# Mind map templates: 11 free layouts, drawn out

Canonical: https://sakura5.app/mindmapai/templates  
Updated: 2026-10-30  
Publisher: Sakura5 (https://sakura5.app) · support@sakura5.app

> **Quick answer:** Here are 11 free mind map templates (study notes, book summary, project plan, brainstorm, SWOT, meeting notes, weekly planner, business model, essay outline, goal planning and a nursing concept map), each shown as a real map with its branches. Eight are built into the free Mindmap AI app for iPhone, iPad and Mac under New map > Templates; the other three take a couple of minutes to build on its free canvas.

This is a library of mind map templates you can use straight away: eleven layouts, each drawn as an actual map so you can see the shape before you start. Eight of them ship inside [Mindmap AI](https://sakura5.app/mindmapai/) as built-in templates with exactly these branch names. The other three are layouts people ask for often enough that they belong here, and they take about two minutes to rebuild on a blank canvas.

The pictures below are previews, not downloads. There are no printable files here; the templates live in the app, where every node can be renamed, moved, collapsed or deleted. That is deliberate. A template is useful for the first five minutes, while it stops you staring at a blank page. After that it should become your map, with your words in it.

**Jump to a template:**

1. [Study Notes](#study-notes)
2. [Book Summary](#book-summary)
3. [Project Plan](#project-plan)
4. [Brainstorm](#brainstorm)
5. [SWOT Analysis](#swot)
6. [Meeting Notes](#meeting-notes)
7. [Weekly Planner](#weekly-planner)
8. [Business Model](#business-model)
9. [Essay Outline](#essay-outline) (build your own)
10. [Goal Planning](#goal-planning) (build your own)
11. [Nursing Concept Map](#nursing-concept-map) (build your own)

## Which mind map template should you pick?

Pick by what you will do with the map afterwards, not by topic. If you will revise from it, use Study Notes. If you will act on it, use Project Plan, Meeting Notes or Goal Planning. If you are still deciding what to do, use Brainstorm or SWOT first and only then move to a plan.

| Template | Best for | Built into the app? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Study Notes](#study-notes) | Revising a topic before an exam | Yes |
| [Book Summary](#book-summary) | Books, long articles, reports | Yes |
| [Project Plan](#project-plan) | Anything with a deadline and more than one person | Yes |
| [Brainstorm](#brainstorm) | Generating options before you decide | Yes |
| [SWOT Analysis](#swot) | Strategy, career moves, product decisions | Yes |
| [Meeting Notes](#meeting-notes) | Taking notes live in a meeting | Yes |
| [Weekly Planner](#weekly-planner) | Planning a week on one screen | Yes |
| [Business Model](#business-model) | Side projects, startups, pitches | Yes |
| [Essay Outline](#essay-outline) | Essays, reports, long posts | No, build on the canvas |
| [Goal Planning](#goal-planning) | Personal goals, quarterly targets | No, build on the canvas |
| [Nursing Concept Map](#nursing-concept-map) | Nursing care plans, clinical study | No, build on the canvas |

If none of these fit, the general rule is short: one central topic, four to six branches that do not overlap, two or three sub-points per branch, and labels of a few words rather than sentences. Our editorial post on [why generic templates fall short and how to adapt them](https://sakura5.app/blog/free-mind-map-templates/) goes deeper on bending a template to your own subject.

## 1. Study Notes template

Concepts, rules, worked examples and the traps, built for revision rather than copying the textbook out again. *Best for: revising a topic before an exam.*

*Study Notes template preview. Branches: Core Concepts (Definition in my own words, Why it matters, What people confuse it with); Rules & Formulas (The formula, When it applies, A worked example); Examples (From the textbook, One I made up); Exam Traps (Easy to misread, Where I lose signs, The question that eats time); Recall Practice (Quiz myself cold, Explain it out loud, Review again in 3 days).*

### How to use it

1. Make one map per topic, not per course. A whole semester on one canvas turns into wallpaper.
2. Fill Core Concepts from memory first, then check the book. The gaps you find are the point.
3. Put every mistake from past papers under Exam Traps the day you make it.
4. Use Recall Practice as a checklist: collapse the other branches and try to rebuild them out loud.

More on this in [how to study with mind maps](https://sakura5.app/blog/how-to-study-with-mind-maps/).

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Study Notes.

## 2. Book Summary template

Squeeze a book or a long article into one page you will actually reread. *Best for: books, long articles, reports.*

*Book Summary template preview. Branches: Big Idea (The thesis in one sentence, Who this is really for); Key Chapters (Opening: the claim, Middle: the evidence, End: what to do); Best Lines (The line I keep rereading, The line I disagree with); The Argument (Evidence offered, The obvious objection, Do I buy it?); Apply It (One habit to change, Something to try this week); Read Next (Same author, The opposing view).*

### How to use it

1. Write the Big Idea last. You only know the thesis in one sentence once you have finished.
2. Keep Key Chapters to three nodes even for a 30-chapter book: claim, evidence, prescription.
3. Be honest under Do I buy it? A summary that only agrees with the author is a blurb.
4. Apply It is the branch you will reread. Make each node something you could do this week.

A full walkthrough is in [how to summarize a book with mind maps](https://sakura5.app/blog/how-to-summarize-a-book-with-mind-maps/).

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Book Summary.

## 3. Project Plan template

Scope, milestones, owners, risks and budget for anything you have to ship. *Best for: anything with a deadline and more than one person.*

*Project Plan template preview. Branches: Goals & Scope (What counts as done, Explicitly out of scope, How we measure success); Milestones (Kick-off, First working version, Launch, Post-launch review); Team & Roles (Who decides, Who does the work, Who reviews); Timeline (Weeks 1–2, Weeks 3–4, Buffer week); Risks (Biggest unknown, Outside dependency, Plan B); Budget (Fixed costs, Variable costs, 10% contingency).*

### How to use it

1. Fill Explicitly out of scope before anything else. It prevents more arguments than any other node.
2. Give every milestone a name a non-team member would understand.
3. Put one name, not a team, under Who decides.
4. Keep the buffer week. If the plan only works without it, the plan does not work.

See [mind mapping for project planning](https://sakura5.app/blog/mind-mapping-for-project-planning/) for how to turn the map into tasks.

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Project Plan.

## 4. Brainstorm template

Go wide first, judge later. The built-in version also has two parked ideas floating free of the tree: Parked: needs research and Parked: too expensive for now. *Best for: generating options before you decide.*

*Brainstorm template preview. Branches: Wild Ideas (Ignore the budget, Do the exact opposite, The 10x version); Quick Wins (Could ship this week, A one-hour fix, Just ask a customer); Constraints (Time we actually have, Money we actually have, Skills we are missing); Who Benefits (People already using it, A new audience, Us, internally); Inspiration (How another industry does it, A product I love); Next Step (Pick exactly one, Test it small).*

### How to use it

1. Set a timer for ten minutes and only add to Wild Ideas and Quick Wins. No deleting.
2. Then fill Constraints, and drag anything that breaks them to a parked node instead of deleting it.
3. Next Step gets exactly one idea. If you cannot choose, the brainstorm is not done.

For prompts that keep a session moving, read [AI brainstorming with mind maps](https://sakura5.app/blog/ai-brainstorming-with-mind-maps/).

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Brainstorm.

## 5. SWOT Analysis template

The four-box strategy classic as a map: what you have, what you lack, what is open, what is coming. *Best for: strategy, career moves, product decisions.*

*SWOT Analysis template preview. Branches: Strengths (What we do better than anyone, Assets nobody else has, Customers who already trust us); Weaknesses (Skills we are missing, Where we are slow, How thin the cash buffer is); Opportunities (An underserved group, A channel we have not tried, A partner who needs us); Threats (A new competitor, Pressure on price, A rule change coming).*

### How to use it

1. Strengths and Weaknesses are internal, Opportunities and Threats are external. Move any node on the wrong side.
2. Replace each prompt with something specific enough to be wrong. "Good team" is not a strength.
3. Draw a line from each Strength to the Opportunity it could capture. Those pairs are your strategy.

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → SWOT Analysis.

## 6. Meeting Notes template

Capture a meeting as it happens: agenda, what was decided, who owes what, what is still open. *Best for: taking notes live in a meeting.*

*Meeting Notes template preview. Branches: Agenda (First topic, Second topic, Any other business); Decisions (What we agreed, Why we chose it, Who signed off); Action Items (Owner and deadline, Blocked on someone, Needs a follow-up meeting); Open Questions (Nobody knew the answer, Needs data first, Parked for later); Next Meeting (Date and time, What to prepare).*

### How to use it

1. Fill Agenda before the meeting starts, so you only type decisions and actions during it.
2. Every action item needs an owner and a date in the node text, or it is a wish.
3. Read the Decisions branch out loud in the last two minutes. It catches disagreements early.

Next: [turning meeting notes into action items](https://sakura5.app/blog/how-to-organize-meeting-notes-into-action-items/).

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Meeting Notes.

## 7. Weekly Planner template

One branch per day, so the week fits on a single screen before it starts. *Best for: planning a week on one screen.*

*Weekly Planner template preview. Branches: Monday (Deep work block, Clear the inbox, Set the week's one goal); Tuesday (Team sync, Ship one small thing); Wednesday (Deep work block, Errands and admin); Thursday (Meetings, Follow-ups I owe people); Friday (Wrap up loose ends, Plan next week, Note one win); Weekend (Rest properly, See people, Make something).*

### How to use it

1. Plan on Sunday evening or Monday morning, not mid-week.
2. Cap each day at three nodes. A fourth means something moves to another day.
3. On Friday, duplicate the map for next week and carry over only what is still worth doing.

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Weekly Planner.

## 8. Business Model template

Customers, value, channels, revenue, costs and the bit nobody can copy. *Best for: side projects, startups, pitches.*

*Business Model template preview. Branches: Customers (Who exactly, The problem that hurts, Where they already are); Value Proposition (What changes for them, Why us and not the alternative); Channels (How they find us, How they actually buy); Revenue (What they pay for, One-off or recurring, The price); Costs (Fixed every month, Scales with usage, Biggest single line); Unfair Advantage (Hard for anyone to copy, Proof we really have it).*

### How to use it

1. Start with Customers and make Who exactly narrow enough to name ten real people.
2. Write a number under The price, even a guess. A blank price hides every other problem.
3. If Proof we really have it stays empty, Unfair Advantage is a hope. Say so on the map.

**Get it:** This template is built into [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628) (free): open the app → new map → Templates → Business Model.

## 9. Essay Outline template

Get the argument straight before you write a paragraph: one thesis, three claims, and what each claim rests on. *Best for: essays, reports, long posts.*

*Essay Outline template preview. Branches: Thesis (One-sentence answer, Why it is arguable); Claim 1 (Evidence, Quote or source); Claim 2 (Evidence, Quote or source); Claim 3 (Evidence, Quote or source); Counterargument (Best objection, My rebuttal); Conclusion (So what?, Link back to thesis).*

### How to use it

1. Write the thesis as a direct answer to the essay question. If it could not be disagreed with, sharpen it.
2. Each claim becomes one body section; if a claim has no evidence node yet, cut it or research it.
3. Order the claims weakest to strongest, then use outline view to read the map top to bottom as your plan.

Related: [how to organize ideas before writing an essay](https://sakura5.app/blog/how-to-organize-ideas-before-writing-an-essay/).

**Get it:** Build it on the free canvas in [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628), or with MindMap Pro type the topic and let AI draft the branches.

## 10. Goal Planning template

Turn a vague goal into something you can check every week. *Best for: personal goals, quarterly targets.*

*Goal Planning template preview. Branches: Why It Matters (What changes if I do it, What it costs if I don't); Milestones (First month, Halfway, Done looks like); Habits (Daily action, Weekly review); Obstacles (Most likely excuse, If-then plan); Support (Who to tell, Tools I need).*

### How to use it

1. Replace My Goal with the goal written as a result, with a date.
2. Under Done looks like, write something a stranger could verify.
3. Fill the If-then plan for your most likely excuse: if X happens, I will do Y.
4. Open the map at the same time every week and update only Milestones and Habits.

**Get it:** Build it on the free canvas in [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628), or with MindMap Pro type the topic and let AI draft the branches.

## 11. Nursing Concept Map template

A patient-centred concept map for care-plan practice, organised the way most nursing programs teach it. *Best for: nursing care plans, clinical study.*

*Nursing Concept Map template preview. Branches: Assessment Data (Subjective, Objective, Labs and vitals); Nursing Diagnoses (Priority diagnosis, Related to, As evidenced by); Interventions (Nursing actions, Rationale); Medications (Purpose, What to monitor); Outcomes (Measurable goal, Evaluation).*

### How to use it

1. Use the format your instructor asks for; this layout is a study aid, not clinical guidance.
2. Every intervention should trace back to a diagnosis, and every diagnosis to assessment data.
3. Write outcomes you could measure on shift, with a timeframe.

A worked example is in [this nursing concept map example](https://sakura5.app/blog/example-concept-map-nursing/).

**Get it:** Build it on the free canvas in [Mindmap AI](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6779250628), or with MindMap Pro type the topic and let AI draft the branches.

## How to make any template your own

- **Rename before you fill.** Change the central node to your actual subject first. "Study Notes" becomes "Cell respiration"; "Project Plan" becomes "Kitchen renovation".
- **Delete branches you will not use.** An empty branch is noise. Four honest branches beat six half-filled ones.
- **Keep labels short.** If a node needs a sentence, the sentence probably belongs in a child node or a note.
- **Switch to outline view when you need a list.** The same map reads top to bottom as an outline, which is handy for essays and agendas.

## Where these templates live

Mindmap AI runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac (there is a [Mac version](https://sakura5.app/mindmapai/mac) with keyboard shortcuts), and maps sync through iCloud. The free plan includes the full manual editor on an infinite canvas, all eight built-in templates, outline view, light and dark themes, and up to three saved maps. MindMap Pro is a paid subscription (weekly, monthly or yearly; the yearly plan has a 3-day free trial) and adds AI maps from a topic, pasted text or a URL, AI expand and explain on any node, unlimited maps, and export to PDF, HTML and JSON. You do not need Pro to use any template on this page.

New to the app? Start with [how to make a mind map on iPhone](https://sakura5.app/blog/how-to-make-a-mind-map-on-iphone/), then come back and pick a template. More on the app itself is on the [Mindmap AI page](https://sakura5.app/mindmapai/).

## FAQ

**Where can I get a free mind map template?**

Every template on this page is free to use. Eight of them (Study Notes, Book Summary, Project Plan, Brainstorm, SWOT Analysis, Meeting Notes, Weekly Planner and Business Model) are built into the free plan of Mindmap AI on iPhone, iPad and Mac: open the app, start a new map and choose Templates. The other three you can copy from the previews here onto the free canvas.

**Can I download or print these mind mapping templates?**

No. There are no printable or downloadable template files; the images on this page are previews. The templates live inside the app, where you edit them directly. MindMap Pro subscribers can export their finished maps as PDF, HTML or JSON.

**What is a good brainstorm map template?**

Start with six branches: Wild Ideas, Quick Wins, Constraints, Who Benefits, Inspiration and Next Step. Fill the first two without judging, check them against Constraints, park ideas that do not fit instead of deleting them, and end with exactly one Next Step. That is the built-in Brainstorm template in Mindmap AI.

**Which mindmap template is best for studying?**

Use the Study Notes template: Core Concepts, Rules & Formulas, Examples, Exam Traps and Recall Practice. Make one map per topic, fill concepts from memory before checking the book, and add every past-paper mistake to Exam Traps. For essays, use the Essay Outline layout instead.

**How many branches should a mind map template have?**

Four to six main branches with two or three sub-nodes each is the range that stays readable on one screen. More than that usually means two maps are sharing one canvas.

**Is the AI in Mindmap AI free?**

No. The templates, manual editor, outline view and iCloud sync are free (up to three saved maps). Generating maps with AI from a topic, text or URL, expanding nodes with AI, unlimited maps and export are part of MindMap Pro, a paid subscription whose yearly plan includes a 3-day free trial.

About the app: [MindMap AI: Mind Map Maker](https://sakura5.app/mindmapai/) · App Store: https://sakura5.app/go/mindmapai?from=/mindmapai/templates