anki

Anki MCP Server Skill

Create and manage Anki flashcards through the anki-mcp-server MCP integration.

Prerequisites

1. Anki desktop app is running
2. AnkiConnect addon installed (default port 8765)
3. MCP server configured in Claude:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "anki-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Note: Do not use the .mcpb packaged version — it outputs Electron metadata to stdout which breaks the MCP stdio protocol.

Quick Reference

Goal	Tool	Key Args
Check connection	anki_check_connection	—
List all decks	anki_list_decks	—
Create deck	anki_create_deck	name
List all tags	anki_list_tags	—
Add note tags	anki_add_note_tags	noteId or noteIds, tags
Remove note tags	anki_remove_note_tags	noteId or noteIds, tags
Create one note	anki_create_note	type, deck, fields
Batch create notes	anki_batch_create_notes	notes[] (10–20 per batch)
Search notes	anki_search_notes	query (Anki syntax), limit, offset
Get note details	anki_get_note_info	noteId
Update note	anki_update_note	id, fields, tags
Delete note	anki_delete_note	noteId or noteIds
List note types	anki_list_note_types	—
Get field names	anki_get_note_type_info	modelName

Legacy unprefixed tool names still work, but prefer the anki_* tools for new workflows.

Core Workflows

From text/notes → Flashcards

1. Call anki_list_decks to confirm target deck (create if needed)
2. Call anki_get_note_type_info to confirm field names for the chosen type
3. Extract knowledge points — one concept per card
4. Call anki_batch_create_notes (10–20 notes per call, max 50)

Minimum information principle: Each card tests exactly one thing.

Note Types

Type	Fields	Use For
Basic	Front, Back	Definitions, facts, Q&A
Cloze	Text with {{c1::deletion}}	Fill-in-the-blank, sequences

Always call anki_get_note_type_info first when using custom note types — field names vary.

Batch Create Example

{
  "notes": [
    {
      "type": "Basic",
      "deck": "Programming::Python",
      "fields": {
        "Front": "What does list comprehension look like in Python?",
        "Back": "[expr for item in iterable if condition]"
      },
      "tags": ["python", "syntax"]
    },
    {
      "type": "Cloze",
      "deck": "Programming::Python",
      "fields": {
        "Text": "In Python, {{c1::def}} defines a function and {{c2::return}} sends back a value."
      },
      "tags": ["python", "basics"]
    }
  ],
  "allowDuplicate": false,
  "stopOnError": false
}

Search Syntax

deck:Python              # Cards in Python deck
tag:重要 is:due          # Due cards tagged "重要"
is:new                   # Unseen cards
note:Basic               # Cards using Basic note type
"exact phrase"           # Exact text match

Tags

Use anki_list_tags to inspect existing tags. For metadata-only changes, prefer anki_add_note_tags and anki_remove_note_tags; use anki_update_note only when replacing the full tag list.

Deck Naming

Use :: for hierarchy: Language::English::Vocabulary, CS::Algorithms::Sorting

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Not calling anki_get_note_type_info first	Always check field names before creating notes with custom types
Batches > 50 notes	Split into multiple calls of 10–20
Using .mcpb file	Use npx -y anki-mcp-server instead
Anki not running	Start Anki, verify AnkiConnect is active
Wrong field names	Field names are case-sensitive — use anki_get_note_type_info to verify