Storage, offline use and backups

Where maps are saved

Maps are stored in your browser’s IndexedDB for this website. The status in the editor’s top bar says “Saved on this device” only after the browser confirms the write. If saving fails — for example because storage is full or blocked in a private window — the status changes immediately and a banner offers Export now, so you never lose work without warning.

What can delete them

• Clearing cookies and site data for mindmapgenerator.com.
• Private or incognito windows (storage is discarded when the window closes).
• Your browser freeing space when the disk is nearly full. In My maps you can ask the browser to keep this site’s data (“persistent storage”); browsers may still decline.
• Using a different browser or device — maps do not sync.

Browser storage is not encrypted. On a shared computer, use Delete all local data in My maps when you finish. That cannot remove files you downloaded.

Back up and restore

In the editor, open My maps → Backup all to download a ZIP containing every map as a .mindmap.json file plus a manifest with checksums. Restore imports it into any browser; maps that already exist are restored as copies. You can also export any single map as .mindmap.json.

Version history

Undo and redo cover every change in the current session. In addition, snapshots are saved in the browser every few minutes while you edit and before risky actions like replacing a map with an import. Open History to restore one — restoring is itself undoable.

Offline

After you visit once while online, a service worker keeps a copy of the site’s files. The editor, your maps, imports and exports then work without a connection. Updates are fetched in the background next time you are online.

Two tabs, one map

If you open a map that is already being edited in another tab, you can open it read-only, edit a duplicate, or take over (the other tab becomes read-only). If two tabs still manage to change the same map, the second save is refused and you choose whether to keep yours as a copy, keep yours, or load the other version. Nothing is silently overwritten.

Sharing without a server

There are no shareable online links because there is no server copy of your map. Send a .mindmap.json file (fully editable), an HTML export (viewable in any browser), or a PDF/PNG picture. Privacy policy