diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+0.1.2.0 (1 September 2013)
+--------------------------
+
+    - part before # is now optional when writing a new diagram URL
+
 0.1.1.2 (22 August 2013)
 ------------------------
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,15 +37,15 @@
 
 ## Adding diagrams to source files
 
-Haddock supports inline links to images with the syntax
-`<<URL>>`.  To indicate an image which should be automatically
-generated from some diagrams code, use the special syntax
+Haddock supports inline links to images with the syntax `<<URL>>`.  To
+indicate an image which should be automatically generated from some
+diagrams code, use the special syntax
 `<<URL#diagram=name&key1=val1&key2=val2&...>>`.  The URL will be
 automatically filled in by `diagrams-haddock`, so when you first
-create an inline image placeholder you can put any arbitrary text in
-its place.  For example, you might write
+create an inline image placeholder you can simply omit it (or put any
+arbitrary text in its place).  For example, you might write
 
-    <<dummy#diagram=mySquare&width=200&height=300>>
+    <<#diagram=mySquare&width=200&height=300>>
 
 indicating an image which should be generated using the definition of
 `mySquare`, with a maximum width of 200 and maximum height of 300.
diff --git a/diagrams-haddock.cabal b/diagrams-haddock.cabal
--- a/diagrams-haddock.cabal
+++ b/diagrams-haddock.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                diagrams-haddock
-version:             0.1.1.2
+version:             0.1.2.0
 synopsis:            Preprocessor for embedding diagrams in Haddock documentation
 description:         diagrams-haddock is a tool for compiling embedded inline
                      diagrams code in Haddock documentation, for an
diff --git a/src/Diagrams/Haddock.hs b/src/Diagrams/Haddock.hs
--- a/src/Diagrams/Haddock.hs
+++ b/src/Diagrams/Haddock.hs
@@ -164,10 +164,11 @@
     displayOpt (k,v) = k ++ "=" ++ v
 
 -- | Parse things of the form @\<\<URL#diagram=name&key=val&...\>\>@.
+--   The URL is optional (the @#@, however, is required).
 parseDiagramURL :: Parser DiagramURL
 parseDiagramURL =
   DiagramURL
-  <$> (string "<<" *> many1 (noneOf "#>"))
+  <$> (string "<<" *> many (noneOf "#>"))
   <*> (char '#' *> string "diagram=" *> many1 (noneOf "&>"))
   <*> ((M.fromList <$> many parseKeyValPair) <* string ">>")