Causal mapping with kumu

Kumu is a web-based platform for visualizing relationships, such as networks, systems, and causal maps. It supports importing data from spreadsheets and is suitable for small to medium-sized projects. The free tier allows public projects.

Kumu isn’t a dedicated causal mapping tool—it doesn’t handle coding, source tracking, or evidence—but it’s excellent for quickly building and sharing interactive diagrams.

Prepare Your Spreadsheet

Kumu reads causal links from a two-column spreadsheet:


From,To
Better seeds,Higher crop yield
Farmer training,Higher crop yield
Fertilizer access,Higher crop yield
Higher crop yield,Higher income
Higher income,School attendance
School attendance,Long-term wellbeing
Farmer training,Financial literacy
Financial literacy,Higher income

Each row represents a directional link (cause → effect). Save your file as .csv or .xlsx. Optional columns like Description, Type, or Strength can be added to enrich the data, but they’re not required.

Set Up and Import in Kumu

Create a new project → choose the Systems Mapping template.

In the canvas, click the green + button → Import → Excel/CSV.

Upload your file. Kumu will preview the data and highlight recognized connections.

Confirm and complete the import.

Kumu creates one node per unique item and draws arrows from each From to each To. It also builds a basic layout, which you can adjust.

Viewing and Adjusting the Map

Drag nodes to improve clarity.

Click nodes or links to edit labels or metadata.

Arrows represent causal direction.

Use the layout and style tools for better organization.

Kumu saves changes automatically. You can continue editing manually or re-import updated spreadsheets (note: importing the same nodes again may create duplicates).

Comparison: Kumu, Causal Map App, Excel

Kumu is ideal for quick, visual exploration of causal structures. It’s easy to set up and looks good out of the box, making it suitable for presentations or early-stage thinking. But it doesn’t track sources, code text, or provide analysis tools.

The Causal Map app is designed for qualitative research. It lets you link each causal connection to evidence, filter by source, and analyze sub-maps. It’s more powerful for analytical work but has a steeper learning curve. Excel is useful for initial data structuring and small-scale mapping, but without visualization it’s limited for sharing or exploring the map structure.

Use Kumu for small maps, Causal Map for rigorous analysis, and Excel for flexible data handling.

Basic Causal Mapping with Kumu.io (via Spreadsheet)Summary Why Use Kumu.io?Prepare Your Spreadsheet Set Up and Import in Kumu Viewing and Adjusting the Map Comparison: Kumu, Causal Map App, Excel