Creating Nodes

Nodes are the building blocks of every mind map in Notemap. This guide covers everything you need to know about adding, organizing, and removing nodes.

The Root Node

Every mind map starts with a root node at the center of the canvas. The root node is the foundation of your map and is always present — it cannot be deleted. All other nodes branch out from it, forming the tree structure of your mind map.

When you create a new notemap, the root node is automatically created and selected, ready for you to type its title.

Adding Child Nodes

A child node branches off from an existing node, creating a deeper level in your hierarchy.

To add a child node:

1. Select a node by clicking on it.
2. Press Tab to add a child node.

You can also right-click any node and choose Add Child from the context menu.

The new child node appears connected to its parent and immediately enters editing mode. Type the text for the node and press Enter to confirm.

Direction of Child Nodes

Children of the root node can appear on either the left or right side, depending on your layout mode. Non-root children always inherit the direction of their parent, so they continue branching in the same direction.

Adding Sibling Nodes

A sibling node sits at the same level as the currently selected node, sharing the same parent.

To add a sibling node:

1. Select a node by clicking on it.
2. Press Enter to add a sibling below.
3. Press Cmd+Shift+Enter to add a sibling above.

You can also right-click a node and choose Add Sibling from the context menu.

Just like child nodes, the new sibling enters editing mode immediately. Type the text and press Enter to confirm.

Building Deep Hierarchies

You can quickly build a multi-level map by pressing Tab repeatedly. Each press adds a new child to the currently selected node, taking you one level deeper each time.

Quick Building Workflow

The fastest way to build out a branch is to combine Tab and Enter:

1. Select a node and press Tab to add a child.
2. Type the child’s text and press Enter to confirm.
3. Press Enter again to add a sibling at the same level.
4. Type the sibling’s text and press Enter to confirm.
5. Repeat step 3-4 to keep adding siblings.
6. Press Tab on any node to go one level deeper and start again.

Editing New Nodes

When you add a child or sibling node, it automatically enters editing mode. You will see a text field where you can type the node’s title. Press Enter or click outside the node to confirm the text.

If you press Escape while editing a new node, the edit is cancelled and the text reverts.

Deleting Nodes

To delete a node:

1. Select the node you want to remove.
2. Press Delete or Backspace.

You can also right-click a node and choose Delete Node from the context menu.

Deleting a node removes all of its children as well. The entire branch below the deleted node is removed from the map.

Dissolving Nodes

Sometimes you want to remove a node from the hierarchy without losing its children. Dissolve does exactly this — it deletes the selected node and promotes all of its children up to the parent level.

To dissolve a node, select it and press Shift+Delete.

This is useful when you want to flatten a level of your map or remove an intermediate grouping that is no longer needed.

Moving Nodes to a New Parent

Beyond drag and drop, you can use the Move Node dialog for precise control over where a node goes.

Press Cmd+Shift+M or right-click > Move Node to open the move dialog. You can choose:

• As Child — Place the node as a child of the target node
• Above as Sibling — Place the node above the target as a sibling
• Below as Sibling — Place the node below the target as a sibling

Copying and Pasting Styles

You can copy the visual style (color, shape, icon) from one node and apply it to others:

• Cmd+Option+C — Copy the selected node’s style
• Cmd+Option+V — Paste the copied style onto the selected node
• Cmd+Option+R — Reset the selected node’s style to defaults

Context Menu Actions

Right-clicking any node opens a context menu with the following node-creation actions:

• Add Child — adds a child node (same as Tab)
• Add Sibling — adds a sibling node (same as Enter)
• Delete Node — removes the node and all its children (same as Delete)
• Dissolve Node — removes the node but keeps its children (same as Shift+Delete)
• Move Node — opens a dialog to move the node precisely (same as Cmd+Shift+M)

Quick Reference