Answer: Type a central topic and an indented list: each unindented line becomes a main branch, and each indented line hangs off the branch above it. The map redraws as you type, saves in this browser, and downloads as an SVG. Free, no signup.
Central topic in, branches out, downloadable mind map on the right
| Tool | Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Mind map | Radial, one center, hierarchical branches | Brainstorming, note capture, essay planning |
| Outline | Linear, numbered hierarchy | Writing the thing once structure is settled |
| Concept map | Network; any node can link to any node, links labeled | Explaining relationships, studying systems |
| Flowchart | Directed, decision-based | Processes and logic |
If your ideas link to each other more than they branch from one center, you want a concept map. If they run in sequence, a flowchart.
| Use Case | Main Branches | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture/class notes | 4–6 | 2 levels |
| Essay planning | 3–5 (arguments) | 2–3 levels |
| Project kickoff | 5–8 (workstreams) | 2 levels |
| Decision unpacking | 3–4 (options, pros, cons, risks) | 2 levels |
| Book summary | 5–10 (chapters/themes) | 2 levels |
The parser is deliberately simple, which makes the rules easy to remember. Everything below was read from the page's own code, so it's what actually happens rather than what a mind map tool usually does.
| You type | What the map does |
|---|---|
| A line with no indent | New main branch with its own color |
| A line indented 2 spaces (or a tab) | Sub-branch of the nearest main branch above it |
| A line indented 4 or more spaces | Still a sub-branch of that main branch. The map draws one sub-level |
| A line starting with # | Ignored, so you can leave notes to yourself |
| A blank line | Ignored |
| An indented line before any main branch | Dropped, because there's nothing to hang it from |
| More than 8 main branches | Colors start repeating from the first one |
| Topic over 24 characters | Center label is cut at 24 |
| Main branch over 22 characters | Label is cut at 22 |
| Sub-branch over 26 characters | Label is cut at 26 |
Those character caps are a good discipline anyway. A branch label that needs more than about 25 characters is usually a sentence, and sentences belong in the outline you write afterwards.
Every map is 980 pixels wide. The height depends on the busier side: each main branch takes as many 34-pixel rows as it has sub-branches (at least one), the first half of your branches go right, and the rest go left. Here's what common shapes come out at:
| Main branches | Sub-branches each | Right / left | Rows on taller side | SVG size (px) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 2 / 1 | 4 | 980 × 216 |
| 4 | 3 | 2 / 2 | 6 | 980 × 284 |
| 5 | 3 | 3 / 2 | 9 | 980 × 386 |
| 6 | 2 | 3 / 3 | 6 | 980 × 284 |
| 8 | 2 | 4 / 4 | 8 | 980 × 352 |
| 8 | 4 | 4 / 4 | 16 | 980 × 624 |
| 10 | 3 | 5 / 5 | 15 | 980 × 590 |
An odd number of main branches puts the extra one on the right, which makes that side taller. If the map looks lopsided, move a heavy branch to the end of your list so it lands on the left. Because the SVG is vector, any of these sizes prints sharply on A4 or Letter paper.
A few habits make the output look deliberate rather than dumped. Keep the center topic short, because a long one pushes every branch outward and the longest sub-branch labels can run off the right or left edge of the 980-pixel canvas. Balance the sides by ordering branches so heavy and light ones alternate. And put related branches next to each other in the list, since neighbors in the text end up as neighbors on the map.
The map saves itself in your browser's local storage every time it redraws, so closing the tab doesn't lose your work. That storage is per browser, though. Open the page on your phone and you'll see the sample map, not the one from your laptop. Download the SVG when you're done, and if you want to keep editing later, paste your branch list into a notepad too, since the SVG can't be loaded back in.
If your ideas link to each other more than they branch from one center, a mind map is the wrong shape. A flowchart suits steps and decisions, and an org chart suits strict hierarchies. Once the map has done its job, a kanban board turns branches into tasks.
Give it a central topic and an indented list. Top-level lines become main branches, which the tool splits across the left and right of the center automatically; indented lines become sub-branches of the branch above them. Each main branch gets its own color, links are drawn as curves, and the download is an SVG that stays crisp at any size.
Write fast and judge slowly: get every branch down first, then prune and regroup. Use keywords, not sentences, because a branch that reads like prose means you're outlining, not mapping. When one branch grows much fatter than the others, that branch is probably its own mind map; spin it off. The sample button loads an essay-planning map to show the shape that works: three to five argument branches, each with evidence hanging off it.
The default map plans a podcast launch with four main branches: Format & length, Guests, Production, and Growth. The tool puts the first half of your list on the right and the rest on the left, both running top to bottom. So Format and Guests sit on the right, and Production and Growth sit on the left. Read the right side top to bottom, then the left side top to bottom, and you get the project in order: decide the format, line up guests, set up production, plan growth.
The numbers behind it are small. Format has 2 sub-branches and Guests has 3, so the right side needs 5 rows. Production and Growth have 3 each, so the left needs 6. The taller side sets the height: 6 rows at 34 pixels plus 80 pixels of margin gives a 980 × 284 pixel SVG. That's the at-a-glance size a mind map should be. If you have to scroll to read yours, it's trying to do too much.
Capturing and organizing ideas as they arrive, before structure exists. The radial layout mirrors how association works: you put the topic in the middle, throw branches outward as they occur to you, and the structure emerges instead of being imposed. Classic uses: lecture notes, essay planning, meeting brainstorms, and unpacking a decision.
An outline forces hierarchy and sequence from the first keystroke; a mind map defers both. On a map you can add a branch anywhere, connect related ideas across the tree, and see the whole shape at a glance. Outlines are better once the structure is settled and you're writing; mind maps are better while you're still discovering what you think.
Keep it to one topic per map, use keywords rather than sentences on branches, aim for 4 to 8 main branches, and keep sub-branches shallow. On paper that can mean 2 or 3 levels; this tool draws one level of sub-branches, which forces the same discipline. Color-code main branches so related ideas cluster visually. If a branch starts feeling like a paragraph, it's a new map.
The evidence is mixed but leaning positive: reviews of classroom studies find mind mapping often outperforms plain note-taking and reading, especially for retention, though the effect is smaller than its evangelists claim. The mechanism that matters is generation: producing the map, not owning it. Redrawing a messy map from memory is where the studying happens.
There's no hard limit, and a few dozen render fine. Readability gives out before the tool does: past about 8 main branches or 3 levels of depth, split into one map per major branch. A map you have to zoom into stops doing the at-a-glance job it exists for.
Not in this tool. Any indented line becomes a sub-branch of the nearest main branch above it, however far it's indented, so the map always has two levels. If a sub-branch needs its own children, make it a main branch or give it its own map.
Yes, in this browser. The topic and branch list are written to local storage each time the map redraws, so they come back when you reopen the page. Nothing is sent to a server, which also means the map won't appear on another device. Download the SVG and keep a copy of your branch list to be safe.
The download is an SVG, which stays sharp at any size. To get a PNG, open the SVG in a browser and take a screenshot, or convert it in any image editor. For a PDF, open the SVG in your browser and print it to PDF.