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Free causal loop diagram maker.

Describe a system in plain language and get a causal loop diagram with signed cause-and-effect links. Use it to identify reinforcing and balancing feedback loops in a business, community, environmental or operational system.

Causal Loop DiagramEnter to send

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See it work

Causal loop diagram examples.

Same tool, four requests. Every drawing below is a real render.

What you type
Create a causal loop diagram for a community recycling program with recycling participation, program visibility, collection workload, missed pickups, and resident satisfaction; include a reinforcing Participation flywheel and a balancing Service strain loop.
Then tryAdd a delay to program visibility.Change recycling revenue to grant funding.
Causal Loop Diagram: Recycling participation
Causal Loop Diagram · Sterman, Business Dynamics (2000) · schematex-causalloop

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The drawing

What a causal loop diagram is.

A causal loop diagram shows how variables in a system influence one another. Each arrow has a plus or minus sign to show whether the variables tend to move in the same or opposite direction.

A closed chain can be reinforcing, amplifying change, or balancing, counteracting change. It is a tool for reasoning about system structure; it does not prove that a relationship is present or predict a numeric outcome.

Standard
Sterman, Business Dynamics (2000)
Also follows
Meadows, Thinking in Systems
Engine
schematex-causalloop
Editable
Double-click text, drag nodes
Export
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Causal Loop Diagram: What a causal loop diagram is
Who uses it

Who uses causal loop diagrams.

Causal Loop Diagram: Policy and planning teamsPolicy and planning teams

Community effects, investment and public trust discussed as linked variables.

Causal Loop Diagram: Operations teamsOperations teams

Capacity, backlog and demand feedback identified before changing a process.

Causal Loop Diagram: Sustainability teamsSustainability teams

Environmental constraints and operational responses mapped for a systems discussion.

How it works

How to make a causal loop diagram in three steps.

01

Describe it

One paragraph is enough to start.

“Create a causal loop diagram for a community recycling program with recycling participation, program visibility, collection workload, missed pickups, and resident satisfaction; include a reinforcing Participation flywheel and a balancing Service strain loop.”
02

See the drawing

Drawn by the right engine.

Causal Loop Diagram: Recycling participation
03

Say what changes

Every edit keeps a version.

Add a delay to program visibility.
V2 · DRAWN FROM V1, NOTHING RETYPED
FAQ

Common questions

What is a causal loop diagram?

It is a systems-thinking diagram that connects variables with signed causal arrows and identifies feedback loops.

What is a reinforcing loop?

A reinforcing loop amplifies change. For example, more customer satisfaction can lead to more referrals, which can lead to more customers.

What is a balancing loop?

A balancing loop counteracts a change or moves a system toward a limit, goal or equilibrium.

How do I describe a causal loop diagram?

List the variables, say how each affects another, and mention delays or feedback you expect. The signs can then be checked against the direction of each relationship.

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Map a causal loop now.

Free account, no card. Describe the variables and how they affect each other.

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