How to use the anki import file builder
- Type or paste your cards, one per line, with the front, a separator and the back.
- Choose the separator you used: a pipe, a tab, a semicolon, a dash with spaces or an equals sign.
- Set the note type, the deck and any tags, and tick the HTML box only if your cards contain HTML tags.
- Copy the file text or download the .txt file, then import it in Anki with File, Import.
Formula
the file starts with lines such as #separator:tab, #html:false, #notetype:Basic and #deck:Name
each card is one line with its fields separated by tabs
a field with a quote, or one that starts with #, is wrapped in quotes and its quotes are doubled
with HTML off, the characters & < > are written as & < >
Anki reads the lines that start with # as settings. Versions before 2.1.54 do not read the note type and deck settings, so you pick them in the import window instead.
Four vocabulary pairs
The list der Hund | the dog, die Katze | the cat, das Haus | the house and der Apfel | the apple becomes a file with four setting lines and four card lines. The first card line is der Hund, a tab and the dog. The summary shows 4 cards, 2 fields per card, the deck Imported cards and the note type Basic.
With the tags german week1, a third column is added to every card and a line #tags column:3 is placed in the header. With the dash separator, the line capital of France - Paris becomes the front capital of France and the back Paris. With HTML on, a card H<sub>2</sub>O keeps its tags, and with HTML off it is written as H<sub>2</sub>O.
Choosing the separator
Pick a separator that does not appear inside your cards. A pipe or a tab is rarely part of a vocabulary item, while a comma or a dash often is. The tool splits each line at every copy of the separator, so the first part is the front and the rest are further fields. A line with no separator, or with an empty front or back, is reported by its line number.
To print or study the same cards without Anki, use the Flashcard Maker. The Spaced Repetition Calculator helps plan reviews, the Vocabulary Quiz Maker turns a list into a test, and the Exam Study Planner fits the work into the days you have.
What the import window will show
Anki shows a preview with the fields as it read them. Check that the front and back are in the right columns and that the field count matches your note type. A note type with more than two fields, such as Basic with extra fields, needs more columns, which you can add by using the separator again in each line.
Assumptions and limits
- Each line is one card, and the first two parts are the front and the back.
- Tabs and line breaks inside a field are turned into spaces.
- The note type and the deck must already exist in Anki, spelled the same way.
- Up to 5,000 cards and 200,000 characters are read, and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What file name and type should I use?
Save the copied text as a plain text file with a .txt ending and UTF-8 encoding, so accents and other scripts survive. Any file name works.
Can I make cards with a cloze deletion?
Choose the cloze note type and write the cloze marks in the front yourself, with HTML on if you want formatting. The tool does not create the marks.
Why did my line break a card in two?
The separator you chose appears in the text twice, so the line was split into three fields. Pick a separator that is not in your text, or the extra part is imported as a third field.
Does this need an account or an add-on?
No. It builds a text file that Anki can import, and nothing is sent anywhere. Anki itself is a separate program that you install.