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Lost your Anki deck? Rebuild it from your own notes

Find out where your cards went, then turn the PDFs, slides or notes you studied from into a fresh set of flashcards with spaced repetition.

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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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What to do when an Anki deck disappears

When an Anki deck disappeared without warning, the first question is whether the cards are gone or just sitting in another profile, a sync conflict, or an older backup. Checking those places takes a few minutes and often recovers the full deck.

Check whether Anki is open on a different profile before assuming the deck is gone.
Look in the backups folder for your profile, since recent Anki versions keep automatic backups.
After a sync, confirm the deck is not missing on one device because of a conflict.
Keep the original PDFs, slides or notes so you can regenerate flashcards if needed.

Example cell biology flashcards (general science topic)

What is the function of the mitochondria?It produces most of the cell's ATP through cellular respiration.

What does the rough endoplasmic reticulum do?Studded with ribosomes, it helps synthesize and fold proteins destined for membranes or secretion.

What is osmosis?The movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to higher solute concentration.

What is the role of the Golgi apparatus?It modifies, sorts and packages proteins and lipids for transport to their destinations.

How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ?Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, while eukaryotes have both.

Generate the full set

Rebuild from your originals

Upload the PDF, slides, notes or photos you studied from and generate a new set of flashcards.

Spaced repetition built in

Cards return at spaced intervals, so you review the ones you are most likely to forget.

Export to Anki on Plus

The Plus plan includes Anki, PDF, DOCX and CSV export, so new cards can go straight back into Anki.

How it works

Check Anki first

Look in your profile's backup folder and confirm you are signed in to the right profile.

Upload your source material

Add the PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text file or image you studied from.

Study and export

Review in the browser on the free plan, or export to Anki on Plus.

If the cards are truly lost, the fastest route is to regenerate them from the original material. Your lecture slides, textbook PDF or typed notes still exist, so you can build a new deck and rebuild your review schedule from there. Keep a copy of your source files and export your decks regularly so this does not happen again.

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Frequently asked questions

How many flashcards should I make for a cell biology unit?

There is no fixed number, so let the lecture decide. Make one card per term or fact your instructor emphasized, and keep each answer short enough to recall in a few seconds.

How do I study flashcards so the answers stick?

Review cards at spaced intervals instead of cramming them the night before. Rate each card honestly, so the ones you struggle with come back sooner.

Can I get my Anki cards back if the deck is gone?

Check Anki's backup folder for your profile first. If the cards cannot be recovered, DeckOwl can generate new flashcards from your original PDF, slides or notes.

Can I export DeckOwl flashcards to Anki?

Yes, Anki export is included in the Plus plan, which costs $99.90/year or $9.99/month. The free plan lets you study in the browser but does not include exports.

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Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.