Mind Map Template

What a mind map template is

A mind map template is a center topic with branches already in place, so you start from a shape instead of a blank page. The center is the subject. Each branch is one part of it, and the smaller branches hold details. That is the whole pattern: one idea in the middle, related ideas around it, and a line that shows which idea belongs to which.

People reach for a mind map template when they are studying a lecture, opening a project, taking notes on a book, running a brainstorm, laying out a week, or outlining an essay. The shape stays the same. The labels change. These six template mind maps are starting points for those jobs. Replace every sample label with your own words.

This mind map maker runs in the browser. You do not draw with a pen tool and you do not sign in. Select a branch, type, and drag. The draft is kept on this device so you can close the tab and come back.

How to use this mind map template

1. Choose a template. Start from Study, Project, Book, Brainstorm, Week, or Essay.
2. Rewrite the labels. Select the center or any branch and put the words in your own language.
3. Change the shape. Add a branch, delete one you do not need, or drag a branch onto another to move it.
4. Keep a copy. Download PNG, PDF, OPML, or Markdown. The draft also stays in this browser.

The draft is saved as you edit, using localStorage. Come back to this address on the same device and the map is still here. Clear draft returns the Study template and removes the saved copy. Another browser, or a private window, starts empty of your text.

Mind map templates on this page

• Study — a topic, the ideas worth keeping, questions, and a review you can do later.
• Project — the goal, the people, milestones, risks, and the next actions.
• Book — the argument, a few chapters, a quote, and what you will actually use.
• Brainstorm — the problem, wild ideas, constraints, and one next step.
• Week — Monday through Friday, plus Saturday and Sunday.
• Essay — a thesis, the introduction, three body points, a counterargument, and a conclusion.

Switching templates replaces the map. If you have already edited the current one, the page asks first. Add branch always adds under the branch that is selected. Delete removes that branch and everything under it. The center stays; rename it instead of deleting it.

PNG, PDF, OPML, and a file for Google Docs or Word

Download PNG when you want a picture of the map. Download PDF when you want the same map on a landscape A4 page, with the labels stored as text. OPML is the outline format many outliner apps already import. Markdown is a heading for the center and a nested list for the branches.

If you were looking for a mind map template for Google Docs or Word, use the outline. Download Markdown or OPML and paste or import it into the document. Docs and Word will not draw these branches for you. Use the PNG or PDF when the picture is the thing you need to share. Every file is built in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.

A useful branch is a phrase, not a paragraph

The center should be the subject in a few words. A branch should be one idea you could say out loud. If a label needs two sentences, it wants a child branch. Drag that detail onto the idea it belongs to, instead of writing both thoughts on one pill.