Pockez
Mind Map Maker
Free online mind map maker: add branches with Tab/Enter, drag to reorganize, auto-save, export PNG, SVG or JSON, or share by link. No sign-up or uploads.
- Auto-saves locally
- Share by link
- Export PNG & SVG
- Works on mobile
How to use (keyboard and mouse)
- Double-click a node or press F2: edit text
- Tab: add a child node
- Enter: add a sibling below; Shift+Enter: add one above
- Ctrl+Enter: insert a parent above
- Delete: remove the selected nodes
- Arrow keys: move the selection; Alt+↑↓: reorder siblings
- Drag a node onto another node: change its position and level
- Ctrl+C / V / X: copy, paste, cut nodes
- Ctrl+Z: undo; Ctrl+Shift+Z: redo
- Ctrl+= / -: zoom; Ctrl+0: reset zoom
- F1: back to center; Esc: leave the canvas
- Hold Space and drag, or drag with the right button: pan
- Drag on empty space with the left button: select several nodes
- Right-click a node: links, summaries, focus mode and more
Phones and tablets
- Tap a node: select; double-tap: edit text
- Drag with one finger: pan; pinch: zoom
- Press and hold a node for about half a second, then drag: move it
- Use the buttons above the canvas to add, edit and delete nodes; the toolbar at the bottom right recenters and zooms
Your mind map is auto-saved only in this browser and never uploaded. Clearing browser data deletes it, so export a backup of anything important.
🔒 Everything is calculated in your browser. No data is sent to any server.
When to use it
- Study notes and exam review: Lay out the key points of each chapter as a tree to see how they connect at a glance.
- Brainstorming and planning: Write the central topic, then branch out ideas fast with Tab and Enter.
- Project and event planning: Break down tasks, assign owners and send it to your team with “Copy share link”.
- Presentations and teaching: Export PNG or SVG to drop into slides or handouts.
How to use
- Select a node, then press Tab to add a child or Enter to add a sibling; double-click or press F2 to edit the text. On a phone, use the "+ Child", "+ Sibling", "Edit" and "Delete" buttons above the canvas.
- Drag a node onto another node to change its level and order. Right-click a node to add links, summaries or enter focus mode. "Layout" switches between both sides, right, left and top-down.
- Every change is saved in this browser automatically, so you can pick up where you left off. To back up or move to another device, use "Export JSON" and later "Import JSON"; to share or print, export PNG or SVG.
Worked example
Import a "Study Plan" map with three child nodes: "Math" has an https link, "English" has an image from an external URL, and "Notes" contains custom HTML and a javascript: link. There are also two links between nodes, one pointing to a node called history that doesn't exist. After import the message says 4 items were skipped: the external image, the custom HTML, the javascript: link and the broken link, one each. All four node texts, the Math link and the other link are kept.
Hand-written JSON often leaves out ids. Here the root Root and child A have no id, B has the id "x y" with a space, C has the id c, and a link goes from "x y" to c. After import Root, A and B get n1, n2 and n3, C keeps c, the link is remapped to go from n3 to c, and nothing is skipped.
Reading the results
- "Saved in this browser" in the status line means the latest version has been written. If you see "Couldn't save" instead, the browser is usually in private mode or blocking site data, and the map will be lost when you close the page, so export JSON right away.
- "Skipped N items" after an import is the number of unsafe or unsupported items that were cleaned out, not an error. If the import fails, the file isn't applied at all and the current map stays as it was.
- Exported PNG and SVG files use the current light or dark colors; switch to light mode first if you want a white background. The file name comes from the root topic with characters that aren't allowed in file names removed, so "My Plan: Q1/Q2?" is saved as "My Plan Q1 Q2.png".
How it works
- The editor is the open-source Mind Elixir 5.15.1, and layout, dragging and undo all run in your browser. The data is JSON: nodeData is the root topic, children is the array of child nodes, and arrows and summaries hold links and summaries.
- On import the file is parsed as standard JSON (a leading BOM is ignored), then every node is checked: each needs a text topic, otherwise the error points to the exact position. Ids that are missing, duplicated or contain anything other than letters, digits, underscores and hyphens are replaced, and links and summaries are remapped to match.
- Only allow-listed fields are kept. Custom HTML is always removed, images must be embedded data:image URLs, links must be http, https or mailto, and styles are limited to font, color, background, weight, width and border properties without url(). All text is escaped and shown as plain text so it can never run as HTML.
- Changes are written to localStorage (key pockez:mind-map) 0.4 seconds after each edit, and only the current map is kept. Colors follow the site's light or dark mode, with node text at least 4.5:1 against its background and branch lines at least 3:1 against the canvas.
Limitations
- Only one map is saved. "New" and importing a file both replace the current map, so export JSON for each map you want to keep.
- Files are limited to 5 MB, 5,000 nodes and 100 levels; anything larger is rejected with an explanation.
- Images from external URLs aren't loaded, so the page never contacts other sites; only images embedded in the JSON are shown. Image export uses Mind Elixir's built-in feature, which may change in future versions.
- Phones and tablets have no keyboard shortcuts, and on some phones the right-click menu for links, summaries and focus mode can't be opened, so use a computer for those advanced features.
FAQ
Where is my mind map stored? Is it uploaded?
Only in this browser on this device (localStorage); nothing is sent to a server. Clearing browser data, using private mode or switching devices means it's gone, so export JSON to keep a backup of anything important.
Can I import files from other mind map apps?
Only Mind Elixir JSON is supported, which is the format this tool exports. Native files from XMind, FreeMind and other apps can't be imported directly.
Why is some content missing after import?
For safety, import removes custom HTML inside nodes, images from external URLs, links that aren't http, https or mailto, and links pointing to nodes that don't exist. The message tells you how many items were skipped. Node text and the tree structure are always kept.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a node to select it, double-tap to edit, drag with one finger to pan and pinch to zoom; press and hold a node for about half a second, then drag to move it. Use the buttons above the canvas to add and delete. Large maps are still easier on a computer.
How do I share a mind map with someone?
Press “Copy share link”. The whole map is compressed into the part of the URL after #, so the other person can open it and keep editing their own copy. That part is never sent to the server. The link is a snapshot, so later edits don’t sync. If a very large map makes the link too long, you’ll be asked to share an exported JSON file instead.
Can I export a mind map as a PDF?
You can currently export PNG, SVG and JSON. For a PDF, insert the PNG or SVG into a document or slide deck and save that as a PDF.
How do I make a clear mind map?
Put the topic in the center and 3–7 main categories on the first level, keeping each node to a few words. Items on the same level should belong to the same kind of category; finally, use links to mark connections across branches.
How do I keep editing on another computer?
On the original computer click “Export JSON”, then load it on the new one with “Import JSON”. Or press “Copy share link” and open the link on the new computer.
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