Turn a PDF into a mind map
Upload a PDF and get a mind map of its themes and key points, where every node opens a verified quote from the page it came from.
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or paste with Ctrl/⌘+V
Try it 5× without an account. A free account includes 20 AI credits a month. See plans
What it does
PDF to mind map, explained
PDF to mind map reads your document and draws its structure: the central topic in the middle, the main themes as branches, and the specific points below them, such as obligations, figures, dates and findings. Click any node to read the quote it was built from and preview the page it sits on, and fold the branches you don't need.
Read more
Every node below the centre has to earn its place. The AI must give an exact quote from the page it cites, and PDFBetter checks that quote word for word against that page's text. Nodes whose quote can't be found are removed and counted, and their checked sub-points move up a level, so nothing on the map stands without a source.
Export the map as a PNG or SVG image, a one-page PDF, a Markdown outline for notes apps, or OPML for outliners and mind-mapping apps, or add it as the last page of the PDF itself. Use it to see the shape of a long report before reading it, revise a textbook chapter, or brief a colleague. For a written overview, the AI PDF summarizer is quicker; for specific questions, use Chat with PDF.
A map costs 3 AI credits, charged only when at least one node passes the check. The document's text is sent to OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from model training. A mind map simplifies by design; check anything important on the cited page.
How to do it
Turn a PDF into a mind map in 5 steps
1Your PDF
2Ask or summarize
3Answers that cite pages
- 1
Upload the PDF
It is saved to your documents so the citations keep pointing at the same text. Scanned PDFs need OCR first.
- 2
Choose detail and focus
Compact (about 15 nodes), standard (about 30) or detailed (up to 60), and optionally a focus in your own words, such as “risks and deadlines”.
- 3
Generate
Uses 3 AI credits. Without an account you have 5 AI credits to try it. Long documents are read in parts first, so it can take a minute.
- 4
Explore and check
Fold or unfold branches, zoom, and click a node to read its verified quote and preview the cited page.
- 5
Export or add it to the PDF
Download PNG, SVG, a PDF page, Markdown or OPML, or add the map as the last page of the document. That saves a new version; the previous one stays in the document's history.
Example
Before and after
A 64-page annual report from a supplier you need to assess before a meeting.
A standard map with six branches (results, risks, outlook, governance, sustainability, capital) and about 30 points such as the revenue figure and the main risk factors, each opening its quote and page, plus a note that two chart pages had no text and weren't read.
Settings & formats
What you can control
- Detail
- Compact, standard or detailed: how many branches and levels the map has.
- Focus
- Optional topics to concentrate on, in your own words (up to 300 characters).
- Export
- PNG, SVG or a PDF page as currently folded; Markdown and OPML always include every node.
Input
Output
Good to know before you start
- The map simplifies: labels are short summaries and the AI decides what counts as a main theme. Check anything important against the quoted page.
- A verified quote proves the words are on that page, not that the label interprets them correctly.
- Scanned pages without a text layer aren't read until OCR adds one, and text inside images, charts and diagrams isn't read at all; both are listed under what the map doesn't cover.
- Up to 100 pages are read on Free and 600 on Pro. A map holds at most 90 nodes, 4 levels and 8 branches per node; anything cut is counted.
- Exported images use your system's fonts, so line breaks can differ slightly from the screen.
If something goes wrong
If something goes wrong
- Some nodes were removed
- Their quotes couldn't be found word for word on the cited page, so they were dropped instead of being shown without evidence. Generate again, or narrow the focus.
- It says there is no text
- The PDF is a scan. Run OCR PDF first, then make the map.
PDF to mind map: questions people ask
How do I know a branch is right?
Click it. Every node below the centre shows the exact quote it was built from and the page number, and that quote was checked word for word against the page's text. Read the page for anything you will act on.
What happens to nodes that fail the check?
They are removed and the map says how many. Points underneath them that did pass move up to the nearest kept branch, so checked detail isn't lost.
Which export formats are there?
PNG and SVG images, a one-page PDF, a Markdown outline and OPML, which outliners and most mind-mapping apps can import. Images show the map as currently folded; Markdown and OPML always contain every node with its page and quote.
Can I add the mind map to the PDF?
Yes. “Add as last page” appends the map as a new page to the document in your account and saves it as a new version, so you can undo it from the version history.
How much does it cost?
3 AI credits per map, whatever the detail level, and nothing when no node passes the check. The Free plan includes 20 AI credits a month and Pro includes 500.
How is this different from a summary?
A summary is prose with key points. A mind map shows how the document's themes and points relate, and every node carries its own verified quote. Use whichever matches how you think.
Is my document used to train AI?
The text is processed by OpenAI's API under OpenAI's API data-usage terms, which by default exclude API data from training. PDFBetter does not train models on your documents.