Keyboard Only Mind Map
A free mind map you drive entirely from the keyboard. No account, no subscription, no server: your maps stay in your browser.
What it is
Keyboard Only Mind Map is a web app for building mind maps without touching the mouse. Press Tab to add a child, Enter to add a sibling and the arrow keys to move around. It runs in your browser, saves automatically on your own device, and exports to JSON, Markdown, JPEG, PNG, SVG and PDF.
It was made because most mind map tools want an account, a subscription and an onboarding tour before you can type a single idea. This one opens, and you type.
Features
- Keyboard-first. Every action has a key. The mouse is optional.
- Real text editing. Move the cursor, select, replace and paste inside a node, including accented and special characters on international layouts.
- Long text wraps inside nodes, so ideas stay readable.
- Colours, bold and strike-through to mark what matters.
- Restructure freely. Reorder nodes, move them out a level or into a sibling with Shift and the arrow keys.
- Fold and unfold branches to keep large maps readable; a folded node shows how many nodes it hides.
- Paste a list to build a branch. An indented or bulleted list from any notes app becomes nodes in one step.
- Zoom, fit to screen, undo and redo.
- Light and dark mode, switchable with one button.
- Save, open and export. JSON backup that reopens exactly, Markdown outline, and JPEG, PNG, SVG or PDF pictures of the whole map.
- Private by design. Maps never leave your browser and the site sets no cookies.
Start in 60 seconds
- Open the app. The central node is ready to type in.
- Type your main idea, then press Tab to add a child and type again.
- Press Enter for a sibling, or Esc to stop typing and move with the arrow keys.
- Press Space to edit a node again, C to colour it, F to fold its branch.
- Press S to save a backup or export a picture. Press ? at any time to see every shortcut.
Keyboard shortcuts
Build and edit
| Tab | new child |
|---|---|
| Enter | new sibling |
| Space or F2 | edit the text |
| Esc | finish editing |
| Del | delete the node and its branch |
| Cmd/Ctrl V | paste a list as child nodes |
Move around
| ← ↑ ↓ → | select a neighbouring node |
|---|---|
| scroll or drag | pan the view |
Rearrange
| Shift ↑ ↓ | move up or down among siblings |
|---|---|
| Shift ← | move out one level |
| Shift → | move into the sibling above |
Branches
| F | fold or unfold the selected branch |
|---|---|
| Shift F | unfold everything |
| → on a folded node | unfold it |
Format
| C or Shift C | next or previous colour |
|---|---|
| B | bold |
| X | cross out |
View
| + and − | zoom in and out |
|---|---|
| 0 | fit the whole map on screen |
| 1 | 100% zoom |
| Cmd/Ctrl + scroll | zoom at the pointer |
Map and file
| T | name the map |
|---|---|
| Shift N | new map |
| S or Cmd/Ctrl S | save, open or export |
| E | export a JPEG straight away |
| Cmd/Ctrl Z | undo |
| Cmd/Ctrl Shift Z or Ctrl Y | redo |
| ? | shortcuts and about |
Who it is for
Good fit: people who think faster on a keyboard, who want to sketch a structure or turn notes into a map quickly, and who do not want to create an account for it.
Not a fit: real-time collaboration, phones and tablets (it needs a physical keyboard), or attaching images and files to nodes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Keyboard Only Mind Map really free?
Yes. There is no paid tier, no ads and no account. The only money involved is an optional one-time donation on Ko-fi that helps cover the domain renewal.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Open the page and press Tab to start. Nothing asks you to sign up or log in.
Where are my maps stored?
In your own browser, on your own device. The app has no server for your maps, so nothing is uploaded. Clearing your browser data deletes them, so save a JSON backup of anything you care about (press S).
How do I move a map to another computer or keep a backup?
Press S and save as JSON. Open that file on any other device with the Open option. A Markdown outline also works: it reopens, but colours are not kept.
Which file formats can I export?
JSON, Markdown, JPEG, PNG, SVG and PDF. JSON and Markdown can be opened again in the app. The picture formats (JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF) are for sharing and cannot be reopened.
Can I start a map from notes I already have?
Yes. Copy an indented or bulleted list from any notes app, select a node and paste. The list becomes a branch of nodes in one step. You can also open a Markdown outline as a new map.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Not well. It is designed for a physical keyboard and the page says so. Use it on a laptop or desktop.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, editing does not need the internet, because the app makes no requests for your maps. There is no installable offline version yet, so reloading the page needs a connection.
Can several people edit the same map?
No. There is no real-time collaboration or sync, which is what keeps it simple and private. To share a map, send an exported picture or PDF, or a JSON or Markdown file.
Can I type accented and special characters?
Yes. Text editing uses the browser's own text input, so letters such as č, ć, š, ž and đ and symbols such as @ { } [ ] work on international keyboard layouts, and input methods for languages such as Chinese and Japanese are supported.
Is my data private?
Your maps never leave your browser. The site sets no cookies. The only thing I look at is anonymous visit counts from Cloudflare's built-in traffic statistics, which are counted on the server and run no tracking script. The site is hosted on Cloudflare, which keeps ordinary server logs like any host.
How is it different from other mind map apps?
It is deliberately small. There are no accounts, no cloud storage, no templates and no AI features. It does one thing: build a mind map quickly from the keyboard. If you need real-time collaboration, attachments on nodes or presentations, a full mind mapping service is a better fit.
About
Made by Milan Ilić in Pančevo, Serbia, as a personal passion project. Ideas, bugs and complaints: hello@keyboardonly-mindmap.com.
The goal is not to make money, only to cover the domain renewal. If it saved you from a monthly plan, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi.