The Illustrated Transformer
by Jay Alammar
The illustrated explainer that made the transformer architecture click for a generation of engineers.
Overview
Before you read 'Attention Is All You Need,' read this. The Illustrated Transformer breaks the architecture into clear, annotated diagrams: how self-attention computes queries, keys, and values; why multi-head attention helps; and how the pieces stack into an encoder-decoder. It's the single most recommended conceptual explainer of the architecture underlying every modern LLM, and it's free.
At a Glance
- Topic
- Models
- Level
- Intermediate
- Format
- Guide
- Cost
- Free
- Duration
- ~45 min read
- Provider
- Jay Alammar
- Hands-on
- No
- Certificate
- None
What You’ll Learn
- ✓How self-attention works, step by step
- ✓Multi-head attention and positional encoding
- ✓Encoder/decoder structure of a transformer
- ✓The intuition behind the architecture
Highlights
- •The canonical visual transformer explainer
- •Diagram-driven and beginner-friendly
Who It’s For
Best For
- ✓Anyone who wants to understand transformers conceptually
Prerequisites
- •Basic neural network familiarity
FAQ
What is The Illustrated Transformer?
Jay Alammar's famous visual walkthrough of the transformer architecture — self-attention, multi-head attention, and encoder/decoder stacks.
Is The Illustrated Transformer free?
The Illustrated Transformer is free to access.
What level is The Illustrated Transformer for?
The Illustrated Transformer is aimed at a intermediate audience. Recommended background: Basic neural network familiarity.
How long does The Illustrated Transformer take?
Expect roughly ~45 min read. Most learners work through it at their own pace.
What will I learn from The Illustrated Transformer?
You'll learn: How self-attention works, step by step; Multi-head attention and positional encoding; Encoder/decoder structure of a transformer; The intuition behind the architecture.