Importing Mind Maps

To import a map, go to the Dashboard and click the Import button:

You have several options for importing mind maps: directly from your computer, as Plain Text, or from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.

Import from plain text

You can import a .txt file or paste plain text directly and convert it into a mind map.

1. From the dashboard, click Import → Plain Text.

2. Paste or type your content.

3. Use indentation to define topic hierarchy.

Import from other mind map formats

Mindomo can import files from many other mind-mapping applications. While it keeps the original layout whenever possible, slight changes may occur due to feature differences.

Supported formats:

• Mindomo file (.mom, .pmom)

• MindManager file (.mmap)

• Freemind file (.mm)

• Mindmeister file (.mind)

• XMind file (.xmind)

• Bubbl.us file (.xml)

• SimpleMind file (.smmx)

• iThoughts file (.itmz)

• Markdown file (.md, .markdown)

• Microsoft Project File (.xml)

Import from OPML

Mindomo builds the map structure based on the hierarchy inside the OPML file.

Import from Excel

You can upload Excel files (.xlsx, .xls) and choose how to build the hierarchy:

Horizontal hierarchy

• Row 1:

  • Column A → central topic

  • Columns B–D → main topics

• Rows 2–5:

  • Column A → subtopics for main topics

  • Columns B–D → deeper subtopics

Vertical hierarchy

• Column A:

• Row 1 → central topic

• Rows 2–5 → main topics

• Columns B–D:

  • Row 1 → subtopics

  • Rows 2–5 → deeper subtopics

Note

With a free Mindomo account, you can use all import formats within the 3-map limit.

Import a Markdown file

When importing a Markdown file, the first two topic levels are defined by hashtags, while deeper levels can be created using additional hashtags or special list markers combined with tab spacing.

For example, one hashtag represents the central topic, two hashtags create main topics, and lines marked with three hashtags or with symbols like dash (-), asterisk (*), or plus (+) become subtopics.

When using special list markers, indentation is required: level three starts with no tab before the symbol, level four starts with one tab, level five with two tabs, and so on.

Markdown hyperlinks are imported in three ways:

• Links formatted as [text](url) are added directly to the selected word within the topic.

• Links placed inside angle brackets <url> are imported as plain text.

• Links preceded by the word Hyperlink are added to the topic’s Hyperlink panel; in Markdown, the link should appear after a hashtag or dash-marked line, with the URL placed in angle brackets.

Task details such as Progress, Priority, Start, and Due dates are imported as Priority, Completion, Start Date, and End Date in the Task Info panel. In Markdown, these must appear after the related topic, separated by an empty line.

Any text separated from a topic or task details by a blank line will be imported as a Note.

Your original Markdown view:

View of your Markdown file when imported as a mind map:

If you add emojis in your Markdown file, they will be imported into Mindomo. All standard Markdown emojis are supported, and Mindomo can also import its own emoji set even those not included in the official Markdown list. For example, when adding flag emojis, you can use both the official Markdown flags and the additional colored flags available in the Mindomo gallery.

You should write them like this: :color_flag:

Some of the official Markdown flag emojis are:

:black_flag:

:white_flag:

Some of the flag emojis that do not exist in the official Markdown are:

:green_flag:

:blue_flag:

:red_flag:

:yellow_flag:

:orange_flag:

:purple_flag:

They can be placed next to each other. They don’t need spaces between them.

Your original Markdown view:

View of your Markdown file when imported as a mind map:

If you want to include tasks in the Markdown file you plan to import into Mindomo, use the following symbols:

• [ ] - when the task is not complete

• [x] - when the task is complete

These apply only to list items starting with a hyphen. Titles (central topics) and subtitles (main topics) should still use the # symbol.

Refer to the images below to see how tasks created in Markdown appear once imported into Mindomo.

Your original Markdown view:

View of your Markdown file when imported as a mind map: