Outline Mode Shortcut Guide: Organize Your Mind Maps Faster

Mind Elixir's outline mode shares the exact same data as your mind map, and a single keystroke flips between the two perspectives. Use the mind map for diverging, the outline for converging. Once you master the shortcuts below, restructuring your hierarchy becomes far faster than dragging nodes around.

Toggle Views

Switch between mind map and outline mode in one keystroke:

Ctrl+O (Windows) or Cmd+O (Mac) — toggle between mind map and outline mode

Create Nodes

Enter — create a new sibling node after the current node
Tab — indent the current node to become a child of the previous node
Shift+Tab — outdent, raising the node back to its parent's level

Move and Reorder

Alt+↑ — move the current node up
Alt+↓ — move the current node down
↑ / ↓ — move the cursor quickly between nodes

Expand and Collapse

The outline supports expanding and collapsing layer by layer — collapse to see only the trunk, then expand to any level you need:

Click the collapse icon in front of a node to expand or collapse its children
Collapse for a quick overview of the structure, expand to review details line by line

Quick Reference

Action	Shortcut
Toggle outline / mind map view	`Ctrl+O` / `Cmd+O`
New sibling node	`Enter`
Indent (increase level)	`Tab`
Outdent (decrease level)	`Shift+Tab`
Move node up	`Alt+↑`
Move node down	`Alt+↓`
Quick navigation	`↑` / `↓`

Getting Started

First press Ctrl+O / Cmd+O to switch into outline mode and get familiar with the list structure
Practice Enter and Tab until they feel natural: new sibling plus indent is the most common way to structure an outline
Finally memorize Alt+↑ / Alt+↓ to reorder nodes and leave the mouse behind

Ready? Download Mind Elixir, press Ctrl+O / Cmd+O, and organize your thoughts from a new angle.