Turn any plain text file into an editable mind map

Plain text is the smallest, most universal file format that exists — and SpawnGraph can structure it into a mind map faster than any other format. Drop a .txt file and the in-browser NLP detects headings, bullet points, numbered lists, indentation, and paragraph breaks to infer the hierarchy. Works on anything: README files, meeting notes, exported chat logs, raw transcripts, research scratchpads. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

Try it free

How it works

1Drop the .txt file. Drag it onto the canvas, use the file picker, or paste the contents directly. The file is read locally with no upload.
2Structure is detected. The NLP reads heading lines, bullet markers (-, *, •), numbered lists, indentation levels, and paragraph breaks. These signals combine into a hierarchy.
3Edit and share. The structured map is fully editable. Rename nodes, add context, collapse sections, share with a link, or export.

What kinds of text files work well

Any text file with some degree of structure produces a clean map. README files are excellent — they typically have heading sections and bullet lists, which the NLP reads clearly. Meeting notes saved as .txt often have an agenda as the first few lines followed by discussion points. Research notes with headings and indented sub-points map well. Exported chat logs and transcripts are more conversational but still produce navigable maps. Even a plain scratchpad of ideas, if it has blank lines separating topics, will produce something useful.

Markdown files work too

Markdown is plain text with explicit structure markers. The same parser that handles .txt files reads Markdown headings (#, ##, ###) and bullet lists (- and *) natively. A well-structured Markdown file — like a project README, a personal wiki page, or an exported note from Obsidian or Bear — produces especially clean mind maps because the heading hierarchy is unambiguous. You do not need to rename the file; .txt and .md both work.

The fastest format — no parsing overhead

PDF and Word files require unpacking a compressed binary format before parsing. JSON requires validating the structure. Plain text has none of that overhead — it is read character by character and parsed immediately. For most .txt files, SpawnGraph produces the mind map in under a second. If you are working quickly and want results without waiting, plain text is the fastest path.

Works offline after the first load

Like all SpawnGraph processing, .txt parsing runs entirely in the browser with no network required after the initial page load. Your notes files stay on your device. The parsing is done by the client-side NLP, not a server. For people who write notes in plain text precisely because of its portability and privacy, the processing model matches the ethos.

In short: SpawnGraph reads headings, bullets, numbered lists, and paragraph breaks from any plain text file and structures them into a mind map. Fastest format, zero overhead, nothing uploaded. Free with no signup required.

Frequently asked questions

How does SpawnGraph structure a plain text file into a mind map?

SpawnGraph reads structural signals in the text: lines that look like headings (short, no period at the end, followed by a blank line), bullet point markers (-, *, •), numbered lists (1. 2. 3.), indentation levels, and paragraph breaks. These signals are combined to infer a hierarchy and build the mind map.

What kinds of .txt files work well?

Meeting notes, README files, research notes, exported chat logs, lecture transcripts saved as text, todo lists, and any notes file with headings or bullet structure. The more explicit the structure in the text — headings, bullets, numbered lists — the cleaner the mind map output.

Does it work on Markdown files (.md)?

Yes. Markdown headings (# H1, ## H2, ### H3) and bullet lists (- and *) are detected naturally by the same parser. A well-structured Markdown file produces an especially clean mind map because the heading hierarchy is explicit.

Is the text file uploaded to SpawnGraph servers?

No. The file is read with the browser File API and processed entirely client-side. The bytes never leave your device.

What if my text file has no headings or structure?

SpawnGraph falls back to paragraph grouping — breaking the content at natural topic shifts detected by the NLP. The result will be broader and flatter than a structured document, but still navigable. For better results, add a few heading lines to your most important topics before dropping the file in.