Mind map generator for any topic, notes or PDF
A mind map is useful because it forces you to see how ideas connect, but drawing one from 30 pages of notes takes an evening. Give your agent a topic or attach your notes, and it picks the main branches, keeps each node to a few words, draws the map as a clean image and gives you a Markdown outline you can import into most mind map apps.
The prompt
- Make a mind map about [TOPIC] for [PURPOSE]. Base it on [NOTES, PDF OR YOUR KNOWLEDGE]. Put the topic in the center with [NUMBER] main branches, and 2–4 sub-branches each. Keep every node to 1–4 words, use one color per branch, and add cross-links where two branches connect. Create it as a PNG image (landscape, readable when printed on A4) by drawing it with code so the text is exact, plus a Markdown outline with the same structure that I can import into a mind map app. Under the image, write 3 sentences explaining the most important connection on the map.
What to change
- [TOPIC]: E.g. "causes of the French Revolution", "the immune system", "my novel's characters", "marketing plan".
- [PURPOSE]: E.g. "revising for a biology exam", "planning an essay", "brainstorming a project".
- [NOTES, PDF OR YOUR KNOWLEDGE]: Attach your notes or a PDF, paste text, or write "your knowledge" for a general topic.
- [NUMBER]: Usually 4–7 main branches. More gets crowded.
Example result
- Mind map: the immune system (revising for GCSE Biology)
- Center
- Immune system
- Branch 1: Barriers (green)
- • Skin
- • Mucus and cilia
- • Stomach acid
- • Tears (lysozyme)
- Branch 2: White blood cells (blue)
- • Phagocytes: engulf pathogens
- • Lymphocytes: make antibodies
- • Antitoxins: neutralize toxins
- Branch 3: Pathogens (red)
- • Bacteria
- • Viruses
- • Fungi
- • Protists
- Branch 4: Vaccination (purple)
- • Dead or weakened pathogen
- • Memory cells
- • Faster secondary response
- • Herd immunity
- Branch 5: Medicines (orange)
- • Antibiotics: bacteria only
- • Painkillers: treat symptoms
- • Antibiotic resistance
- Cross-links
- • Lymphocytes → Memory cells: vaccination works because lymphocytes remember an antigen.
- • Bacteria → Antibiotics: antibiotics act on bacteria but not on viruses.
- The key connection
- Vaccination and white blood cells are really one idea. A vaccine shows lymphocytes an antigen without the disease, so memory cells form. If the real pathogen arrives, antibodies are made faster and in larger amounts, often before you feel ill.
- Importable outline (Markdown)
- • # Immune system
- • ## Barriers: Skin, Mucus and cilia, Stomach acid, Tears
- • ## White blood cells: Phagocytes, Lymphocytes, Antitoxins
- • ## Pathogens: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Protists
- • ## Vaccination: Memory cells, Secondary response, Herd immunity
- • ## Medicines: Antibiotics, Painkillers, Resistance
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your topic, purpose, source material and the number of branches.
- Paste it into todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram with your notes attached.
- Download the PNG mind map and the Markdown outline.
- Ask for changes like "split branch 2 in two" or "make a blank version for me to fill in from memory".
Tips for a better result
- Fewer words per node is better. If a node needs a sentence, it is probably two nodes.
- Ask for a blank copy with only the branch names, then fill it in from memory. That is active recall.
- Use cross-links. The connections between branches are what exam questions and essays are built on.
- Drawing the map with code keeps every word spelled right; a purely AI-generated image can garble text.
mind map generator: FAQ
- What file do I get? A PNG image of the mind map, plus a Markdown outline. Many mind map apps import Markdown or outline text, and you can also ask for a PDF.
- Can it make a mind map from a PDF or my notes? Yes. Attach the PDF, Word file or photos of your notes and it builds the branches from your own material.
- Can I edit the mind map? Ask your agent for changes in plain words and it redraws it, or import the Markdown outline into a mind map app and edit it there.
- Are mind maps good for studying? They help you see structure and connections, especially for topics with many related parts. They work best when you also test yourself, for example by redrawing the map from memory.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.