Concept Map Maker
A free, no sign-up concept map maker that runs entirely in your browser. Connect any idea to any other idea and label each link with a linking phrase — your map autosaves as you go.
Pick a template below or start blank, then use the toolbar to add nodes and drag between them to connect ideas. Nothing is uploaded — your map lives in this browser tab and autosaves locally as you edit.
Concept map templates
Start from a ready-made concept map template — click any preview to open it in the editor above, then connect your own ideas with labeled links. Free, no sign-up.
Click + Node, then drag the blue dot to another node to connect. Click a link label to name it.
What Is a Concept Map Maker?
A concept map is a network diagram where any idea can connect to any other idea, and every connecting line carries a labeled linking phrase that spells out the relationship — "causes", "requires", "is an example of", and so on. Unlike a mind map's single tree radiating from one center, a concept map can show cross-links between branches, which makes it a better fit for showing how a set of ideas actually relate to each other rather than how they nest. If your ideas do nest neatly under one central topic, the mind map maker is the simpler tool for the job.
Cause and effect
Map a cause out to each of its effects with a labeled "leads to" link, and add cross-links between effects that influence each other. The Cause & effect template below sets this up for you.
Studying a topic
Break a topic into its definition, key terms, examples and related concepts, then link related terms to each other directly — something a strict tree can't do. For a looser first pass with sticky notes and shapes before the relationships are clear, start on the online whiteboard.
Process and system diagrams
Show how the parts of a process or system feed into one another, with each arrow labeled to explain exactly how one step affects the next. When the process becomes a routine you want to repeat, the printable habit tracker turns it into a checkable grid.
How to Build Your Map
Start from the Blank template for two empty concepts, or the Cause & effect or Study topic templates for a ready-made network. Add a concept with the toolbar's + Node button, then drag from the small blue dot on a node's edge to another node to draw a link between them. Click a link's "+ label" text to type in a linking phrase, double-click any node to edit its text, drag nodes to reposition them, and scroll to zoom in or out. Everything you build autosaves to this browser as you go — no account, no upload — and when you're ready to share or back up a map, export it as JSON to keep editing later, SVG for a scalable vector image, or PNG for a flat image you can drop into a document or slide deck.