Mind map – Miro Help Center

With Miro mind map, you can apply the world-recognized diagram tool to visually organize your content hierarchically.

Available on:browser version, Desktop app, Tablet app, Mobile app (limited functionality)

How to create a Miro mind map

Find Mind map on the Creation toolbar. For your convenience, you can drag the icon to your toolbar.Mind map on the toolbar
Select Mind map and click anywhere on the board to add the parent node - the starting point of your mind map. The plus signs on each side of it will prompt where you can start branches and create child nodes. You can create a vertical or a horizontal mind map.Creating a parent node and starting a horizontal mind map

Use the following shortcuts to speed up the creation process:

Returnto create a sibling node and start editing it right away
Shift + Return to break lines inside a node
Tab to create a new child node
Arrows to move between nodes
Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V (on Windows)/ Cmd + C and Cmd + V (on Mac) to duplicate a node
Escape to exit the editing mode
Delete to delete the whole node
Ctrl (on Windows)/Cmd (on Mac) (hold) to stop auto-reassign

You can select and drag the nodes to change their position on the canvas.

Press CMD + K (Mac) or CTRL + K (Windows) to open the Command palette, or click main menu hamburger and choose Command palette.
Click Generate mind map.
Type a suggestion (for example, User experience journey for a flight app) or click one of the pre-made examples.
Your mind map will be generated and added to your board. If you're happy with the results, click Keep.
You can keep using Miro AI to expand nodes as much as you like.
Creating mind maps from the Command palette with Miro AI

Working with mind maps

You can add as many nodes to your mind map as you like. You can move the nodes around to suit your needs, or use auto layout for a clean look. You can also reassign child nodes to other parent nodes, or delete nodes altogether.

Moving, resizing, adding, deleting nodes

As you rearrange nodes in your mind map, all child nodes will automatically align. This is because auto layout is turned on by default.To turn auto layout on or off, click the parent node, and in the context menu toggle auto layout.

Using auto layout to align changes to nodes

When auto layout is turned off, you can still align all your child nodes. After you’ve finished organizing your mind map, click the parent node, then click the three dots (...) in the context menu and select Layout nodes.

To reassign a child node to another parent node, simply drag the node.

✏️ Hold down Ctrl (for Windows)/Cmd (for Mac)if you'd like to move the node instead of reassigning it.

Reassigning a node

Use nodes linking to show dependencies between ideas in your mind map when visualizing complex concepts.

Nodes linking

You can also change your mind map's size by selecting it and dragging the white dot.

Changing mind map's size

To add text to a node, double-click it.

✏️ Use Shift + Return to break lines inside a node.

To create a bullet-list in a node, type - and press the spacebar. To create a numbered list, type 1. at the beginning of a line.
To create a bullet list starting from the second (or third/fourth/etc.) line, create a new line with Cmd + Enter (for Mac) or Ctrl + Enter (for Windows).

Inserting additional text into a node

To delete a node, press Delete or click three dots on the context menu and choose Delete. The node will be deleted along with all the child nodes.

Deleting a node

⚠️ Mind map nodes can't be locked and grouped.

Formatting mind map elements

You can choose the style for your mind map (the nodes can either use curved or straight lines) and change the orientation. And if you want your mind map to look colorful and bright, use Randomize tool.

Style of your mind map

Since the main component of every mind map is text, you can apply different text styling options in its shortened version. Please note that to preserve the visual consistency of the mind map, changing the text size in the parent node will affect the whole mind map.

Changing the font size of the mind map

You can change individual nodes by using different options on the context menu: change the style and color, highlight text, and add an URL. Currently, it is not possible to change the font.

Changing a node

Changing node type

There are four visual styles of node:

None - no shape is applied
Pill - an oval pill-shape
Rounded rectangle - a rectangular shape with rounded corners
Rectangle - rectangular shape

To add a node type:

Select the node you want to affect
Click the node type button in the toolbar
Choose the style of node type you want
The style will be applied and the node will be filled with the same color as the branch
You can also change the color of the node and its fill opacity for greater visual impact:
Changing a node's type and color options

Expanding and collapsing mind maps

Build mind maps of any size without getting lost in the details. Expand and collapse branches to:

get a better overview of your mind map
focus on the right level of detail while working
help users easily navigate your mind map
present only certain levels of detail to your audience

How to collapse and expand branches

To collapse, hover over the branch and click the minus ( - ) button. Any comments attached to that branch will also be hidden.

After collapsing a branch, you’ll see a number that indicates how many nodes and comments are hidden. To expand the branch again, simply click the number.

Expanding and collapsing branches of a mind map

Mind map export

You can export your mind map as an image or PDF file. Learn more about export functionality on this page.

To export your mind map as an image, do the following:

Click the Export this board icon. You do not need to have anything selected.
Choose Save as image.
Use the drag handles to select your mind map.
Choose the size you want and click Export. You can also select PDF here.
The file will be saved to your local hard drive with the name of your board as the filename.
Exporting your mind map as an image

To export your mind map as a PDF, do the following:

Click the Export this board icon. You do not need to have anything selected.
Choose Save as PDF. You will be prompted to create a frame for your mind map if it doesn’t already exist.
To create a frame, click the Create a frame button in the pop-up box. Choose a style from the options at left. Resize the frame to cover your mind map.
Click Export this board again and choose Save as PDF.
Choose the best PDF option for you and click Export.
Exporting your mind map as a PDF file

You can also select the mind map, right-click and choose Copy as image, which will copy only the selected object rather than the entire board. This will not export your mind map, however, it will simply place the copy on the board.

Frequently asked questions

How many nodes can I have?

There is no limit to the number of nodes (parent or child) that you can build.

Can I move/reassign a node?

Yes, simply drag the node.

Can I attach an image to a node?

Though there is no option to attach an image to a node, we have it in the backlog.

Can I export the data from a mind map into intelligent CSV data?

Yes, please use the Mindmap downloader.

Can I have several nodes connected to the same child node?

As a workaround, you can use connection lines to link a child node to several parent nodes.

Can I copy my mind map to another Miro board?

Yes, you can copy and paste it like any other content - select the parent node, click the three dots on the context menu, choose Copy,and paste the widget on another board. Ctrl + C/Ctrl + V (on Windows) or Cmd + C/Cmd + V (on Mac) will work as well. Please make sure that the board owner allows copying the board content.

How do I move the whole mind map around the board?

Select the parent node and move it.

Can I change the text size of an individual child node?

No, at the moment, you can only change the size of the parent node which will result in changing the size of the whole mind map.

Can I convert sticky notes, text blocks, cards, and other widgets into mind map nodes?

No, it is not currently possible. You can copy the text from a sticky note/card/text block and paste it into a node.

How do I insert a node between two existing ones?

Temporarily reassign one of the nodes to another one, create a new node, reassign the node back.

Inserting a node between existing ones

💡 If you haven't found the feature you've been looking for, feel free to share your idea in the Community Wish List.

✏️ If you experience issues using a mind map, try these troubleshooting tips.

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