Mind Map and Outline, Side by Side: Search, Highlight, Revise
By Kashish Mustafa, Co-founder, Mindmapi· Last reviewed 28 October 2026
See your whole mind map as an indented outline beside it, kept in step as you work. Search it, highlight the key words in your notes, and revise from just your highlights.
A mind map shows how ideas connect; an outline is quicker to read from top to bottom. In Mindmapi.ai you get both at once. Open the outline and your map appears as an indented list beside it, with each topic's note underneath if you want it. Select a topic on the map and it's highlighted in the outline; click one in the outline and the map takes you to it.
Add a highlighter to that and you have a revision tool. Select the key words in a note, a sticky note or a text box, and mark them in yellow, green, pink or blue. Highlights stay until you remove them, and the outline lists them under each topic. Tick Highlights and the outline shows just what you marked: a ready-made summary to revise from.
How it works
- 1
Open the outline
Click the outline button in the map's toolbar. Your map appears as a list beside it; tick Notes to read each topic's note too.
- 2
Highlight what matters
Open a note, select the key words and tap a highlighter colour. Highlight a whole topic from its menu.
- 3
Revise from your highlights
Tick Highlights to see only highlighted topics and passages, or search to find any topic or note.
Why students use Mindmapi.ai
Always in step
Select a topic on the map and the outline highlights it, opening its branch and scrolling to it. Edits show in the outline as you make them.
Search everything
Search finds topics and the words in their notes, and highlights every match. Press Enter to go to the first on the map.
Highlights in one place
Highlights from notes, sticky notes and text boxes are all listed in the outline, so nothing you marked gets lost.
Works on touch screens
Highlight with a tap on an iPad or tablet, and copy the outline to paste into your notes or another app.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see my mind map as an outline?
Click the outline button in the map's toolbar. The whole map appears as an indented list beside it. Tick Notes to see each topic's note, click a topic to find it on the map, or double-click to rename it.
How do I highlight text in a note?
Open the note, select the words and tap one of the highlighter colours in the note's toolbar. The crossed-out circle removes a highlight. Text boxes and sticky notes have the highlighter too, and you can highlight a whole topic from its menu.
Can I see only what I've highlighted?
Yes. Tick Highlights in the outline to narrow it to highlighted topics and the highlighted passages in notes, sticky notes and text boxes.
Do highlights show for classmates in a live session?
Yes. In a live session, highlights in notes, topics and sticky notes show for everyone, and each person's outline updates as they arrive.
Is it free?
Yes. The outline, search and highlighter work on every account.
Ready to try it?
Make your first 3 mind maps for free. There is nothing to download.
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About the author
Kashish Mustafa, Co-founder, Mindmapi
Kashish was predicted 3s and 4s in her GCSEs. Studying on her own, she mind mapped everything, maths included, and came out with 7s and 8s. She went on to graduate with a 2:1 in Business Management and now works in marketing. She co-founded Mindmapi to give every student the study method that worked for her.
Kashish on LinkedIn
