Anki Docs: The Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide (And a Simpler Alternative Most People Miss) – Confused by Anki documentation? Here’s the easy version, plus a faster way to start using flashcards today.

Anki Docs Are Confusing? You’re Not Alone

If you’ve ever opened the official Anki docs and thought,

“Wait… what? Why is this so complicated?”

you’re in good company.

Anki is powerful, but the documentation can feel like reading a manual for a spaceship when you just want to study for your exam.

So in this guide, I’ll:

• Break down the core ideas behind Anki docs in simple language
• Explain the most important concepts (cards, decks, spaced repetition, cloze, add-ons, etc.)
• Show you where Anki gets annoying or overcomplicated
• And share a much simpler alternative: Flashrecall), a modern flashcard app that gives you the benefits of Anki without the headache

What Anki Docs Are Actually Trying To Teach You

The Anki manual is long because it’s trying to explain a lot of things at once:

• How cards and note types work
• How spaced repetition scheduling works
• How to import/export
• How to sync
• How to use add-ons
• How to customize everything

Let’s strip it down to the only concepts you really need to start.

1. Cards, Notes, and Decks (In Normal Human Language)

The docs talk a lot about notes and note types. Here’s the simple version:

• Deck = a folder where your cards live (e.g. “Biology”, “French Vocabulary”)
• Note = the information you want to remember (e.g. a word + its translation, or a question + answer)
• Card = the actual flashcard generated from that note

Example:

• Note:
• Front: “Capital of France?”
• Back: “Paris”
• Anki turns that into a card you review.

Anki docs explain this in a very technical way because Anki can generate multiple cards from one note (like front→back and back→front). That’s powerful, but honestly, it confuses a lot of beginners.

With something like Flashrecall, you don’t really have to think about “note types” at all. You just:

• Paste text, upload an image, add a PDF, or drop in a YouTube link
• Let the app instantly create flashcards for you
• Or make cards manually if you want full control

No overthinking “note types”. Just cards that work.

👉 Try it here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

2. Spaced Repetition: The Core of the Anki Docs

A huge chunk of the Anki docs is about how scheduling works:

• “Again”, “Hard”, “Good”, “Easy” buttons
• Intervals, ease factor, lapses, relearning steps
• Custom scheduling options

The idea is actually simple:

> See cards right before you’re about to forget them, not too early, not too late.

That’s spaced repetition. Anki gives you lots of knobs and sliders to tweak it… which is cool if you’re a power user, but kind of overkill if you just want to pass an exam.

With Flashrecall, spaced repetition is built-in and automatic:

• You study
• The app tracks how well you remember
• It auto-schedules reviews for you
• You get study reminders so you don’t forget to review

You don’t have to read a scheduling chapter in a manual. It “just works”.

The Parts of Anki Docs That Trip People Up

Let’s go through some of the main sections of the docs and translate them into normal language.

Card Types and Cloze Deletions

You can use different note types like Basic, Basic (and reversed), Cloze, etc.

• Basic card: front and back. Simple Q&A.
• Reversed card: you get both directions (front→back and back→front).
• Cloze card: fill-in-the-blank style.

Example cloze:

> “The capital of {{c1::France}} is {{c2::Paris}}.”

Anki will hide “France” or “Paris” and make you recall them.

This is super useful for:

• Language learning
• Medicine (e.g. pathways, lists, anatomy)
• Law, definitions, formulas

In Flashrecall, you can create similar “fill-in-the-blank” style cards easily, but you also get something extra:

you can chat with your flashcards.

If you’re unsure why an answer is correct, you can literally ask the app:

> “Explain this card to me like I’m 10.”

> “Give me another example of this concept.”

That’s something Anki + its docs will never give you.

Add-Ons and Customization

Anki docs also dive deep into:

• Add-ons
• Custom card layouts (HTML/CSS)
• Advanced settings

This is where a lot of people give up. You start reading about “templates”, “fields”, “card styling”, and suddenly you’re a part-time web developer instead of a student.

If you love tweaking, Anki is great. But if you’re like most people, you want:

• A fast, modern, easy-to-use app
• That looks good out of the box
• Without spending hours reading docs or installing add-ons

That’s where Flashrecall shines:

• Clean, modern interface
• Works on iPhone and iPad
• Built-in spaced repetition and active recall
• No add-ons required to make it usable
• Free to start, so you can test it without stress

Anki Docs vs. Real Life: What You Actually Need To Know

If you’re trying to use Anki and are buried in the docs, here’s what really matters:

1. How to Make Good Cards

The docs talk about card quality, but here’s the simple rule:

• One fact per card
• Keep it short and clear
• Avoid giant paragraphs
• Use images when they help

Example – bad card:

> Q: “Explain everything about the Krebs cycle.”

> A: A huge wall of text.

Example – better cards:

• “What is the main purpose of the Krebs cycle?”
• “Where in the cell does the Krebs cycle occur?”
• “Which molecule enters the Krebs cycle from glycolysis?”

With Flashrecall, this becomes even easier because you can:

• Upload a PDF or lecture slides, and let the app auto-generate flashcards
• Paste a YouTube link (e.g. a lecture), and get cards from that
• Take a photo of your notes and turn them into reviewable cards

That means less time making cards, more time actually learning.

2. How Often to Study

The Anki docs explain how often cards show up, but the takeaway is:

• Study a bit every day
• Don’t cram 1,000 new cards at once
• Let spaced repetition do its thing

The problem with Anki: you have to remember to open it.

With Flashrecall, you get study reminders, so your phone actually nudges you:

• “Hey, you’ve got 20 cards due today.”
• “Quick review session?”

This tiny feature alone can be the difference between actually using flashcards… and just meaning to.

3. Syncing and Offline Use

Anki docs also cover syncing between devices and offline use.

With Flashrecall:

• It works offline, so you can study on the bus, on a plane, in bad Wi-Fi
• Syncs across iPhone and iPad
• You don’t have to manually manage weird sync conflicts

You just open the app and your cards are there. That’s it.

When Anki Makes Sense… and When It Really Doesn’t

To be fair, Anki is amazing if:

• You’re super technical
• You want to customize everything
• You don’t mind reading long docs and tinkering

But if you:

• Get overwhelmed by the docs
• Don’t want to mess with add-ons
• Want something that looks and feels modern
• Want to create cards instantly from your real study material

…then Anki might be more pain than it’s worth.

> “What if we took the best ideas from Anki (spaced repetition, active recall) and made them actually easy and fast to use?”

How Flashrecall Makes Anki-Style Studying Way Easier

Here’s how Flashrecall maps to what Anki docs are trying to teach you, but without the complexity.

1. Active Recall and Spaced Repetition Built In

You don’t have to understand “ease factors” or “intervals”.

• Flashrecall shows you a prompt
• You try to recall the answer
• You rate how well you knew it
• The app automatically spaces your reviews for maximum memory

Same science. Less friction.

2. Instant Flashcards From Real Content

Instead of manually typing every single card (like in Anki):

• Take a photo of your textbook or notes
• Upload a PDF or slides
• Paste text or a YouTube link
• Or just type a prompt, and let Flashrecall help generate cards

The app does the heavy lifting. You just clean up or add what you want.

3. Chat With Your Flashcards

This is where Flashrecall goes beyond anything in the Anki docs:

• Unsure why an answer is correct? Ask the app.
• Need another explanation? Ask for it.
• Want a simpler version or more examples? Just chat.

It turns your deck into an interactive tutor, not just static cards.

4. Works for Literally Anything

Use Flashrecall for:

• Languages – vocab, grammar patterns, phrases
• Exams – SAT, MCAT, USMLE, bar exam, finals
• School subjects – math, history, biology, chemistry, geography
• University – medicine, law, engineering, business
• Work – job interviews, frameworks, terminology, presentations

If it’s information, you can turn it into flashcards.

How To Decide: Anki Docs or Flashrecall?

Ask yourself:

• Do I want to spend time reading manuals and configuring things?
• Or do I want to start learning fast, with minimal setup?

If you enjoy tinkering and you’re okay with a steeper learning curve, the Anki docs are worth digging into.

If you just want something that:

• Is fast, modern, and easy to use
• Has built-in spaced repetition and active recall
• Lets you make cards instantly from PDFs, images, YouTube, text, audio
• Works offline and on iPhone/iPad
• Is free to start

…then skip the Anki manual and try Flashrecall instead.

👉 Download it here and build your first deck in minutes:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

You can always go back to the Anki docs later if you really miss reading manuals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Anki good for studying?

Anki is powerful but requires manual card creation and has a steep learning curve. Flashrecall offers AI-powered card generation from your notes, images, PDFs, and videos, making it faster and easier to create effective flashcards.

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

What's the best way to learn vocabulary?

Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.

How can I study more effectively for this test?

Effective exam prep combines active recall, spaced repetition, and regular practice. Flashrecall helps by automatically generating flashcards from your study materials and using spaced repetition to ensure you remember everything when exam day arrives.

Related Articles

• Anki Docs: The Complete Beginner-Friendly Guide (And a Simpler Alternative Most Students Prefer) – Before you get lost in confusing Anki documentation, see how you can get the same power with way less friction.
• Anki Notes: The Complete Guide To Smarter Flashcards (And A Better Alternative Most Students Don’t Know) – Discover how to fix the annoying parts of Anki and upgrade your notes into powerful flashcards that actually stick.
• Brainscape To Anki: The Complete Guide To Switching Flashcard Apps (And The Smarter Alternative Most People Miss) – Learn a faster way to move your decks and upgrade your whole study workflow.