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BloomMDDE

Documentation

Getting started

What BloomMD is, what the beta includes, and where to begin.

BloomMD turns Markdown files into a map and writes them back unchanged. There is no proprietary file format, no export step, and no lock-in to this application.

The important part first

Your file remains a normal Markdown file. Open it in Obsidian, commit it to git, or edit it in a text editor at the same time. BloomMD only adds invisible HTML comments for stable node IDs; every Markdown renderer ignores them.

Where to begin

The beta starts with the Desktop app. It works locally, needs no account, and does not need an internet connection. The Web app at /app is the second path. What stays local and what goes to the cloud is explained in Local or cloud.

Getting started with the desktop app (macOS)

  1. Download the macOS arm64 desktop build from bloommd.io/download. (Omarchy/Linux: Pacman package, see Desktop app.)

  2. Open the DMG file and drag BloomMD to the Applications folder.

    BloomMD 0.5.7 DMG window with the BloomMD app and the Applications shortcut

  3. Double-click BloomMD in the Applications folder to start it.

  4. Open a folder with Markdown files, or create a new one.

  5. Select a file. Its headings become the map.

Diagram, not a screenshot: the file list of the opened folder on the left, the map of the selected file with headings as nodes on the right

Getting started with the Web app

  1. Create an account, confirm your email address, and sign in. The steps are in Free trial account.
  2. In /app, choose the folder icon (tooltip Open local Markdown folder) at the top and grant access to a folder. Chrome and Edge support this; nothing is uploaded.
  3. If the folder is read-only, a Read only notice appears. Click it to request write access.
  4. Pick a file in the selector next to the folder name. Its headings become the map.

Real screenshot of the Web app: the file Kapitel 1 from a local folder as a map with three child nodes

Without an account, the browser demo works right away. It loads a built-in template and saves nothing.

Real screenshot of the browser demo: a Markdown input on the left, the map of the Software Architecture Map template on the right

The Web app, cloud workspaces, sync, and collaboration require the free trial account (30 days from email confirmation). You register yourself, without an invitation and without a waitlist. Registration, email confirmation, and sign-in are described in Free trial account.

Something stuck with installation, folder permissions, sync, or an invitation? Troubleshooting lists symptom, cause, and steps.

Available without an invitation: the browser demo, desktop builds on the download page, and the Obsidian plugin through BRAT or GitHub releases. Only while the access switch is on is enablement required, and then only for Web and cloud access.

Not included in the beta

  • The standalone BloomMD app for iPad, iPhone and Android has no public app-store download yet. The Obsidian plugin is separate and is also available as a mobile beta.
  • There is no recovery promise for cloud data. Do not upload anything you do not have elsewhere.
  • Windows desktop builds are not part of this beta.