Use case
Mind map maker
Type an idea, press Tab, and keep going. The mind map lays itself out while you think, on the same canvas as your plans and diagrams.
Scenario
A product manager is turning a vague request into a brief: the goal in the middle, branches for users, problems, ideas, risks, and open questions, and a short list of next steps the team can pick up on Monday.
Topics branch with Tab and Enter, the live tree layout balances both sides, and every branch keeps its own colour. Cross-links, notes, and checklists sit on the same infinite canvas. Share a branded public link or export SVG/PNG; Pro adds embed and watermark-free PDF/JPEG.
What you draw
Mind map maker
- A central topic for the main idea
- First-level branches, each in its own colour
- Child topics with Tab and siblings with Enter
- Dashed cross-links between ideas on different branches
- Sticky notes and checklists for next steps beside the map
- Stickers on the ideas worth keeping
Why Archboard
Archboard is a hosted diagram workspace with a keyboard-first mind map: the layout follows your typing, so you never stop to make room. The same canvas holds flowcharts, notes, and architecture diagrams, and revision snapshots keep every version of the map.
Packs on this canvas
Mind map · Core · Stickers
Every built-in pack is on Free (3 diagrams, 15 diagram nodes + 150 notes, text, stickers & mind map topics each, branded public share, live editing with your AI agents). Pro adds unlimited diagrams and nodes, seats for teammates to edit live, embed, and watermark-free export ($10/seat/month).
Scope
Archboard is a mind map maker inside a hosted diagram workspace. Teammates and AI agents can edit the same map live, but there is no outline view or import from other mind map apps. Maps are built on the canvas, mostly with the keyboard.
How a session goes
Start from the mind map template after Google or GitHub sign-in
Type the central idea, then press Tab for child topics and Enter for siblings
Move between topics with Alt and the arrow keys, and drag a topic onto another branch to reorganise
Share a live link or export an image when the map is ready
Starting template
Mind map
The Mind map template opens a central idea with four starter branches: why it matters, key ideas, open questions, and next steps. Rename them and press Tab to keep branching.
Opens an editable copy in your workspace. New to Archboard? Sign in with Google or GitHub and the copy opens right after.
A mind map maker that keeps up with your thinking
Most mind map tools turn you into a layout manager. You type an idea, then drag boxes around to make room for the next one, and by the tenth branch the map is a tangle nobody wants to read. In Archboard the map arranges itself while you type. Write the central idea, press Tab to add a child topic and Enter to add a sibling, and the live tree layout places every topic, keeps siblings evenly spaced, and balances the branches on both sides. Each first-level branch gets its own colour, and every topic below it inherits that colour, so themes stay visible as the map grows.
Keyboard-first editing keeps you in the flow of the idea. Alt and the arrow keys move between topics along the tree, F2 or simply typing renames the selected topic, and Delete removes a branch together with everything under it; one undo brings it all back. Switch between balanced, right, and left layouts when the map gets wide, or turn live layout off for a map you would rather arrange by hand. When two ideas on different branches belong together, draw an edge between them: the cross-link shows as a dashed line and never disturbs the tree.
From mind map to plan, brief, or study notes
A mind map earns its keep after the first draft, when the branches turn into work. The same infinite canvas holds sticky notes, checklists, flowchart shapes, and stickers next to the map, so a branch can grow into a checklist of next steps or a small process without leaving the file. Save a revision snapshot before a big restructure, share a branded public link with the people who need to read the map, and export SVG or PNG for a document or a slide. Pro adds embed for your wiki plus watermark-free PDF and JPEG.
Students outline essays and revise for exams with it, product managers map a brief before writing the spec, teachers build concept maps with a class, and consultants turn a messy interview into a structure the client can follow. The interface and node names come in eight languages, so a map drawn in Turkish, German, or Japanese reads naturally to the people who use it. Sign in with Google or GitHub, start from the mind map template, and map the idea you are working on this week.
Start from a template
- Mind mapA central idea with four starter branches (why it matters, key ideas, open questions, and next steps).
- Project plan mind mapGoals, scope, timeline, team, and risks on one map, ready to rename for your project.
- Concept mapConcepts joined by labelled links, for when the relationships matter more than the hierarchy.
Questions
Is Archboard a mind map maker or a diagram tool?
Both. The mind map pack gives you a central topic, topics, live tree layout, and keyboard-first editing. The same canvas also holds flowcharts, sticky notes, and architecture diagrams, so the map can sit next to the plan it produces.
Can I move a topic to another branch?
Yes. Drag a topic onto another topic to make it a child there, or drop it in empty space to change its order among its siblings. The live layout puts it in place, and the whole move is one undo step.
Can several people edit the same mind map at once?
Yes. Everyone with edit access sees live cursors and changes as they happen, and an AI agent connected through MCP can edit the map too. Undo takes back only your own changes, and the map autosaves and keeps revision snapshots.
Open a canvas in a minute
Sign in with Google or GitHub. Free for a single seat. Upgrade when the team joins.