Mind Maps

A mind map is a node tree instead of a linear document — good for brainstorming and structuring ideas before you write them out in full.

Creating one

From Cmd+N or search (Cmd+O / Cmd+K), type a name and end it with /mindmap or /m. The same suffixes work inside [[ autocomplete when you create a missing note.

On disk the file is Name.mindmap.md — Markdown with mind-map frontmatter and a nested bullet list. You can open it in any text editor. See File format & storage.

Editing

• Option+N — add a child branch from the focused node
• Option+D — delete a node and everything under it
• Shift+Option+D — clear every empty node at once
• Option+B — back in visit history
• Space + drag (or middle-mouse drag) — pan the canvas
• Cmd+Z / Shift+Cmd+Z — undo / redo, restoring full snapshots of the map
• Cmd+F / Shift+Cmd+F — find, or find and replace, in node text

Nodes support live inline Markdown while you type: **bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, [[wikilinks]], and [text](url).

Settings → Mind maps sets growth direction: branches grow right, or down.

Use mind maps for outlining an essay or mapping a project’s moving pieces. Use boards for project management, or any list with more structure than a plain checklist.