Turn your lecture notes into a ready-to-study Anki deck
Upload a PDF, slide deck, text file or photo of a page. DeckOwl reads the material and drafts flashcards with spaced repetition, so you can start studying without typing every card by hand.
Why generate the cards instead of typing them
Typing every card by hand is where most students stall when they try to work out how to make anki decks from a semester of notes. Generating the cards from your own material removes most of that step, and the cards stay tied to what your instructor actually covered.
- Works with PDFs, slides, notes and photos of pages
- Cards follow a spaced repetition schedule
- Edit or delete any card before you study
- Export to Anki, PDF, DOCX or CSV on Plus
Upload what you already have
Send PDFs, DOCX or PPTX files, plain notes, or photos of pages. Photos are read with text recognition.
Spaced repetition built in
Cards come back at increasing intervals, so your review time goes to the ones you are about to forget.
Export to Anki on Plus
Plus exports your decks to Anki, along with PDF, DOCX and CSV. The Free plan keeps studying in the browser.
How it works
Upload your material
Add a PDF, slide deck, notes file, or a photo of a textbook page.
Review the generated cards
Check the flashcards and edit any wording that is off before you start studying.
Study or export
Study in the browser on the Free plan, or export to Anki on Plus.
Generated cards still need a quick review. Read each one, fix any term or date that the text recognition got wrong, and delete cards that test trivia rather than the idea you need. Spaced repetition then handles the schedule, so your review sessions stay short.
Once the deck is ready, Plus lets you export it to Anki if you prefer its desktop or mobile app. Free accounts can study the same cards in the browser.
Explore related topics
How to Make Anki Decks Fast
Turn PDFs, slides and notes into Anki-ready flashcards with AI, quickly.
Make Anki Decks with AI
Turn your PDFs, slides and notes into flashcards, then export to Anki on Plus.
Add Decks to Anki App: Step by Step
Set up Anki decks, import shared files, or make your own flashcards from notes.
Download Anki decks or make your own
Download Anki decks from AnkiWeb, or generate custom flashcards from your own PDFs and notes.
How to download Anki decks on Android
Step-by-step import for .apkg decks in AnkiDroid, plus making your own flashcards from your notes.
Download Anki Decks on iPhone
Import Anki decks on iPhone, or generate custom flashcards from your own notes.
How to Download Anki Decks on Mac
Steps for getting Anki decks on a Mac, plus how to export your own flashcards to Anki.
AI Anki Flashcards From Your Notes
Make Anki flashcards from your slides, PDFs and notes with AI and spaced repetition.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards should a deck for one French Revolution unit have?
There is no fixed number, but a unit usually works best with a few dozen cards, one per key date, person or idea. Cut any card that tests a detail you would not need on an exam.
How often should I review Anki cards to remember them?
Review daily in short sessions, since spaced repetition works best with frequent, brief reviews. Cards you miss come back sooner, and cards you know are spaced further apart.
Can I export my flashcards to Anki?
Yes, but export to Anki is a Plus feature at $39/year or $7.99/month. The Free plan lets you study in the browser and includes 3 generations per month.
Do I need a credit card to try DeckOwl?
No. You can start on the Free plan without a credit card, and students get 40% off Plus with a school email.
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