anki

name	anki
description	Use when the user wants to create Anki flashcards, manage Anki decks, search notes, or interact with Anki via AnkiConnect. Triggers on phrases like "create flashcards", "add to Anki", "make Anki cards", "batch create notes", or "manage my Anki deck".
metadata	{"author":"nailuoGG","version":"1.0.0"}

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