Mind Map Maker

About the mind map maker

A mind map puts one main topic in the middle of the page. Its big ideas grow out of it as branches, and smaller ideas grow from those. You see the whole subject at once, and how the parts belong together. In British schools it is often called a spider diagram.

People draw mind maps to brainstorm, to take notes, to plan an essay or a project, and to revise for a test. Drawing one by hand is slow, and it is hard to change. Here you type your ideas as a list: the main topic on the first line, the ideas under it indented. The tool draws the map, gives each branch its own colour and keeps the two sides in balance. Add a line, and the map grows.

Features

• List in, mind map out — one idea per line; indent a line to hang it under the line above
• Paste your notes — bullets, numbered lists and Markdown headings work as they are
• Balanced sides — the main branches are split evenly between the left and the right
• A colour per branch — each main branch and everything under it gets its own colour
• Fold branches — click a topic in the picture to hide or show the ideas under it
• 4 layouts — both sides, right side only, radial (all around) and tree (top down)
• 8 styles — Classic, Organic, Bold boxes, Pastel, Notebook, Dark, Minimal and Chalkboard
• PNG and SVG — your map, its style and its folds are saved in this browser

How to write a mind map as text

The first line is the centre of the map. Each line below it is one idea. Put more spaces in front of a line to hang it under the line above it. Two spaces per level is enough; a tab works too.

You can also paste notes from a notes app, a document or a chat:

• Bullets like -, *, • and numbers like 1. or a) are taken off the start of a line
• Markdown headings set the level: # is the centre, ## is a main branch, and the bullets under a heading hang under it
• Notes with no spaces but a different bullet for each level (●, ○, ■) use the bullet to find the level
• If several lines have no spaces in front, and the first one has nothing under it, the first line is the centre. Otherwise a centre called "My mind map" is added; change it by writing your own first line

Four layouts

• Both sides — the classic mind map. The first main branch is at the top right, and the branches go round clockwise. The right side gets the extra branch when the number is odd
• Right side only — the centre on the left and every branch to the right, like an outline turned into a picture. Good for tall pages
• Radial — the topics on rings all around the centre. Each branch gets a slice of the circle as wide as it needs. Best for small maps
• Tree — the centre at the top and the branches hanging down, like an org chart. Short lists of ideas stack in a column to keep the picture narrow

Under Advanced options you can choose curved, straight or right-angle lines, the colour set, the space between topics and a picture size for slides or print.

Eight styles

• Classic — a dark centre, coloured branch boxes and lines that get thinner
• Organic — thick, tapered branches with the words on top, like a mind map drawn with markers
• Bold boxes — every topic in a filled box, strong colours for slides
• Pastel — soft colours and round shapes
• Notebook — a hand-drawn map on lined paper, with a yellow highlighter centre
• Dark — bright lines on a dark background, for screens and video
• Minimal — black and grey only, saves ink
• Chalkboard — chalk on a green board, for the classroom

Mind maps for students and teams

• Revision — put a topic in the centre and the key facts on the branches; fold branches to test yourself
• Essays and reports — plan the main points and the examples under each one before you write
• Brainstorming — type ideas as fast as they come, then move lines to group them
• Book reports — characters, places, events and themes of a book on one page
• Projects and meetings — goals, team, tasks, dates and risks, shared as a picture in the chat
• Learning a language — a word in the centre and related words around it

Frequently asked questions

What is a mind map?

A mind map is a diagram with one main topic in the centre and related ideas growing out of it as branches. Smaller ideas grow from the branches. It helps you see a whole subject at once and remember how the parts connect.

How do I make a mind map from my notes?

Copy your notes and paste them into the box. Bullets, numbers and Markdown headings are understood, and the indentation sets the levels. If your notes have no main topic, type one on the first line and indent the rest.

How do I fold a branch?

Click a topic in the picture, or select it with the Tab key and press Enter. The ideas under it are hidden, and a small "+5" badge shows how many. Click it again to open it. Fold all branches shows only the main branches; Open all shows everything.

Which layout should I choose?

Both sides fits most maps and keeps them balanced. Right side only is good for a tall page or a long list. Radial looks good for small maps with a few ideas per branch. Tree works like an org chart and suits a wide slide.

Can I make a big mind map?

Yes. Maps with 100 or more topics work well with Both sides or Right side only. Fold the branches you do not need to show. The PNG of a very big map has a longest side of 8000 pixels; the SVG has no limit.

Is my mind map saved or uploaded?

Your list, your style and your folds are saved in this browser, so the map is still there when you come back. Nothing is uploaded. The map is drawn on your device.

Does it work in other languages?

Yes. Topics can be in any language. Chinese, Japanese and Korean words wrap between characters, and Arabic and Hebrew topics are drawn right to left.

What is the difference between a mind map and a flowchart?

A mind map shows ideas around one topic, with no order. A flowchart shows steps in order, with questions that split the way. For a process, use the Flowchart Maker.

Good to know

• The order of your lines is kept: the first main branch is at the top right, then they go round clockwise
• Long topics wrap onto more lines, up to 6 lines in one topic
• A map can have up to 1,500 lines
• The layout is automatic. You cannot drag a topic by hand; move its line in the list instead
• A fold is remembered by the names of the topics; when you rename a topic, its branch opens again

Related tools

• Flowchart Maker — draw the steps of a process, with yes / no questions
• Org Chart Maker — the same indented list, drawn as a team chart
• Family Tree Maker — your family, generation by generation
• Venn Diagram Maker — compare two or three groups
• Timeline Maker — events in date order
• Markdown to PDF — turn your Markdown notes into a PDF

How to use it

• Type your main topic on the first line — or press an example to start
• Type your ideas on the next lines, indented with two spaces; indent more to go one level deeper
• Or paste a bullet list or Markdown notes from another app
• Pick a style and a layout, and a text size
• Click a topic in the picture to fold or open its branch
• Click Download PNG or Download SVG — or Fullscreen to show the map on a big screen