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Import Anki-ready flashcards from your own PDFs and notes

Upload PDFs, slides, notes or photos of pages and get flashcards with spaced repetition. Export them to Anki when you are ready.

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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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How Anki deck import works and what to do instead

Most people searching for Anki deck import want one of two things: to load a deck file into Anki, or to get their own lecture slides and notes into Anki without retyping every card. Anki reads .apkg package files, which bundle notes, cards and media, and it also reads plain text and CSV-style files where each line is one note.

Anki imports .apkg packages and plain text or CSV-style files, with fields mapped during import.
Duplicate handling in Anki depends on whether the first field matches an existing note, so review those options first.
Turn on the option that allows HTML in fields if your imported cards include formatting or images.
Generate flashcards from your own material and export them to Anki on the Plus plan.

Example Anki deck import concepts

What is an .apkg file in Anki?A package file that bundles notes, cards, media and scheduling data so a deck can be shared or imported.

What does Anki's field mapping do during a text import?It assigns each column in your file to a note field, such as Front or Back, so the data lands in the right place.

What happens when an imported row matches an existing note's first field?Anki can skip the row, add it as a new note or update the existing note, depending on your import settings.

What does the 'Allow HTML in fields' option do?It keeps HTML formatting such as bold text, lists and images in the imported content instead of showing the raw tags.

Which delimiters can separate fields in a plain text Anki import?Tabs, commas, semicolons and other characters you choose in the import dialog, with one note per line.

Generate the full set

Upload what you already have

Send PDFs, DOCX and PPTX files, plain text notes or photos of pages and get flashcards built from them.

Spaced repetition built in

Cards are scheduled for review at growing intervals, so you see material again just before you would forget it.

Export to Anki on Plus

The Plus plan, at $99.90/year or $9.99/month, exports your cards to Anki along with PDF, DOCX and CSV.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, slides, a DOCX file, notes or an image of a page.

Review the generated cards

Check the flashcards DeckOwl wrote and edit any that need fixing before you study.

Study or export

Study in the browser on the free plan, or upgrade to Plus to export to Anki and keep studying there.

When you import a text file, Anki asks you to map each column to a note field such as Front or Back, and it lets you choose how to handle duplicates. Rows whose first field matches an existing note can be skipped, added or used to update the note, so check those settings before you confirm the import. If your text includes formatting or images, enable the option that allows HTML in fields so they display correctly.

If you were hoping for a ready-made deck, a custom one built from your own material usually fits your course better. DeckOwl reads your PDF, slides, notes or page photos and writes flashcards from them, which you can review and study with spaced repetition. On the Plus plan you can export that set to Anki.

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Frequently asked questions

What file formats can I import into Anki?

Anki imports .apkg package files and plain text or CSV-style files. For text files, you choose which column goes into each field during the import.

Why do my imported Anki cards show raw HTML tags?

The import probably did not allow HTML in fields. Turn that option on if the formatting should display, or clean the text before importing.

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.

Does the free plan include Anki export?

No. The free plan gives you 3 generations per month and browser study, while Anki export and unlimited generations are part of Plus.

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