Creating Your First Map

This guide walks you through creating a mind map from scratch. By the end, you will know how to create nodes, build a tree structure, edit text, and navigate the canvas. The whole process takes about five minutes.

The Notemap interface

When you first open Notemap, you will see two main areas:

• The sidebar on the left shows your file tree. This is where all your mind maps are listed, organized in folders if you choose.
• The canvas on the right is your working area where the mind map is displayed and edited.

Create a new mind map

To create a new mind map, click the New Map button at the top of the sidebar. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + N.

A new mind map appears on the canvas with a single root node in the center. The root node is the starting point for your entire map — it represents the central topic or idea.

Select and rename the root node

Click on the root node to select it. A selection highlight appears around the node.

To edit the text, press Shift + Enter. The node becomes editable and you can type your central topic. For this example, type “Trip Planning”.

Press Enter to confirm your text.

Add child nodes

With the root node selected, press Tab to create a child node. A new node appears connected to the root, and it is immediately ready for you to type.

Type “Destinations” and press Enter to confirm.

Now add a few more children to the root node. Select the root node again by clicking on it or pressing Escape to deselect, then clicking the root. Press Tab again to add another child:

• Press Tab, type “Budget”, press Enter
• Select the root node, press Tab, type “Packing List”, press Enter
• Select the root node, press Tab, type “Accommodation”, press Enter

Your map now has a root node with four children branching out from it.

Add sibling nodes

Sibling nodes are nodes at the same level, sharing the same parent. To add a sibling, select an existing node and press Enter.

Click on the “Destinations” node to select it, then:

• Press Enter to add a sibling below it. A new node appears at the same level. Type a name for it if you like, or press Escape to cancel.

This is a fast way to build out a list of items at the same level.

Build deeper branches

To add children to any node (not just the root), select that node and press Tab.

Select the “Destinations” node and build out a sub-branch:

1. Press Tab, type “Paris”, press Enter
2. The new “Paris” node is now selected. Press Enter to add a sibling: type “Tokyo”, press Enter
3. Press Enter again: type “New York”, press Enter

You now have a three-level tree: the root “Trip Planning” connects to “Destinations”, which connects to three city nodes.

Edit existing nodes

To change the text of any node:

1. Click the node to select it.
2. Press Shift + Enter to start editing.
3. Modify the text.
4. Press Enter to save, or Escape to cancel without saving.

Navigate the canvas

As your mind map grows, you will need to move around the canvas:

• Pan by scrolling with your trackpad or mouse in any direction. The canvas extends infinitely in all directions.
• Zoom in with Cmd + = (or Cmd + scroll up).
• Zoom out with Cmd + - (or Cmd + scroll down).
• Fit the entire map in view by pressing Cmd + 0.

Navigate between nodes with the keyboard

You do not need to click on nodes to select them. Use the arrow keys to move through your tree:

• Arrow Up / Arrow Down — Move between siblings
• Arrow Left / Arrow Right — Move between parent and children

This lets you navigate and build your map entirely from the keyboard without reaching for the mouse.

Saving your work

Notemap saves your work automatically. Every change you make is written to disk immediately. There is no save button because you never need one.

Your mind maps are stored as files in your workspace. You can see them listed in the sidebar on the left.

Your first map is complete

Here is a summary of everything you learned:

What’s next

Now that you know the basics, explore these topics to get more out of Notemap:

• Node Editing — Learn about all the ways you can edit and format nodes, including adding details and notes.
• Colors and Themes — Make your maps visually distinctive with colors and themes.
• Organizing Your Map — Drag and drop nodes, reorganize branches, and use cross-links to connect ideas across your map.