1. Start with your central idea
Open the editor and type your topic on the first line. This becomes the root node of your map — the centre that every branch connects back to.
Guide
How to turn text into a mind map
A practical, step-by-step walkthrough of writing an outline and watching it become a visual mind map — no design tools required.
Mind mapping usually starts with a blank canvas and a mouse, which slows down the moment you're trying to think fastest. Text to Mind Map flips that: you write a simple indented outline, and the map builds itself as you type. This guide walks through the whole workflow, from your first line of text to an exported image.
2. Indent to create branches
Press Tab at the start of a line to indent it one level deeper, turning it into a child node. Press Shift+Tab to outdent and move it back up a level. Each level of indentation becomes a new layer in the map.
3. Add siblings with Enter
Press Enter to start a new line at the same indentation level as the one above it, creating a sibling node. This is the fastest way to list several related points under one branch.
4. Reorder nodes without retyping
Use Alt (Option on macOS) + Up or Down arrow to move the current line — and everything nested beneath it — up or down among its siblings, without cutting and pasting text.
5. Enrich a node with quick commands
Type your configured trigger key (`, @, #, or ~) at the start of a line to open the quick command menu. From there you can set the node's text or markdown, attach a URL, add a detail image, or apply a colour or tag — all without leaving the keyboard.
6. Switch layouts to match your content
Use the layout switcher above the map to try balanced, star, left, right, or tree diagram arrangements. A wide list of parallel ideas often reads better as a tree; a single central concept usually suits a balanced or star layout.
7. Fine-tune the visual structure
Drag any node to reposition it, click a node once to adjust its text or background colour, or double-click to open its full detail panel and add notes, a title, a URL, or tags. Use the collapse (>) control on a node to tidy away a large subtree while you focus elsewhere.
8. Zoom, centre and organise your workspace
Use the scroll wheel or the +/- controls to zoom, and the centre button to snap back to the middle of your map. Add more diagrams as tabs at the top of the editor panel, and double-click a tab to rename it.
9. Export when you're ready
Use the export button in the top navigation bar to save your finished map as a PNG, WebP, or PDF image, or export the underlying outline as plain text.
Why write before you draw
Most mind mapping tools start you on a blank canvas: you place a shape, connect it, place another, and repeat. That's fine for a finished diagram, but it's slow for the messy, fast-moving part of thinking — the part where ideas are still being sorted.
Writing an outline lets you capture ideas at the speed of typing. Structure — what belongs under what — is expressed with a single keypress (Tab), not a drag-and-drop connection. The visual map becomes a by-product of organising your thoughts, rather than a separate task on top of it.
Keyboard-first, mouse-optional
Every core action in the editor — creating a node, nesting it, reordering it, tagging it — has a keyboard shortcut. That matters most when you're brainstorming: switching to the mouse to draw a connector breaks your train of thought in a way that pressing Tab does not.
The mouse is still useful for the parts that benefit from direct manipulation: dragging a node to a new position, resizing the view, or picking a colour from a palette. The editor and the map stay in sync regardless of which one you use at any given moment.
Data stays in your browser
Everything you write is stored locally in your browser. There's no server round-trip while you work, no account to create, and nothing is uploaded automatically. That makes the tool suitable for early-stage notes, private planning, or anything you'd rather not send to a server.
Because storage is local, exporting is how you move a map between devices or keep a permanent copy — export to an image for sharing, or to text for re-importing later.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Tab and Enter?
Enter creates a new node at the same level as the current one (a sibling). Tab indents the current line to become a child of the node above it. Shift+Tab does the reverse, moving a node back up a level.
Can I change the trigger key for quick commands?
Yes. The trigger key that opens the quick command menu is configurable, with a choice of `, @, #, or ~, so you can pick one that doesn't collide with the characters you normally type.
Do I need to plan the whole structure before I start?
No. Because reordering nodes is a keyboard shortcut away (Alt/Option + Up or Down) and indentation is a single Tab press, it's usually faster to write ideas roughly as they occur to you and reorganise afterwards than to plan the full hierarchy up front.
What can I attach to a single node?
A node can carry a title, a URL, notes in plain text or markdown, tags, a custom colour, and a detail image. Double-click any node to open its detail panel and edit these.
How do I share a finished map?
Use the export option in the top navigation bar to save the current view as a PNG, WebP, or PDF image, or export the outline as plain text if you want to share or reuse the underlying structure.
Try it with your own notes
Open the editor and turn your next outline into a map in a few minutes.
Open the app