Home › Flashcards › Anki › Anki Deck Override Guide

Sort generated flashcards into the right Anki decks

Upload your PDFs, slides, notes or photos of pages, get flashcards with spaced repetition, and export them to Anki so they land in the deck you chose.

Create flashcards nowFree · No credit card required

Free account · 3 sets a month · Creates flashcards in seconds

How Anki deck override settings fit into your workflow

Anki deck override settings decide which deck receives new cards made from a given template, so a set of flashcards can go straight to the right place instead of the deck you happen to have open. DeckOwl generates the flashcards from your own study material, and Anki export is part of the Plus plan.

  • Upload PDFs, slides, notes or photos and generate flashcards from them.
  • Study with spaced repetition in the browser on the Free plan.
  • Export to Anki, PDF, DOCX and CSV on Plus at $99.90/year or $9.99/month.
  • Students get 40% off with a school email, and no credit card is needed to start.
Example Anki deck organization flashcards
What does the Deck Override option on an Anki card template do?It sends new cards created from that template to a chosen deck instead of the deck selected in the Add window.
How do you move existing cards to a different deck in Anki?Select the cards in the Browser and use Change Deck to pick the destination. This moves cards you already have, unlike a template override.
What is a subdeck in Anki?A deck nested under a parent deck using :: in its name, such as Biology::Cells, which keeps related cards grouped.
Why keep forward and reverse cards in separate decks?Each deck has its own daily new-card limit, so you can control how many of each type you see per day.
Why might a deck override not move cards that were already added?Overrides apply when new cards are created, so existing cards stay where they are until you change their deck manually.
Generate the full set

Spaced repetition built in

Cards are scheduled for review in the browser, so you can study before you export anything.

Export to Anki on Plus

Plus includes Anki export, along with PDF, DOCX and CSV export and unlimited generations.

Works from your own material

Flashcards come from the files and notes you upload, not a generic deck you have to reorganize.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text notes or photos of pages.

Generate and review flashcards

DeckOwl creates cards you can study with spaced repetition in the browser.

Export to Anki

On Plus, export the cards and choose the destination deck during import in Anki.

Deck organization matters once you have more than one subject. Grouping cards into subdecks such as Biology::Cells and Biology::Genetics keeps related review together and makes it easier to see what is due.

Check your deck destination after each import, especially when a template has its own override. Confirming the target deck once saves you from hunting for cards later.

Explore related topics

Frequently asked questions

How many subdecks should I use for one subject in Anki?

Use enough subdecks to separate topics you review differently, such as Biology::Cells and Biology::Genetics. More than two or three levels of nesting usually adds clutter without helping review.

Should reverse cards go in a separate deck?

Many students keep them separate because each deck gets its own daily new-card limit. That also makes it easier to pause one group without affecting the rest.

Is Anki export free with DeckOwl?

No. Anki export is a Plus feature at $99.90/year or $9.99/month. The Free plan includes 3 generations per month and browser study only.

Do I need a credit card to try DeckOwl?

No, you can start without a credit card. Students get 40% off with a school email.

Generate free flashcards

Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.