Anki Flashcards

Anki Flashcards

Create, search, update, and manage Anki flashcards programmatically via the AnkiConnect HTTP API on localhost:8765. All operations use curl with JSON payloads — no SDK or library required.

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, the user must have the following set up. Do not attempt to install these — guide the user through the steps.

1. Anki Desktop App

Anki must be installed and running. Download from https://apps.ankiweb.net/

2. AnkiConnect Add-on

Install the AnkiConnect add-on inside Anki:

1. Open Anki
2. Go to Tools → Add-ons → Get Add-ons...
3. Enter code: 2055492159
4. Click OK and restart Anki

3. Platform-Specific Setup

macOS — Disable App Nap to prevent Anki from being suspended in the background:

defaults write net.ankiweb.dtop NSAppSleepDisabled -bool true
defaults write net.ichi2.anki NSAppSleepDisabled -bool true
defaults write org.qt-project.Qt.QtWebEngineCore NSAppSleepDisabled -bool true

Windows — Allow Anki through Windows Firewall if connections to localhost:8765 are blocked.

4. Verify Connectivity

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{"action": "requestPermission", "version": 6}'

Expected response includes "permission": "granted". If the connection is refused, Anki is not running or AnkiConnect is not installed.

Connectivity Check

Always verify AnkiConnect is reachable before performing any operations:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{"action": "requestPermission", "version": 6}'

If this fails, tell the user to:

1. Ensure Anki is open
2. Confirm AnkiConnect is installed (Tools → Add-ons should list AnkiConnect)
3. Restart Anki after installing the add-on

Core Workflows

All requests use HTTP POST to localhost:8765 with this JSON structure:

{"action": "actionName", "version": 6, "params": {...}}

Responses return: {"result": <value>, "error": <null or string>}

Creating Flashcards

Single card (Basic model):

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "addNote",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "note": {
      "deckName": "Spanish Vocabulary",
      "modelName": "Basic",
      "fields": {"Front": "casa", "Back": "house"},
      "tags": ["spanish", "beginner"]
    }
  }
}'

Batch create multiple cards:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "addNotes",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "notes": [
      {
        "deckName": "Biology",
        "modelName": "Basic",
        "fields": {"Front": "What is mitosis?", "Back": "Cell division producing two identical daughter cells"},
        "tags": ["biology", "cell-division"]
      },
      {
        "deckName": "Biology",
        "modelName": "Basic",
        "fields": {"Front": "What is meiosis?", "Back": "Cell division producing four genetically diverse gametes"},
        "tags": ["biology", "cell-division"]
      }
    ]
  }
}'

Cloze deletion card:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "addNote",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "note": {
      "deckName": "Programming",
      "modelName": "Cloze",
      "fields": {"Text": "In Python, {{c1::list comprehensions}} create lists from {{c2::iterables}} using a concise syntax."},
      "tags": ["python", "syntax"]
    }
  }
}'

Card with media (image or audio):

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "addNote",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "note": {
      "deckName": "Geography",
      "modelName": "Basic",
      "fields": {"Front": "Identify this country", "Back": "Japan"},
      "tags": ["geography"],
      "picture": [{
        "url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/320px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png",
        "filename": "japan_flag.png",
        "fields": ["Front"]
      }]
    }
  }
}'

Finding Cards

Search by deck and tag:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "findNotes",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"query": "deck:Spanish tag:beginner"}
}'

Get full card details from note IDs:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "notesInfo",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"notes": [1234567890, 1234567891]}
}'

Common search queries:

• deck:DeckName — all notes in a deck
• tag:tagname — all notes with a tag
• is:due — cards due for review
• is:new — cards never reviewed
• added:7 — cards added in the last 7 days
• "front:casa" — search a specific field
• Combine with spaces (AND): deck:Spanish tag:beginner is:due
• Negate with -: deck:Spanish -tag:advanced

Updating Cards

Update note fields:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "updateNote",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "note": {
      "id": 1234567890,
      "fields": {"Front": "casa (noun)", "Back": "house, home"},
      "tags": ["spanish", "beginner", "nouns"]
    }
  }
}'

Add tags to notes:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "addTags",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"notes": [1234567890, 1234567891], "tags": "reviewed important"}
}'

Remove tags from notes:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "removeTags",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"notes": [1234567890], "tags": "beginner"}
}'

Managing Decks

Create a deck (supports :: hierarchy):

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "createDeck",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"deck": "Languages::Spanish::Vocabulary"}
}'

List all decks:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{"action": "deckNames", "version": 6}'

Get deck statistics:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "getDeckStats",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {"decks": ["Spanish Vocabulary"]}
}'

Returns new/learning/review counts per deck.

Batch Operations

Use the multi action to execute multiple operations in a single request for efficiency:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "multi",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "actions": [
      {"action": "createDeck", "params": {"deck": "Chemistry"}},
      {"action": "addNote", "params": {
        "note": {
          "deckName": "Chemistry",
          "modelName": "Basic",
          "fields": {"Front": "What is the atomic number of Carbon?", "Back": "6"},
          "tags": ["chemistry", "elements"]
        }
      }},
      {"action": "addNote", "params": {
        "note": {
          "deckName": "Chemistry",
          "modelName": "Basic",
          "fields": {"Front": "What is Avogadro'''s number?", "Back": "6.022 × 10²³"},
          "tags": ["chemistry", "constants"]
        }
      }}
    ]
  }
}'

Use multi when creating a deck and populating it with cards, or when performing several independent operations.

Custom Note Types

Create a custom model when Basic and Cloze are insufficient:

curl -s localhost:8765 -X POST -d '{
  "action": "createModel",
  "version": 6,
  "params": {
    "modelName": "Vocabulary Card",
    "inOrderFields": ["Word", "Definition", "Example", "PartOfSpeech"],
    "css": ".card { font-family: arial; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; }",
    "cardTemplates": [
      {
        "Name": "Word → Definition",
        "Front": "<div class=\"word\">{{Word}}</div><div class=\"pos\">{{PartOfSpeech}}</div>",
        "Back": "{{FrontSide}}<hr id=\"answer\"><div class=\"def\">{{Definition}}</div><div class=\"example\"><i>{{Example}}</i></div>"
      }
    ]
  }
}'

Quick Reference

Flashcard Design Tips

• One concept per card — atomic cards are easier to review and schedule
• Use cloze deletions for definitions, formulas, and fill-in-the-blank recall
• Add context with tags — use hierarchical tags like spanish::verbs::irregular for organization
• Include examples — concrete examples improve retention over abstract definitions
• Avoid "yes/no" cards — rephrase to require recall of the actual answer

For comprehensive flashcard design principles, see references/card-design.md.

Advanced Usage

For complete API documentation covering all 100+ AnkiConnect actions, see references/api-reference.md.

For flashcard design principles and evidence-based learning strategies, see references/card-design.md.