Anki Flashcards MCP Server

Knowledge & MemoryTypeScript

Interact with Anki flashcards through Claude

Available Tools

update_cards

Marks cards with given card IDs as answered and gives them an ease score between 1 (Again) and 4 (Easy)

answers

add_card

Creates a new card in the Default Anki deck

frontback

get_due_cards

Returns n number of cards currently due for review

num

get_new_cards

Returns n number of cards from new

num

The Anki Flashcards MCP allows Claude to interact directly with your Anki flashcard collection. It enables reviewing due cards, creating new flashcards, and managing your spaced repetition learning directly through Claude's interface. This integration bridges the gap between AI assistance and one of the most popular spaced repetition learning tools.

Overview

The Anki Flashcards MCP connects Claude to your locally running Anki desktop application, allowing you to review and create flashcards through natural language conversation. This integration leverages the Anki-Connect add-on to communicate with your Anki collection.

Prerequisites

Before using this MCP, you need to:

Install the Anki desktop application
Install the Anki-Connect add-on in Anki
Make sure Anki is running when you use this MCP

Installation

To use the Anki Flashcards MCP with Claude Desktop, add the following configuration:

On MacOS

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/anki-mcp-server/build/index.js"
    }
  }
}

On Windows

Add to %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/anki-mcp-server/build/index.js"
    }
  }
}

Usage

Once installed, you can interact with your Anki collection through Claude using natural language. Here are some examples:

"Show me 5 cards that are due for review today"
"Create a new flashcard with 'What is the capital of France?' on the front and 'Paris' on the back"
"Show me new cards I haven't studied yet"
"I want to review cards from my current deck"

Available Resources

The MCP provides access to several Anki search resources:

anki://search/deckcurrent: Returns all cards from your current deck
anki://search/isdue: Returns cards in review and learning that are waiting to be studied
anki://search/isnew: Returns all unseen cards

Debugging

Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. You can use the MCP Inspector for debugging:

npm run inspector

This will provide a URL to access debugging tools in your browser.

Development

If you want to modify or contribute to the MCP:

Clone the repository
Install dependencies: npm install
Build the server: npm run build
For development with auto-rebuild: npm run watch