How to Create a Mind Map in Notion (2 Easy Methods)

Mind maps are powerful tools for organizing your thoughts and ideas. They help you break down complex topics into simple, connected parts, making it easier to understand and remember information. Whether you're brainstorming a new project, planning your studies, or just sorting out daily tasks, a mind map can bring clarity to your thinking.

Notion is a flexible workspace where you can manage notes, tasks, and projects in many ways. While it doesn't have a specific "mind map" button, you can use its features to create a similar visual structure. This allows you to keep all your ideas and related information in one central place.

In this guide, you'll learn two easy methods to create mind maps in Notion. One uses Notion's built-in tools, and the other involves embedding an external mind map tool. Both methods will help you visualize your ideas effectively.

So now let’s get started.

Follow these steps to build clear and organized mind maps right inside your Notion workspace. You'll soon be visualizing your ideas with ease, whether you prefer to work directly in Notion or bring in a powerful external tool.

This method lets you create a mind map-like structure directly within Notion using simple toggle blocks and indentation. This is great for hierarchically outlining thoughts.

First, open Notion and create a new blank page. You can do this by clicking the `+ New page` button in your sidebar or by typing `/page` anywhere in an existing page and pressing Enter. Give your new page a clear title that reflects the main idea of your mind map.

On your new page, type out your central idea or main topic. This will be the starting point of your mind map. You can make it a heading (e.g., `/h1`) and bold it to make it stand out.

Now, add your main ideas or branches that stem from your central topic. To do this, type `/toggle heading 2` and press Enter to create a toggle block. Type your main idea inside the toggle. Repeat this for each main branch you want to add. Toggle blocks allow you to hide and show content, keeping your mind map tidy.

Underneath each main toggle, you can add sub-ideas. Click inside a toggle block, then type `/toggle` again to create a nested toggle for a sub-idea. To show that these are sub-branches, drag the new toggle block slightly to the right to indent it under its parent toggle. You can keep nesting toggles and indenting them to create multiple levels of your mind map.

To make your mind map more visual and easier to read, add colors to your toggle blocks or text. You can also bold important keywords or add icons. Review your mind map to ensure all ideas are logically connected and easy to follow.

If you want a simple, canvas-based way to turn your Notion pages into a visual mind map, Mindmap.so is designed specifically for that workflow. It focuses on visual clarity, free-form layout, and direct Notion integration—without the complexity of traditional diagram tools.

Open Mindmap.so in your browser. You’ll land on a clean, distraction-free canvas with drawing tools at the top and navigation controls around the edges. You can either start from a blank canvas or open an existing map. The interface supports free panning, zooming, and quick shape creation, making it ideal for brainstorming and exploration.

At the top-right corner, click Connect with Notion. This allows Mindmap.so to access your Notion workspace. Once connected, you can import Notion pages directly into the canvas. Each page appears as a visual node, helping you instantly see structure, relationships, and hierarchy across your content.

Use the toolbar to add shapes, connectors, arrows, and text. You can freely rearrange nodes, draw relationships between ideas, and zoom out to view the big picture. The hand tool and spacebar navigation make it easy to move around large maps without breaking focus.

Once your mind map is ready, use the Share option to generate a shareable link. You can also revisit and refine the map later as your Notion content evolves. This method is especially useful for planning, knowledge mapping, and making sense of complex Notion workspaces at a glance.

Creating mind maps in Notion, whether by using its native features or by embedding a dedicated tool, is an excellent way to organize your thoughts and enhance your productivity. The toggle list method offers a quick, text-based outline, while embedding a tool like Mindmap.so provides a rich, interactive visual experience.

Both methods ensure your ideas are structured and accessible within your Notion workspace, helping you to brainstorm, plan, and keep track of complex information more effectively. Try out both to see which best fits your workflow and helps you visualize your ideas with ease.

Yes. Notion doesn’t have a dedicated mind map feature, but you can create mind map-like structures using toggle lists or external tools.

Not directly. Notion lacks free-draw or diagram tools, but you can embed diagram and mind map tools from external platforms.

Embedding an external tool like Mindmap.so is the best option for a true visual, canvas-based mind map experience.

Yes. Toggle lists let you organize ideas hierarchically, making them suitable for simple, text-based mind maps.