---
title: "Open Database Diagram Designer (Visual Database Tools) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/13/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: ssms
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "opening Database Diagram Designer"
  - "Database Diagram Designer"
  - "database diagrams [SQL Server], Database Diagram Designer"
  - "diagrams [SQL Server], Database Diagram Designer"
ms.assetid: 9427c418-1e2f-464f-8a6c-9109f053e832
author: stevestein
ms.author: sstein
manager: craigg
---
# Open Database Diagram Designer (Visual Database Tools)
  The Database Diagram Designer is a visual tool that allows you to design and visualize a database to which you are connected. When designing a database, you can use Database Designer to create, edit, or delete tables, columns, keys, indexes, relationships, and constraints. To visualize a database, you can create one or more diagrams illustrating some or all of the tables, columns, keys, and relationships in it.  
  
 You can open Database Diagram Designer by opening a new or existing diagram.  
  
### Open a new database diagram  
  
1.  Right-click the Database Diagrams node of your database in Object Explorer.  
  
2.  From the drop-down menu, click **New Database Diagram**.  
  
3.  In the **Add Table** dialog box, choose tables to work with in the diagram.  
  
    > [!NOTE]  
    >  If you choose **Close** without adding tables, you can go back and add tables later.  
  
4.  The **Database Diagram** menu will be added to the main menu and the designer pane will open.  
  
### Open an existing database diagram  
  
1.  Right-click the diagram under the Database Diagrams node of your database in Object Explorer.  
  
2.  From the drop-down menu, click **Design Database Diagram**.  
  
3.  The **Database Diagram** menu will be added to the main menu and the diagram will open in the designer pane.  
  
## See Also  
 [Design Database Diagrams (Visual Database Tools)](visual-database-tools.md)