OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Mind Map Maker
Turn an Indented List into a Mind Map, Free
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Mind Map Maker works
This mind map maker turns an indented list into a branching map. A mind map puts one idea in the middle and lets everything else branch out from it, which is why it works for brainstorming, planning a talk or breaking a project into parts. Drawing one in a diagram tool means dragging every node into place. Here you type the ideas as an indented list instead: the first line becomes the centre, each indented line hangs off the line above, and the page balances the branches on both sides, colours them and lets you download SVG or PNG. Nothing is uploaded.
Mind map maker: writing the list
Put the central idea on the first line with no indentation. Indent by two spaces or one tab for each level down; a line belongs to the nearest line above with less indentation. A leading "-" or "*" is ignored, so a Markdown bullet list pastes straight in. Lines starting with "#" are skipped. If several lines sit at the top level, they are treated as branches of an unnamed centre, which is useful when the list was written without a title.
How the branches are placed
The lines directly under the centre are the main branches. With Branches set to Both sides, the page counts the ideas under each branch and deals the branches out so the two sides carry roughly the same number, largest first, which keeps the map from leaning to one side. Right only puts every branch on the right, the shape of a tree or outline, which reads top to bottom and suits a presentation slide. Within a side, the branches and their sub-ideas are spaced with a tidy tree layout so nothing overlaps, and the height of the drawing grows with the number of ideas.
Reading the drawing
The centre is a dark pill. Each main branch is a coloured pill joined to the centre by a thick curve, and every idea beneath it sits on a thin line in the same colour, so a branch and all of its sub-ideas share one colour. Deeper levels use slightly smaller text. Hovering an idea shows its full path from the centre, which is kept in the downloaded SVG.
Keeping it readable
Mind maps work best with a handful of branches and short labels. Long lines push the map wide; shorten them or split a busy branch into two. If a side is much taller than the other, the count of ideas is uneven; moving a sub-idea between branches or adding a branch will rebalance it. Very large maps are better exported as SVG and viewed at full size.
Exporting
Download SVG gives a vector file with ideas as editable text, ready for Inkscape, Illustrator or Figma. Download PNG renders at one, two or three times the preview width. Copy SVG puts the markup on the clipboard. Everything is drawn in your browser; the list never leaves your machine.
FAQ
Can I paste a Markdown or outline list?
Yes. Bullets written with "-" or "*" are stripped and tab indentation is read as one level per tab, so a nested Markdown list or an outline copied from a notes app draws without editing. Keep the first line unindented so it becomes the centre.
How is the left and right side decided?
The page counts the ideas under each main branch, sorts the branches by size and gives each one to whichever side currently has fewer ideas. The order of your list decides ties, so two equal branches keep their written order. Choose Right only if you would rather everything fan out to one side.
Can I have more than one central idea?
Not on one map. If several lines are unindented, they are drawn as branches of a blank centre. Give the map a title line at the top instead, or make a separate map for each idea.
Why do some labels overlap the edge?
The width of the preview is shared between the levels, so a deep map with long labels can run out of room at the far ends. Shorten the longest labels, reduce the depth, or download the SVG, which can be scaled without loss.
See also: all Diagram Makers tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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