How do you create a User Story Map with TextUSM?

Updated

TextUSM turns indented plain text into a User Story Map diagram, so you can build and rearrange the map without leaving the keyboard. It fits the case where you already think in outline form: you type the hierarchy once, and the tool renders it as a visual map you can export as PNG, SVG, or PDF. You need a browser and a TextUSM board; the site lists a Basic plan at $0 with 30 private boards, unlimited local boards, and unlimited public boards.

What TextUSM does

TextUSM generates diagrams from indented text. Its homepage names User Story Map first, and also lists Business Model Canvas, Opportunity Canvas, User Persona, 4Ls Retrospective, Start/Stop/Continue, KPT Retrospective, Mind Map, and ER Diagram. The core promise is speed: draw diagrams without leaving the keyboard, and instantly visualize ideas.

For a User Story Map specifically, the indentation is what carries the structure — the tool reads your outline and lays it out as the map.

Steps to build the map

  1. Open TextUSM and start a board (the site's call to action is "Get Started").
  2. Type your map as indented text. Use indentation to express the hierarchy and order of the story map.
  3. Watch the diagram render as you type — the tool visualizes the text instantly.
  4. Adjust by editing the text: re-indent a line to move it, or add lines to extend the map.
  5. Export the result as PNG, SVG, or PDF when the map looks right.

The exact menu labels and editor shortcuts aren't documented in the available page content, so treat the above as the workflow the tool describes rather than a click-by-click script.

How to structure the indented text

The page doesn't publish a syntax reference, so the reliable approach is to let indentation mirror the map's levels. A concrete task: if your map has a top-level activity, stories under it, and details under those, write them as three indent levels.

Activity
  Story
    Detail
  Story
    Detail

Keep one idea per line and use indentation — not blank lines or symbols — to signal nesting. If the rendered map doesn't match what you expect, the fastest fix is usually to re-check the indent depth of the line that landed in the wrong place.

Exporting and sharing

TextUSM exports images as PNG, SVG, or PDF. Use PNG for quick sharing in chat or slides, SVG when the map will be scaled or edited further, and PDF for a fixed handout. The Basic plan includes 30 private boards, unlimited local boards, and unlimited public boards, so you can keep work private or publish it depending on the board type.

Common snags

  • Map looks flat or misaligned. Almost always an indentation problem — verify each line's indent level matches its intended parent.
  • You can't find a specific diagram type. The homepage lists the supported set; if your diagram isn't there, it isn't generated by this tool.
  • Pricing questions. The page shows a Basic tier at $0 with the limits above. It doesn't list paid tiers or payment methods, so don't assume features beyond what's stated.

For contact or account questions, the site lists [email protected].