    ← Business or system unit
       ├─ Folder                ← Logical grouping (optional)
       │   ├─ Diagram A
       │   └─ Diagram B
       └─ Diagram C
Concept Description Example
Workspace Top-level container for a team or organization. Manages members and permissions. Design Team, Data Governance Team
Project A work unit containing one or more diagrams. Next-gen CRM, Order Management System
Diagram An ERD model that visually represents entities and relationships. Customer Domain ERD, Payment ERD
Entity Corresponds to a database table, containing attributes (columns). Customer, Order, Product
Barker's Notation The ERD notation adopted by ThinkERD, supporting UID Bars, identifying/non-identifying relationships, exclusive arcs, and more. —

New to ThinkERD?

Start with the Create Your First ERD tutorial. It walks you through workspace creation, entity and relationship definitions — the core workflow — step by step.

What ThinkERD Offers

Area Feature How It Differs
Modeling Barker's Notation-based ERD design Supports advanced notations including subtypes and exclusive arcs
Collaboration Real-time concurrent editing Live cursor and selection sharing with conflict-free auto-merge
Standardization Three-tier standard management: Words, Terms, and Domains Physical names auto-generated from logical name input
Analysis In-browser SQL/SPARQL execution Instant analysis with virtual data — no external DB required
Sharing Read-only viewer, iframe embed Auto-generated data dictionary with external sharing