Brainstorming rarely arrives in order.
You start with three ideas, realise the second belongs under the first, then discover the whole thing needs a new top level.
MindNotes handles that kind of thinking by giving you the same content two ways: a typed outline for speed, and a mind map for seeing the shape of it.
Creating a Mindnote
Go to the Docs homepage and click New then MindNotes. You can also click the + icon in the upper-right corner of any document and select MindNotes.
Pick a blank mindnote or start from a template. Blank mindnotes open in outline view, and the two icons in the upper-left corner switch between outline and mind map at any time.
Tip: Draft in outline view and review in mind map view. Typing is faster in a list, but structural problems are far more obvious once the same content is laid out as branches.
Editing in Outline View
Adding nodes
Click the first line to start typing. Press Enter for the next node.
Changing the indent level
Press Tab to indent a node one level to the right, making it a child of the node above. Press Shift + Tab to promote it back out one level.
Moving nodes
Drag the dot to the left of a node to move it. Child nodes travel with their parent.
Expanding and collapsing
Any node with children gets an arrow to the left of its dot. Click it to fold that branch away or open it again.
The Node Toolbar
Click the dot to the left of any node to open its toolbar.
The top half handles styling: seven highlight colours, three heading levels, plus bold, italic and underline. Below that sit the actions:
- Description: Add supporting detail under the node without cluttering the outline.
- Done: Strike the node through to mark it complete, and click again to reactivate it.
- Add image: Insert a JPG, PNG, GIF or other image, which you can then resize.
- Zoom in: Focus on that node and its children.
- Copy Link: Copy a link that opens the mindnote zoomed straight into that node.
- Delete: Remove the node.
Tip: Each action shows its keyboard shortcut beside it. For the full list, click the ? icon in the lower-right corner of the page and choose Keyboard Shortcuts.
Zooming Into a Node
Double-click the dot beside a node to zoom into it, or use Zoom in from the node toolbar. The rest of the mindnote drops away and only that branch remains, which is the fastest way to work on one section of something large. Click the navigation bar at the top to travel back up to a parent node.
Combined with Copy Link, this is useful for handing a colleague one branch of a large plan rather than the whole document.
Exporting a Mindnote
On the desktop app, click the ··· More icon and choose Download as. Outline view exports to FreeMind. Mind map view exports to FreeMind or Image.
On mobile, switch to outline view, tap the Share icon, then Share Image and Download. Downloading the mind map view is not supported on mobile.
Three Things MindNotes Does Not Do
Worth knowing before you plan around them:
- You cannot add a hyperlink to text directly. The workaround is to copy already-linked text from a document or web page and paste it in, which preserves the link.
- There is no summary feature for selected content.
- LaTeX formulas are not supported.
Practical Use Cases for SMEs and Startups
- Meeting minutes: Capture discussion as an outline live, then collapse branches to review decisions without the detail.
- Project scoping: Break a piece of work into phases and tasks, marking items done with a strikethrough as they close.
- Content planning: Draft an article or deck structure as an outline, then check the balance of it in mind map view.
- Onboarding material: Build a role’s responsibilities as a map, and share a zoomed link to just the relevant branch.
- Problem solving: Put the problem at the top and branch out causes, using descriptions to hold the evidence for each.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I create a mind map in Lark?
Go to the Docs homepage, click New then MindNotes, and choose a blank mindnote or a template. New mindnotes open in outline view, and you can switch to mind map view using the icons in the upper-left corner.
What is the difference between outline view and mind map view?
They are two views of the same content. Outline view is an indented list, which is quicker for typing. Mind map view shows the same nodes as branches, which makes the structure easier to judge.
How do I make one node a child of another?
Place the cursor in the node and press Tab to indent it under the node above. Shift + Tab moves it back out a level.
Can I export a mindnote?
Yes. On desktop, use ··· More then Download as, choosing FreeMind for outline view or FreeMind or Image for mind map view. On mobile you can save the outline view as an image, but not the mind map view.
Can I add a hyperlink in MindNotes?
Not directly. Copy text that already carries a hyperlink from a document or web page and paste it into the mindnote, and the link comes with it.
How do I share just one part of a large mindnote?
Open the node toolbar and choose Copy Link. Anyone opening that link lands on the mindnote already zoomed into that node.
Where do I find the keyboard shortcuts?
Click the ? icon in the lower-right corner of the page and select Keyboard Shortcuts. Common actions also display their shortcut in the node toolbar.
Thinking on Paper, Without the Paper
The value of MindNotes is not the mind map itself but the switch between the two views.
Ideas come out fastest as a list and make the least sense that way.
Type first, look second, and let the structure reveal what belongs where.
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