Turn any OPML outline into a mind map
OPML is the universal export format for outliners, podcast apps, and RSS readers. If you have been building outlines in OmniOutliner, WorkFlowy, Dynalist, or Roam Research, your content is already a tree — SpawnGraph just renders it as one. Drop the .opml file in and every outline level maps directly to a mind map branch level. The conversion is lossless and runs entirely in your browser.
How it works
- 1Export OPML from your app. In OmniOutliner, WorkFlowy, Dynalist, Roam Research, or your RSS reader, look for File → Export → OPML. It is typically one menu item.
- 2Drop the .opml file. Drag it onto the SpawnGraph canvas or use the file picker. The outline structure is parsed in-browser in seconds.
- 3Every outline level is a branch level. The nesting is preserved exactly. Edit nodes, collapse subtrees, add annotations, and share the visual version with people who do not have your outliner app installed.
Why OPML maps to mind maps so cleanly
OPML and mind maps share the same underlying data structure: a rooted tree where each node can have children. OPML encodes this as nested XML outline elements; mind maps render it spatially. The conversion is not an approximation — it is a direct structural translation. Your first-level outline items become the primary branches, second-level items become sub-branches, and so on with no loss of hierarchy. It is the same tree drawn differently.
Apps that export OPML
OmniOutliner — the Mac and iPad outliner has exported OPML since its first version. WorkFlowy and Dynalist both export your full outline tree as OPML from their settings panels. Roam Research exports OPML from the graph menu. Logseq and Obsidian can export outlines in OPML format with the right plugin. RSS readers including Feedly and NewsBlur export your subscription list as OPML — useful for mapping your reading landscape. Any valid OPML file from any source will parse.
Outlines are for building — mind maps are for communicating
People who work in outliners often have deeply structured knowledge that is invisible to anyone who does not have access to the same app. Converting to a mind map gives you a shareable visual format: a link someone can open in a browser without installing anything. A project outline becomes a project overview. A research outline becomes a literature map. A reading list becomes a thematic map of your interests. The content you built in an outliner gains a presentation layer.
File stays on your device
SpawnGraph parses OPML files using the File API entirely in your browser. The file is read locally and never uploaded to a server. OPML exports from personal note-taking tools often contain private content — the local processing model means none of it leaves your machine.
In short: OPML's outline nesting maps 1:1 to mind map branches. Drop a .opml file from any outliner or RSS reader into SpawnGraph and get a visual, shareable version of your outline. Free, in-browser, nothing uploaded.