Build a mind map in seconds, without touching the mouse
Most mind mapping tools slow you down at the exact moment you need speed: when the ideas are still arriving. This guide shows how MindMap keeps your hands on the keyboard, and explains why each shortcut exists.
The two keys that do almost everything
Mind mapping has exactly two structural moves: go deeper into an idea, or add another idea at the same level. MindMap binds those to the two keys your fingers already rest near.
| Key | What it does | When you reach for it |
|---|---|---|
| Tab | Add a child node | "This idea has parts." |
| Enter | Add a sibling node | "And another thing…" |
Both keys create the node and put you straight into editing it, so you can keep typing. The rhythm becomes: type, Enter, type, Enter, type, Tab, type. You never stop to click.
Why this matters: the bottleneck in brainstorming is not typing speed — it's the pause. Every time you move your hand to the mouse, aim at a small target, and click, you drop the thread of what you were about to say. Keeping the structural moves on the keyboard removes that pause entirely.
If you type in Japanese, Chinese, or Korean
There's a subtle problem with using Enter for "new sibling": in IME-based input, Enter is also how you confirm a conversion. Naively binding the key would create a stray node every time you finished a word.
MindMap watches for the composition state and ignores the confirming Enter. Only a second, deliberate Enter — pressed when nothing is being converted — creates the sibling. You can type Japanese at full speed without stray nodes appearing.
Getting started
- Open the app and sign in with Google. Your first map is created automatically, so there's no blank-project ceremony.
- Edit the central topic. Double-click it (or press F2) and type what the map is about.
- Press Tab to go one level down, and type the first branch.
- Press Enter for each additional branch at that level.
- Press Tab again whenever a branch needs detail underneath it.
Everything saves as you go. There is no save button to remember, and no "unsaved changes" dialog to fear.
Keeping the map readable as it grows
Nodes size themselves
A node widens to fit what you type, up to a comfortable reading width, then wraps. Short labels stay compact; a full sentence becomes a small paragraph instead of a thin column of one-word lines.
If you want a specific size — say, to line up two nodes visually — drag the handle at a node's bottom-right corner. Double-click that handle to return the node to automatic sizing.
Nothing overlaps
When you add or delete a node, the branch re-flows so nothing collides, taking each node's real height into account. A three-line node reserves three lines of space; its siblings move down accordingly.
If you've dragged nodes around by hand and want the tidy version back, use the Tidy up button in the toolbar. Layout only runs when you ask for it or when the structure changes, so a hand-arranged map won't rearrange itself behind your back.
Collapse the parts you're not working on
Every node with children gets a small toggle on its branch side. Collapse a branch and its descendants disappear, the layout closes the gap, and the toggle shows how many nodes are hidden — so you always know there's something there.
Collapse state is saved with the map. Come back tomorrow, or open the map on your phone, and it looks the way you left it.
Getting the order right
An outline is only useful if the order means something. Two ways to change it:
- Drag a node above or below its siblings and drop it.
- Press ⌘/Ctrl + ↑/↓ to move the selected node within its siblings.
The order you set is stored explicitly, which is why tidying the layout never scrambles it. New siblings created with Enter are inserted directly after the node you're on, not appended at the bottom — so a list you build top-to-bottom stays in the order you thought of it.
Moving around a large map
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Pan (move the canvas) | Scroll, or drag empty space |
| Zoom | ⌘/Ctrl + scroll, or pinch on a trackpad |
| See the whole map | The fit-to-screen button in the toolbar |
Scrolling pans rather than zooms, which matches every other canvas tool you use. Zoom is deliberately behind a modifier key so you don't lose your place by accident while reading.
On a phone or tablet
Drag a node to move it, drag empty space to pan, pinch with two fingers to zoom, and double-tap a node to edit it. You can also add MindMap to your home screen and it opens full-screen, like an installed app.
Sharing a map
Open Share and turn on link sharing. You get a URL that opens a read-only view of the map.
- The person you send it to doesn't need an account — no sign-up wall between them and your idea.
- They can pan, zoom and collapse branches to explore, but they can't change anything.
- Turn sharing off at any time and the link stops working.
This is the fastest way to get a plan in front of someone: paste one link into a chat, and they see the structure instead of reading a wall of bullet points.
Your data: maps are stored in your own account and are private by default — only you can read or edit them unless you explicitly turn on sharing. You can also export any map to JSON from the toolbar, so nothing is locked in.
The shortcut list
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Tab | Add child node |
| Enter | Add sibling node |
| F2 / double-click | Edit the selected node |
| Shift + Enter | Line break inside a node |
| Delete | Delete the node and its descendants |
| ⌘/Ctrl + ↑/↓ | Reorder among siblings |
| Esc | Finish editing |