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Start your Anki deck over and rebuild it from your own notes

Reset old scheduling, keep a backup, or generate a fresh set of flashcards from your PDFs, slides, and notes.

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Restarting an Anki deck without losing what you need

Restarting a deck in Anki is simple once you know which option fits your goal. Most people who ask about how to start an Anki deck over want fresh scheduling without losing the card content they still trust, so the first decision is whether to reset the existing cards or replace them. Exporting a backup before you change anything means the old version is always available.

  • Reset selected cards in the Anki browser to return them to the new queue while keeping their content.
  • Export a backup with scheduling information before deleting or rebuilding any deck.
  • Check every generated card against your source notes before you start studying the new set.
  • Remove or merge duplicate cards so the rebuilt deck does not split your review time.
Anki reset tasks and what each one does
What does Forget do to selected cards in the Anki browser?It resets them to the new state, clearing their review scheduling so they return to the new queue.
What should you export before deleting an Anki deck?An .apkg file with scheduling information included, so you can restore the cards and their review progress later.
What happens to the cards when you delete an Anki deck?The cards in that deck are removed, which is why a backup export should come first.
How does resetting cards differ from rebuilding a deck?Resetting keeps the same cards and restarts their progress, while rebuilding creates a new set from source material to replace weak cards.
Why check card content before starting a deck over?Incorrect answers would be relearned from scratch, so fixing or replacing them first prevents reinforcing mistakes.
Generate the full set

Fresh flashcards from your material

Upload a PDF, slide deck, set of notes, or photos of pages and get a new set of flashcards to replace an outdated deck.

Spaced repetition built in

Cards are scheduled for review over time, so a rebuilt deck starts with the right review rhythm instead of a pile of due cards.

Export to Anki on Plus

Take your new cards into Anki with an export on the Plus plan, or keep studying in the browser on the free plan.

How it works

Decide between resetting and rebuilding

Reset cards if the content is still correct and you only want to restart the scheduling. Rebuild the deck if the cards are wrong, outdated, or messy.

Back up the deck before changing it

Export the deck from Anki as a file with scheduling information included, so you can restore it if the new version does not work out.

Generate and review the new set

Upload your source material to DeckOwl, check the cards for accuracy, and export them to Anki when you are ready to study.

If the old cards are outdated, incorrect, or were made from messy notes, generating a new set from your own source material is often faster than repairing a long deck one card at a time. DeckOwl reads PDFs, DOCX and PPTX files, plain text notes, and photos of printed pages, then turns them into flashcards with spaced repetition. Exporting that set to Anki is part of the Plus plan.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I reset my Anki cards or delete the deck?

Reset cards with Forget when you want to keep the content and restart the scheduling. Delete a deck only after exporting a backup, because deleting it removes its cards.

How much material should I start with when rebuilding a deck?

Start with one chapter or topic so you can check the accuracy of the cards before adding more. A smaller first batch makes it easier to catch wrong answers early.

Can I export my DeckOwl flashcards to Anki?

Yes, export to Anki is included on the Plus plan at $39 per year or $7.99 per month. The free plan lets you study in the browser but does not include exports.

Does DeckOwl work with photos of printed pages?

Yes, photos of pages are read with text recognition and turned into flashcards. Review the generated cards for any text the recognition misread.

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