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Get a concept map with 5 branches from your own notes

Upload a PDF, DOCX, slide deck, or photo of a page. DeckOwl sorts the material into five main branches you can edit and explore.

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Drop files here or browsePDF, DOCX, PPTX, text or photos of your notes · several files with Plus

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Why five branches is a practical structure

A concept map with 5 branches keeps a topic readable. Five main ideas are enough to cover a chapter's major themes without crowding the page, and each branch can carry two to four sub-points.

Start from the central topic and name the five ideas that support it.
Keep each sub-point short, ideally a term, a fact, or a relationship.
Check that every branch links back to the central topic.
Redraw the map from memory once you finish to test what stuck.

Example branches from a cell biology concept map

Cell membranePhospholipid bilayer · Selectively permeable · Passive and active transport

NucleusHolds DNA · Surrounded by a nuclear envelope with pores · Site of transcription

MitochondriaProduces ATP · Inner membrane folds into cristae · Site of cellular respiration

Endoplasmic reticulumRough ER helps make proteins · Smooth ER helps make lipids · Smooth ER detoxifies drugs

RibosomesMade of rRNA and protein · Translate mRNA into protein · Free or attached to rough ER

Generate the full set

Exactly five main branches

Each map is organized around a central topic with five main branches, each holding its own sub-points.

Editable and explorable

Rename branches, move ideas, or add your own nodes, then click through the map to see how ideas connect.

Built from your material

The map comes from your own PDF, notes, or slides, so it matches what your instructor actually covered.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text notes, or a photo of a page. Photos are read with text recognition.

Generate the map

DeckOwl proposes a central topic and five main branches with sub-points drawn from your content.

Edit and study

Adjust any branch you want, then explore the map in the browser. Exports are available on paid plans.

Most lecture notes already have natural groupings in their headings. When you generate a map, DeckOwl looks for those groupings, so the branches tend to follow the structure your course used.

If your material has more than five clear themes, you can merge related branches or split a dense one into its own map. The goal is a map you can scan in a few seconds and still reason through.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I choose the five main branches for a concept map?

Start with the broad headings in your lecture notes or textbook chapter, then keep the ones that connect directly to the central topic. If you have more than five, merge related ideas instead of dropping them.

Can five branches cover a full chapter?

Often yes, as long as each branch has a few sub-points. A very dense chapter may need a second map that expands one of the branches in more detail.

Can I export my concept map?

Exports are a paid feature. The free plan lets you study in the browser, while paid plans include PDF and DOCX export, and Pro adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML.

Is there a free plan, and do I need a credit card?

Yes. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and browser study, and no credit card is needed to start.

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Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.