Welcome to Anki Pro's flashcard-making party! Let's dive in and learn how to create beautiful and effective cards for whatever you need to learn.
Step #1: Get a deck
Before creating your first card, the app will ask you to pick a deck or create your own. Think of decks like folders—one for each subject, like history or biology.
📍Quick tip: Avoid stuffing all your cards into one big pile. Instead, set up a main deck for each subject and add sub-decks for specific topics. This way, you can review cards from different topics within one subject and see how everything fits together.
To create sub-decks, just tap the "+" button on the main deck. On mobile, swipe left to find the buttons.
Step #2: Start a new flashcard
After selecting the deck you're working with, simply hit the "Add cards" button.
You'll find yourself in a rich editor where you can customize your future flashcard to your needs and heart's content. And don't worry if it feels like a lot at first—we're here to unpack every feature you might need.
While it's quicker and easier to create cards using Anki Pro's web version, the pocket-sized app is perfect for flashcard-making on the go.
Shortcut: Type flashcard.new in your browser search bar to immediately open card creation mode.
Step #3: Add text
As easy as that, you see text fields for both the front and the back sides of your future card. To succeed in this step, remember a simple rule: keep it simple. Divide complex concepts into multiple flashcards to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
📍Quick tip: Learn what you understand. Make sure you grasp the concept before making a card on it. Otherwise, read that paragraph once again or ask your teacher
Features to use:
1. Adjust text colors or highlight specific words/phrases to color-code your notes.
2. Opt for standard text formatting options.
3. Include headings to improve the organization of information on your flashcards.
4. Create digital formulas.
5. Snap a photo of text, even your handwriting, to transform it into a card note (only for IOS users for now)
Step #4: Add visuals
When it comes to memory, scientists agree that the visual component helps a lot: this is how we remember better. At Anki Pro, it’s easy to enrich your flashcards with visual content.
Features to use:
add a picture that you like…
or draw an illustration yourself!
📍Quick Tip: For cards that involve columns, charts, or tables, it's best to include them as screenshots.
Step #5: Try 'Fill-in-the-Blank'
This feature, also known as Cloze, blanks out terms, numbers, dates, etc., for focused learning within a particular context. Watch a tutorial dedicated to this particular feature here.
Blanking out more than one piece of information on a flashcard creates an equal number of separate cards.
Use this ‘hint’ feature to direct yourself towards the exact answer you need. Right after the closed word type the hint into “:: ::”. Watch the quick video tutorial for more details.
Step #6: Consider ‘Reverse Cards’
Turning on the 'Reverse Cards' feature boosts your brainpower by helping you see info from different angles. It's like seeing things from both sides of the coin, making it easier to nail down definitions, vocab, and facts.
You can watch the video tutorial on how to make your first flashcard at Anki Pro:
Get creative with your flashcards and enjoy the process of studying!