Mind map maker

How to make a mind map

1. Type your main idea on the first line of the Outline box, then one idea per line under it. Indent a line (the Indent button, a tab or two spaces) to make it a branch of the line above. Or paste notes you already have.
2. Watch the map draw itself. Pick Both sides for a classic mind map or Right-hand tree for a tree that reads left to right.
3. Tap any node to change its words, add a note, a colour for its branch or a shape, or to add a child or sibling. Drag a node onto another to move it, with its whole branch, under that one.
4. Tap a branch's small circle to collapse it to a count, and again to open it. Undo takes back any change.
5. Save it: PNG for slides and chats, SVG for design programs, PDF to print, Markdown for notes, .mm for other mind map programs. Or make a share link.

What the outline understands

Each line is one node. A line goes under the nearest line above it that is indented less, so any indent width works, from two spaces to tabs, as long as you are consistent within a list. Markdown bullets (-, *, +, 1.) are dropped from the text, # Heading lines nest by their number of #s, and bullets under a heading become its branches. A line starting with > becomes the note of the node above it. If there is more than one top-level line, the page adds a centre called Mind map that you can rename.

For example, this outline:

Trip to Lisbon
  Packing
    Passport
    Charger
  Budget
    > flights booked
  Days

gives a centre with three branches, Packing (with two children), Budget (with a note) and Days. In the Both sides layout the branches are shared between the right and the left so the two sides are as close to the same height as their order allows.

The layout gives every branch its own band of rows, with each node one column out from its parent, so boxes never overlap however long the words are; long text wraps at about 200 pixels. When you edit on the map, the outline is rewritten with two spaces per level, so markdown symbols you pasted become plain indents. Notes, colours and shapes are not written into the outline, but they stay with their node when you edit the outline's text.

What it cannot do

• No live collaboration: two people cannot edit the same map at once, because that needs a server and this page has none. Send a share link or a .mm file and each person edits their own copy.
• It does not summarise a text into a map. It draws the structure you give it; paste an outline, not an essay.
• Maps over 500 nodes get slow on phones, because the whole map is redrawn after each change: measured on a desktop computer, 500 nodes redraw in about 60 ms and 2,000 in about a quarter of a second, and a phone takes several times longer. The limit is 2,000 nodes, 300 characters per node and 2,000 per note.
• Links between distant branches, images inside nodes and icons are not supported; a .mm file that has them opens with its text, branches, notes, folds and colours only.
• The PDF uses Helvetica for the text, so letters outside Western European alphabets (and emoji) make the page put the map into the PDF as a high-resolution picture instead.
• A share link over 2,000 characters (roughly 150 to 200 nodes) may be cut by some chat apps; the page tells you the length. Saved maps live in this browser on this device only; private browsing or clearing site data removes them.

Privacy and what is stored

Nothing you type leaves your device. The page sends an anonymous page-view count and, when you start editing, export or open a shared map, one of three fixed words (mindmap-make, mindmap-export, mindmap-share-open), never a node's text or a file name. Your maps are kept in this browser's local storage as you go, so a reload loses nothing, and Clear all saved maps removes every one in one tap. A share link carries the map after the #, which browsers do not send to any server; opening one shows it as a copy and saves nothing until you tap Save this copy on this device. The PDF library (pdf-lib, MIT licence) is loaded from this site only when you first ask for a PDF.

Questions

Is this mind map maker free, with no sign-up?

Yes. There is no account, no trial, no watermark and no limit on the number of maps. The page draws the map in your browser and keeps your maps in this browser's storage, so nothing you type is sent anywhere.

How do I turn text into a mind map?

Paste it into the Outline box. The first line is the centre; every line indented under another becomes its branch. Two spaces, four spaces or tabs all work, and so do markdown bullets (- or *) and # headings, so notes copied from a document or a notes app usually come out right first time. The map redraws as you type.

Is this an AI mind map generator?

No. It does not read or summarise your text; it draws the structure you give it, the same way every time, and nothing leaves your device. If you want a chatbot to suggest the structure, ask it for an indented outline and paste that here: you get a map you can edit, colour and export.

Can I use it on a phone, like an app?

Yes. Tap a node to edit it, drag a node onto another to move it there, pinch to zoom and drag the background to pan. The Indent and Outdent buttons above the outline replace the Tab key. Your maps stay saved in the phone's browser; add the page to your home screen to open it like an app.

Can I open the map in another mind map program?

Save it as .mm, the FreeMind format, which FreeMind and Freeplane open directly and several other mind map programs import. The file keeps the text, the branches, folded branches, branch colours and notes. You can also import a .mm file here.

How do I print a mind map or save it as a PDF?

Tap PDF with A4 or Letter chosen: the map is scaled to fit one landscape page with a margin and the text stays sharp at any zoom. For slides or a document, PNG at 2x or 3x is usually right; SVG keeps every word as real text for design programs.