Tree diagram maker

A top-down hierarchy that lays itself out. Tab adds a level below, Enter adds a neighbour on the same level, and the tree re-centres as it grows.

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What tree diagrams are good for

  • Classification: kingdoms of life, types of rock, parts of speech. Each row is one rank.
  • Breakdowns: a project into phases into tasks (a work breakdown structure).
  • Org charts: teams and reporting lines for a small group.
  • Decisions and probability: outcomes as branches, with the probability or condition written on the line label.

Tip: siblings on the same row should be the same kind of thing. If one is a category and its neighbour is an example, one of them is on the wrong level. Drag it onto its proper parent.

Tree, spider or mind map?

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Tree diagram: Top-down levels make rank visible: everything on one row is the same kind of thing. Best for classification and breakdowns.

Questions people ask

What is a tree diagram?

A tree diagram shows a hierarchy from the top down: one item at the top splits into branches, which split again. It is used for classification, organisation charts, family trees, decision breakdowns and work breakdown structures.

Can I make a family tree or org chart with this?

Yes for simple ones: each person or role is an idea, and children sit below their parent. It is a strict hierarchy, so a child can only have one parent line (a family tree with two parents per person works best one generation at a time).

Can I make a probability tree diagram?

You can draw one: add outcomes as branches and put each probability in the line label (select the outcome and type in “Line label”, e.g. 0.5). The maker doesn’t multiply the probabilities for you.