Mindmap
Last updated: 2026-05-01
A mindmap is a tree-shaped diagram with a single root in the middle (or at the top) and child nodes branching out. Indentation in the source defines hierarchy: each level of indentation is a level of nesting. Mindmaps capture the shape of an idea — categories, sub-categories, leaves — without committing to ordering or causality.
In Mermaid, mindmaps use the keyword mindmap and rely on indentation rather than explicit edges. The root can take a shape modifier: root((Center)) for a circle, root[Square] for a rectangle, root)Text( for a “cloud” shape.
Mindmaps shine for brainstorms, project scope summaries, feature breakdowns, and any situation where the audience cares about how things group, not how they connect. They lose their punch beyond about three levels of depth — at that point, splitting the mindmap into multiple top-level diagrams keeps it readable.
The mindmap is not a flowchart. There is no implied order between siblings, and no edges between leaves under different parents. If your sketch has horizontal arrows between leaves, what you actually want is a flowchart with LR direction.
Related
- Flowchart — A diagram that uses boxes and arrows to show the steps of a process and the decisions that branch it.