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Understand what an Anki deck is and build your own

A deck is the group of flashcards you study as one set. Upload your own slides, notes or PDFs and DeckOwl will generate the cards, with spaced repetition built in.

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How an Anki deck works

The meaning of an Anki deck is a named group of flashcards that you study as one set. Anki uses decks to keep subjects separate, so a biology deck and a language deck never mix. Each card in a deck has a front and a back, and Anki schedules every card on its own.

  • A deck is a container, and cards are the individual questions inside it.
  • Decks can be nested, such as Biology::Cells, to organize subtopics under a parent deck.
  • Tags label cards across different decks so you can filter by topic.
  • Exporting to Anki requires the Plus plan; the free plan studies in the browser only.
Example Anki terminology flashcards
What is a deck in Anki?A named collection of cards that you study together, such as Spanish Verbs or Cell Biology.
What does Anki's spaced repetition schedule decide?When each card appears again, based on how well you recalled it, so harder cards come back sooner.
What does the :: symbol do in a deck name like Biology::Cells?It creates a subdeck, nesting Cells inside the Biology parent deck.
What is a tag in Anki?A label added to notes so you can search and filter cards across different decks.
Which file types can you import into Anki to add a deck?An .apkg package or a plain text file with tab-separated fields, both of which Anki can import.
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Decks from your material

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text notes or a photo of a page and get flashcards ready to study.

Spaced repetition

Cards return at growing intervals, so you review each one just before you would forget it.

Anki export

On the Plus plan, export your deck to Anki and keep studying it there.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, slides, notes or images of pages.

Generate your deck

DeckOwl turns the content into flashcards you can review in the browser.

Study or export

Study with spaced repetition, or export the deck to Anki on Plus.

If you want decks built from your own lecture slides or chapters, DeckOwl can generate the cards for you. Upload the file, check the cards it makes, then study them with spaced repetition or export them to Anki on the Plus plan.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an Anki deck and an Anki card?

A deck is a collection of cards grouped for study, and each card holds a question on its front and the answer on its back. Anki tracks the review schedule for each card separately, even though you study them inside a deck.

How should I split my material into decks for an exam?

Make a focused deck for each unit or chapter rather than one large deck for the whole course. Smaller decks make each review session easier to finish and easier to revisit.

Does DeckOwl let me export my deck to Anki?

Yes, but exports are a paid feature. Anki export is included in Plus at $39/year or $7.99/month, while the free plan lets you study in the browser without exports.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes. No credit card is needed to start, and the free plan includes 3 generations per month with browser study.

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Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.