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anki-mcp-server

MCP.Pizza Chef: scorzeth

Four tools connect to the Anki app already running on your machine: pull the cards due today, pull ones you have never seen, record how well you answered each, and add a new card. Reviewing is the strong half. Card creation is bare, since every new card is a plain front-and-back note filed into the deck named Default, with no way to pick a deck or make a fill-in-the-blank card. It cannot edit or delete anything that already exists, and needs no account.

Unmaintained · no code changes since January 2025
Notes

Use This MCP server To

Study today's due flashcards in a chat instead of the app Have my answers graded and recorded back into Anki See how many cards are waiting for review Look at cards I have never studied before Add a front-and-back card while I am reading something Turn a fact I just learned into a flashcard

README

Anki MCP Server

An MCP server implementation that connects to a locally running Anki, providing card review and creation.

This server is designed to work with the Anki desktop app and the Anki-Connect add-on.

Make sure you have the add-on installed before using.

Resources

  • anki://search/deckcurrent
    • Returns all cards from current deck
    • Equivalent of deck:current in Anki
  • anki://search/isdue
    • Returns cards in review and learning waiting to be studied
    • Equivalent of is:due in Anki
  • anki://search/isnew
    • Returns all unseen cards
    • Equivalent of is:new in Anki

Tools

  • update_cards

    • Marks cards with given card IDs as answered and gives them an ease score between 1 (Again) and 4 (Easy)
    • Inputs:
      • answers (array): Array of objects with cardId (number) and ease (number) fields

  • add_card

    • Creates a new card in the Default Anki deck
    • Inputs:
      • front (string): Front of card
      • back (string): Back of card

  • get_due_cards

    • Returns n number of cards currently due for review
    • Inputs:
      • num (number): Number of cards

  • get_new_cards

    • Returns n number of cards from new
    • Inputs:
      • num (number): Number of cards

Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build the server:

npm run build

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run watch

Configuration

To use with Claude Desktop, add the server config:

On MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json On Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

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

Debugging

Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the MCP Inspector, which is available as a package script:

npm run inspector

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

anki-mcp-server FAQ

Can I use this to run through my flashcards without looking at Anki?
Yes for the reviewing itself, though Anki still has to be open in the background. Your answers and difficulty ratings are written straight back into your study history.
Do I need to sign up for a key?
No. It talks to the Anki app on your own computer through the Anki-Connect add-on, which you install once inside Anki.
Can I choose which deck new cards go into?
No. Every card it creates is filed into the deck named Default, and that is fixed in the code. You have to move them yourself afterwards.
Can it make fill-in-the-blank or image cards?
No. New cards are always the plain Basic type, with one front and one back.
Can it fix or delete a card I already have?
No. It can only add new cards and record review answers. Editing and deleting still happen inside Anki.
What do I need before it works?
The Anki desktop app installed and open, plus the Anki-Connect add-on. Without that add-on the server has nothing to talk to.
How hard is setup?
You download the project and build it yourself with npm, then point Claude Desktop at the built file. Instructions cover both Mac and Windows.
Is it still being updated?
No. The last code change was January 2025, so it has been still for well over a year.