To reroute draw.io connectors after moving shapes, use Auto-route around shapes for automatic obstacle avoidance. For other connector lines, use manual waypoints to create separate paths or line jumps to make crossings clear.

Choose the routing result you need

This guide is for someone editing an existing diagram in draw.io Desktop on a Mac. The task is to restore readable connections after rearranging shapes, while keeping each connector attached to its intended nodes.

Start by identifying the obstruction. A connector passing through a rectangle needs a different treatment from two connectors crossing in empty space. The official documentation describes automatic routing around shapes; it does not promise automatic elimination of every connector crossing or shared segment. For a specific path around another line, use manual waypoints. For an acceptable crossing, use line jumps. See draw.io’s automatic routing documentation and connector styling reference.

Use this synthetic example throughout: place Node A on the left and Node B on the right, with a connector between them. Put Node C between those nodes as an obstacle. Add a second connector between Node D above and Node E below. The first problem is avoiding Node C; the second is deciding how the two connectors should pass each other.

Prepare the Mac desktop editor

Open your diagram and select the affected connector. If the format panel is hidden, choose View > Format or press Cmd+Shift+P. The routing controls are in its Style tab. These panel controls and the Mac shortcut are documented in Style your diagram.

If the automatic-routing option is missing, check for an application update with Help > Check for Updates and follow the prompts. This is the documented draw.io Desktop update procedure. Automatic shape avoidance appears in draw.io’s October 13, 2026 connector update announcement, so older instructions may describe a different workflow.

Make connectors avoid shapes automatically

  1. Select the connector between Node A and Node B.
  2. Open the Style tab in the format panel.
  3. Open the Waypoints dropdown.
  4. Choose Auto-route around shapes.

The resulting path uses right-angled bends. The official connector update guide documents these steps and explains that routes update when connected shapes move, resize, rotate, align or distribute, and when a shape moves onto or off the path.

For the example, move Node C across the space between Node A and Node B. Inspect the route while dragging and after releasing the shape. This gives you a focused check: does the connector avoid the obstacle while still reaching the intended two nodes? Do this before adjusting the second connector, so each edit has one clear purpose.

Avoid dragging the connector itself while you want automatic behavior. Manually changing its path disables automatic routing for that connector. The same announcement documents this behavior. If you later want automatic shape avoidance again, select the automatic-routing option again.

There is a documented exception: automatic routing has no effect on connectors inside containers that arrange their contents automatically, such as list or layout shapes. Check that condition before repeatedly changing settings on a connector that appears unresponsive. See Route connectors around shapes automatically.

Reroute once while keeping the shapes in place

For a diagram whose node positions are settled, a single routing pass may be more useful than continuous updates.

  1. Select the connectors to repair. If nothing is selected, the operation routes all connectors.
  2. Choose Arrange > Layout > Orthogonal Routing.
  3. Enter the desired Spacing between connectors and shapes.
  4. Click OK.

This operation leaves shapes in place and creates orthogonal connectors with waypoints. It does not leave those connectors automatically rerouting afterward. The procedure and scope are documented in Apply the Orthogonal Routing layout to reroute once.

Treat the spacing value as a layout choice. In the synthetic example, inspect the clearance around Node C, then check the neighboring connector and labels. A larger gap may look clearer locally while making the overall route longer. Choose based on the resulting diagram rather than assuming one spacing value suits every arrangement.

Route around another connector with manual waypoints

When the first connector must take a particular corridor around the second, take control of its path:

  1. Select the connector to adjust.
  2. Drag a blue handle or a section of the connector toward the intended corridor.
  3. Alternatively, right-click between existing waypoints and choose Add Waypoint.
  4. For precise placement, open Arrange, expand Waypoints, and edit each waypoint’s Left and Top coordinates.

Adding manual waypoints turns off automatic routing. These controls are documented in Work with waypoints on connectors to change their path.

For Node A and Node B, imagine an empty corridor below Node C. Guide the connector down into that corridor, across it, and back toward Node B. Trace the entire path afterward. Moving one segment away from the vertical connector can create a new crossing elsewhere; a local detour needs a whole-route check.

If the node positions leave no useful corridor, consider moving a node to create one. Waypoints let you specify a route, but the diagram still needs enough empty space for that route to remain readable.

To discard an old detour, right-click the connector and choose Clear Waypoints. This returns it to the shortest path between its shapes; it is not a promise of obstacle avoidance. Labels stay where they are, so inspect them after resetting. See the same waypoint documentation.

Show unavoidable crossings with line jumps

If the horizontal and vertical connectors can cross, select one and use Line jumps in the Style tab. Available displays include arc, gap and sharp, alongside the default overlapped display. These choices are documented in Style connectors.

A line jump changes how a crossing is displayed; it does not create a separate corridor. Use it when the crossing itself is acceptable. For two connectors that share a length of line, prefer a manual detour so readers can follow each connection independently.

Keep the repaired route useful after the next edit

For manually routed connectors, decide whether bends should stay near the surrounding diagram or travel with their connected nodes. To move waypoints with the endpoints, select the connector and enable Follow Terminals under Style > Effects. Orthogonal connectors retain right-angled bends. The behavior is documented in the connector update guide.

Also inspect the endpoints before adding more bends. Floating connectors can move around a shape’s perimeter; fixed connectors remain attached to particular points. That distinction can explain an awkward approach to a node. The official connector guide describes both attachment types.

Finish by tracing each connector from source to destination. Check obstacle clearance, crossings, shared segments and label placement separately. In the synthetic example, success means the connection between Node A and Node B remains easy to follow around Node C, and its relationship to the connection between Node D and Node E is clear. Choose automatic routing, a manual corridor or a visible crossing according to that specific result.

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