Your first mind map

Create your first mind map on Obsidian Canvas.

1

Create a canvas

Right-click in the file explorer and choose New canvas, or use the command palette.

2

Enable mindmap mode

Click the brain icon in the canvas toolbar to toggle mindmap mode on. The Map outline panel appears in the right sidebar.

3

Create a root node

Double-click the canvas to create a text node. This is your root node — the central idea of your map.

4

Add child nodes

Select the root node and run Add child node from the command palette. A new node appears connected by an edge. The layout engine positions it automatically.

Assign a hotkey to "Add child node" in Settings > Hotkeys for faster workflow. We recommend Ctrl+.

5

Add siblings

Select a child node and run Add sibling node to create a node at the same level. Siblings appear below the selected node.

6

Navigate your map

Use the Map outline panel on the right to see all your root nodes organized by groups. Click any entry to zoom to it on the canvas.

You can also use spatial navigation commands to move between nodes directionally — right to children, left to parent, up/down between siblings.

7

Organize with groups

Select multiple nodes on the canvas, right-click, and choose Create group to visually organize your trees. Groups appear as sections in the Map outline panel.

Next steps

• All commands — full list of available commands

• Mouse actions — everything you can do with clicks and drags

• Map outline — the sidebar panel in depth