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Study Tipsby FlashRecall Team

Make Flashcards In Notion: 7 Smart Tricks To Stay Organized (And A Better Way To Actually Study) – Learn how to set up Notion flashcards step-by-step and when it’s way easier to just use Flashrecall instead.

make flashcards in notion with toggles or databases, then plug them into Flashrecall for spaced repetition, AI flashcards, and way faster exam prep.

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Download FlashRecall now to create flashcards from images, YouTube, text, audio, and PDFs. Use spaced repetition and save your progress to study like top students.

How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free

FlashRecall make flashcards in notion flashcard app screenshot showing study tips study interface with spaced repetition reminders and active recall practice
FlashRecall make flashcards in notion study app interface demonstrating study tips flashcards with AI-powered card creation and review scheduling
FlashRecall make flashcards in notion flashcard maker app displaying study tips learning features including card creation, review sessions, and progress tracking
FlashRecall make flashcards in notion study app screenshot with study tips flashcards showing review interface, spaced repetition algorithm, and memory retention tools

So, You Want To Make Flashcards In Notion?

Alright, let’s talk about how to make flashcards in Notion in a way that actually works and doesn’t turn into a huge time suck. Making flashcards in Notion basically means using databases, toggles, or templates to fake a “front” and “back” of a card so you can quiz yourself. It’s nice if you already live in Notion and want everything in one place, but it’s not really built for spaced repetition or serious memorization. That’s where a dedicated app like Flashrecall comes in – it keeps all the smart study stuff (spaced repetition, reminders, instant cards from images/PDFs) done for you while Notion can stay your notes hub.

Before we get into the “better way,” let’s walk through how to actually set up flashcards in Notion, then I’ll show you how to pair it with Flashrecall for way faster learning.

Option 1: Simple Toggle Flashcards In Notion

If you just want quick Q&A cards, toggles are the easiest way to make flashcards in Notion.

How It Works

You create a list of toggles where:

  • The toggle title = question / prompt
  • The toggle content = answer / explanation
  • Toggle: “What’s the capital of France?”
  • Inside: “Paris – also the largest city in France.”

Pros

  • Super easy to set up
  • Great for small topics or quick reviews
  • Looks clean and minimal

Cons

  • No progress tracking
  • No spaced repetition
  • You have to manually scroll and review everything

This is fine for light review, but if you’re prepping for exams, languages, medicine, or anything heavy, you’ll probably hit the limits fast.

Option 2: Database Flashcards (The “Real” Notion Flashcard Setup)

If you want something closer to real flashcards, you can use a Notion database.

Step-By-Step Setup

1. Create a new database

  • Add a Table
  • Properties:
  • `Front` (Text) – your question/prompt
  • `Back` (Text) – your answer
  • Optional: `Tag`, `Subject`, `Difficulty`, `Last Reviewed`

2. Add your cards

  • Each row = one flashcard
  • Front = “Define mitosis”
  • Back = “Cell division resulting in two identical daughter cells”

3. Use different views

  • Gallery View – set the card to show only `Front` by default
  • Click into the card to see the `Back`
  • You can also create filtered views by topic or tag

Pros

  • Organized by topic, subject, or exam
  • Easy to filter and search
  • Feels more like a real flashcard system

Cons

  • Still no automatic spaced repetition
  • You have to decide what to review and when
  • Flipping cards is clunky compared to a real flashcard app

This setup is solid for organization, but Notion still doesn’t help you remember – it just stores the info.

The Big Problem With Notion Flashcards

Here’s the main issue: Notion is amazing for notes, not for memory.

When you make flashcards in Notion, you have to:

  • Decide when to review
  • Decide how many cards to do
  • Track what’s “easy” vs “hard” manually
  • Remember to come back at the right time

That’s exactly the stuff spaced repetition apps are built to handle automatically.

Why Flashrecall Is Better For Actual Studying

So here’s where Flashrecall) comes in. You can totally keep using Notion for notes and structure, and then move only the important bits into Flashrecall to actually memorize them.

What Flashrecall Does That Notion Doesn’t

  • Automatic spaced repetition

Flashrecall schedules reviews for you using spaced repetition, so cards show up right before you’re about to forget them. No manual planning, no review calendar, no spreadsheets.

  • Built-in active recall

It shows you the prompt, hides the answer, and makes you actually think before revealing – exactly what you want from flashcards.

  • Study reminders

You get gentle nudges to review so you don’t fall off the wagon.

  • Instant flashcards from anything

You can generate cards from:

  • Images (lecture slides, screenshots)
  • Text and PDFs (class notes, ebooks)
  • YouTube links (lectures, tutorials)
  • Audio
  • Or just typed prompts

Notion can’t auto-convert this stuff into flashcards for you.

  • Chat with your flashcards

Stuck on a concept? You can literally chat with the flashcard to get deeper explanations or examples. That’s wild compared to static text in Notion.

  • Works offline

Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :

Flashrecall spaced repetition study reminders notification showing when to review flashcards for better memory retention

Perfect for trains, flights, or dead Wi‑Fi zones.

  • Fast, modern, easy to use

It’s built for studying, not general productivity. No extra clutter.

  • Free to start, on iPhone and iPad

So you can test it without committing to anything.

Link again so you don’t scroll back up:

👉 Flashrecall on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

How To Use Notion + Flashrecall Together (Best Of Both Worlds)

You don’t have to pick one or the other. The best setup is:

  • Notion = your brain’s external hard drive (notes, outlines, references)
  • Flashrecall = your memory gym (only the stuff you actually want to remember)

Simple Workflow

1. Take notes in Notion

  • Lecture notes, textbook summaries, screenshots, whatever.

2. Mark what should become a flashcard

  • Highlight key definitions, formulas, dates, vocab, etc.
  • You can even use an emoji or tag like “🃏 Flashcard” inside your notes to mark them.

3. Move those into Flashrecall

  • Copy-paste Q&A pairs manually (still fast)
  • Or screenshot key parts and let Flashrecall make cards from the image
  • Or export PDFs of your notes and let Flashrecall generate cards from that

4. Let Flashrecall handle the spaced repetition

  • You open the app, and it just tells you:
  • “Here are today’s cards”
  • “Here’s what’s due”
  • No planning, no guessing, just study.

This way, Notion stays clean and organized, and Flashrecall becomes your focused study space.

Example: Turning A Notion Note Into Flashcards

Say you’ve got a Notion page on Photosynthesis:

  • Section: Definition
  • Section: Light-dependent reactions
  • Section: Light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle)

You could:

1. Highlight key lines like:

  • “Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.”
  • “Occurs in the chloroplasts.”
  • “Chlorophyll absorbs light primarily in the blue and red wavelengths.”

2. Turn them into flashcards in Flashrecall:

  • Q: “What does photosynthesis do?”
  • A: “Converts light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.”
  • Q: “Where does photosynthesis occur?”
  • A: “In the chloroplasts.”
  • Q: “Which wavelengths does chlorophyll mainly absorb?”
  • A: “Blue and red light.”

3. Study them with spaced repetition in Flashrecall instead of scrolling a long Notion page over and over.

But Can’t I Just Build Spaced Repetition In Notion?

You can try, but it’s a lot of work:

  • Create date properties
  • Manually calculate next review dates
  • Filter by “Today”
  • Update difficulty tags
  • Keep changing intervals every time you review

At that point, you’re basically trying to rebuild what Flashrecall already does automatically, and honestly, it’s not worth the time if you’re trying to pass exams or learn fast.

Flashrecall already:

  • Tracks what’s easy vs hard
  • Adjusts the review intervals automatically
  • Keeps everything in a clean, focused study interface

So instead of building a system, you can spend that time actually learning.

When Notion Flashcards Are Enough (And When They Aren’t)

Notion Flashcards Are Fine For:

  • Small topics
  • Light review
  • Quick personal checklists
  • Non-critical stuff (fun facts, ideas, quotes)

You Really Want Flashrecall For:

  • Exams (SAT, MCAT, USMLE, bar exam, finals, etc.)
  • Languages (vocab, grammar patterns, phrases)
  • Medicine, law, engineering, programming
  • Business concepts, certifications, or anything dense

Because in those cases, forgetting costs you grades, time, or money. You want a system that fights forgetting for you.

How To Get Started Today (Super Simple Plan)

1. Keep your notes in Notion like normal.

2. Pick one topic you care about (e.g., “Cardiology basics”, “French vocab – food”, “Python loops”).

3. Pull out 10–20 key facts or questions.

4. Drop them into Flashrecall as flashcards.

5. Study them for a few days and watch how much more you remember compared to just rereading your Notion notes.

Here’s the link again so you don’t have to hunt for it:

👉 Download Flashrecall (free to start): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Final Thoughts

So yeah, you can make flashcards in Notion using toggles or databases, and it’s totally fine for organization and quick review. But if you actually want to remember stuff long-term without micromanaging your study schedule, pairing your Notion notes with Flashrecall is just way smarter.

Let Notion handle the information, and let Flashrecall handle the memory. That combo is hard to beat.

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.

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

Practice This With Free Flashcards

Try our web flashcards right now to test yourself on what you just read. You can click to flip cards, move between questions, and see how much you really remember.

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Inside the FlashRecall app you can also create your own decks from images, PDFs, YouTube, audio, and text, then use spaced repetition to save your progress and study like top students.

Research References

The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.

Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380

Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice

Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378

Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts

Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19

Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence

Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968

Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning

Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27

Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58

Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective

FlashRecall Team profile

FlashRecall Team

FlashRecall Development Team

The FlashRecall Team is a group of working professionals and developers who are passionate about making effective study methods more accessible to students. We believe that evidence-based learning tec...

Credentials & Qualifications

  • Software Development
  • Product Development
  • User Experience Design

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