Home › Flashcards › Anki › How to Use Anki Flashcards

Get more from Anki flashcards by studying your own notes

Anki works best when the cards are clear and you review every day. Learn how to set up and review a deck, then skip the card writing with flashcards built from your own files.

Create flashcards nowFree · No credit card required

Drop files here or browsePDF, DOCX, PPTX, text or photos of your notes · several files with Plus

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

Using Anki flashcards well, from setup to daily review

Anki is built on spaced repetition, and Anki flashcards work best when each card holds one fact and you rate every answer honestly. The hard part is usually the setup rather than the reviewing: deciding what goes on a card, organizing decks by course, and keeping the daily queue manageable.

Keep each card to one fact so a single rating tells the scheduler something useful.
Rate honestly: choose Again when you missed a card and Good when you got it right with some effort.
Organize decks by course or unit so the daily queue stays focused on one subject at a time.
Review a little every day rather than cramming the night before an exam.

Example Anki flashcards about how the app works

What do the Again, Hard, Good and Easy buttons do in Anki?They set when a card comes back. Again resets it to the learning steps, while Hard, Good and Easy push the next review further out, with Easy the longest.

What is a cloze deletion card in Anki?A note where part of a sentence is hidden with double braces, such as {{c1::mitochondria}}, so you recall the missing term. One note can produce several cards.

What is the difference between a note and a card in Anki?A note holds the fields you typed, and Anki generates one or more cards from it, such as a forward and a reverse card. Each card is scheduled separately.

What does a lapse mean in Anki?A lapse is a review you forgot. The card goes back into relearning, and the lapse is counted in that card's statistics.

How do you import a file into Anki?Choose File, then Import, select the file, and map its columns to fields. Tab-separated text with a front column and a back column works for basic cards.

Generate the full set

Spaced repetition

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

Built from your files

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain text or a photo of a page and get cards drawn from that exact material.

Export to Anki on Plus

Plus at $99.90/year or $9.99/month adds Anki, PDF, DOCX and CSV export, so your deck moves with you.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, slides, notes or a photo of a page.

Generate and check

Review the cards, tighten the wording and remove anything too vague to test you.

Study or export

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

DeckOwl can skip the card-writing step. Upload a PDF, slides, a DOCX file, plain notes or a photo of a page, and it generates flashcards with spaced repetition built in. Study them in the browser, or on Plus export to Anki and continue in the app you already use.

Because the cards come from your own material, they match what your course actually covered. Check each card before a study session, delete anything vague, and add your own where the source was thin.

Explore related topics

How to Use an Anki Deck

Step-by-step guide to studying an Anki deck, plus how to make one from your own notes.

How to use Anki flashcards

Anki basics: decks, rating buttons, daily review, and making cards from notes.

Best MCAT Anki Deck: Make Your Own

Make an MCAT flashcard deck from your own notes, with spaced repetition and Anki export.

How to Use AI to Make Anki Flashcards

Step-by-step guide to generating Anki-ready flashcards from your own study material.

How to Use Anki Flashcards App

Anki basics plus a faster way to make flashcards from your own PDFs and notes.

How to Use Anki Flashcards Guide

Written walkthrough of Anki basics, plus how to turn your notes into flashcards for review.

How to Use Anki for Nursing School

Step-by-step setup for Anki nursing flashcards, with spaced repetition and card-making tips.

ChatGPT to Anki Cards: Step-by-Step

Turn notes into Anki-ready flashcards with AI, then review them with spaced repetition.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I review Anki flashcards?

Review every day in short sessions, since Anki schedules each card and shows only the ones that are due. Keeping up daily matters more than long cramming sessions.

How do I start using Anki flashcards if I have never used it?

Create a deck for one course and add cards from your notes, keeping each card to a single fact. Then rate each answer honestly so the scheduler can space your reviews correctly.

Can I export DeckOwl flashcards to Anki?

Yes, export to Anki is included in the Plus plan at $99.90/year or $9.99/month, which also adds PDF, DOCX and CSV export. The free plan gives 3 generations per month with study in the browser only.

Do I need a credit card to try it?

No, you can start on the free plan 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.