Create Your First Node: Double-click anywhere on the empty canvas to create a new central idea.
Add a Child Node: Select a node by clicking on it, then press the Tab key.
Add a Sibling Node: Select a node and press Shift + Enter to create a new node at the same level.
Edit Text: Double-click a node's text or select it and press Enter to start editing. Press Esc to cancel or click away to save.
Canvas Navigation
Pan the Canvas: Click and drag with the Middle Mouse Button, or hold Spacebar and drag with the left mouse button.
Zoom In/Out: Use your mouse's Scroll Wheel.
Center the View: Quickly focus on all your nodes by pressing Cmd/Ctrl + 1 or using the 'Center on Content' button in the main toolbar.
Find a Node: Press Cmd/Ctrl + F to open the search bar and quickly jump to any node.
Working with Nodes
Move a Node: Simply click and drag any node to reposition it. This will lock its position, preventing auto-layout from affecting it.
Reparent a Node: Drag one node and drop it on top of another to make it a child. (Note: This only works when dragging a single node).
Select Multiple Nodes: Hold Cmd/Ctrl and click multiple nodes. Or, hold Shift and click another node to select all nodes in a rectangular area between the two.
Delete Node(s): Select one or more nodes and press Delete or Backspace.
Collapse/Expand: Select a node and press Spacebar to hide or show its children. You can also use the -/+ button that appears on hover.
Stack Children: For a cleaner look, select a parent node and press Shift + S to stack its direct children vertically. Press it again to unstack.
Cycle Node Size: Select a node and click the resize icon on the bottom right to cycle through different width tiers for automatic resizing.
Sever Connection: Double-click a connection line or right-click it and choose 'Sever Connection' to turn the child node into a new root node.
Styling & Formatting
Rich Text: When editing a node, a toolbar appears. Use it to apply bold, italic, and underline styles, create lists, change text alignment, and more.
Text Color & Size: Use the color and size pickers in the rich text toolbar to customize your text.
Node Border Color: Select one or more nodes, and the node styling toolbar will appear. Use the color swatch there to apply a custom border color.
Advanced Features
Auto-Layout: Click the 'Auto-Layout All' button (Cmd/Ctrl + L) to automatically arrange all unlocked nodes into a clean structure.
Layout Styles: Click the 'Toggle Layout Style' button in the main toolbar to cycle between horizontal tree, vertical tree, and radial layouts.
Account Sync: Sign up or log in to save your maps to the cloud and access them from anywhere. Premium users can create unlimited maps.
Import & Export: Use the sidebar menu to import from a JSON file or export your map to various formats including PNG, SVG, and JSON. (Premium feature).