anki-mcp/anki-mcp-desktop

Seamlessly integrate Anki with AI assistants through the Model Context Protocol
> [!IMPORTANT]
> **Prefer the AnkiMCP addon for most setups.**
>
> The addon (GitHub) runs the MCP server directly inside Anki. There is no Node.js to install, no AnkiConnect to configure, no separate process to keep running: install it with code 124672614, restart Anki, and the server is up every time Anki opens. It covers local HTTP access and remote access through a built-in tunnel.
>
> This repository is the right choice when you specifically need:
>
> - **STDIO transport** — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or any client that spawns the server as a subprocess
> - **MCPB bundle** — the one-click .mcpb install for Claude Desktop
>
> For HTTP, tunnel, or web-based clients (claude.ai, ChatGPT), the addon is the simpler and better-supported path.
>
> This repo is **not** being deprecated. It stays maintained and released alongside the addon as part of the same ankimcp.ai project.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with Anki, the spaced repetition flashcard application.
Transform your Anki experience with natural language interaction - like having a private tutor. The AI assistant doesn't just present questions and answers; it can explain concepts, make the learning process more engaging and human-like, provide context, and adapt to your learning style. It can create and edit notes on the fly, turning your study sessions into dynamic conversations. More features coming soon!
Examples and Tutorials
For comprehensive guides, real-world examples, and step-by-step tutorials on using this MCP server with Claude Desktop, visit:
**ankimcp.ai** - Complete documentation with practical examples and use cases
See docs/ for supplementary documentation, including the reviewer setup guide and the sample Anki deck.
Example Use Cases
Three representative prompts showing the tool flows this server enables:
1. **"Help me review my Spanish deck."** — The assistant offers to sync with AnkiWeb (sync), fetches due cards (get_due_cards with deck filter), presents each card (present_card), and records your rating (rate_card). Natural study conversation with explanations tailored to you.
2. **"Create 10 Arabic vocab cards with RTL styling."** — The assistant lists note types (modelNames), creates a custom RTL model if needed (createModel + updateModelStyling for right-to-left CSS), then batch-creates the cards (addNotes).
3. **"Import this image from my Downloads folder into the front of the selected note."** — The assistant uploads the local file (storeMediaFile with a file path), reads the currently-selected note from the browser (guiSelectedNotes + notesInfo), and updates the front field with an tag (updateNoteFields).
Available Tools
The server exposes **53 MCP tools** — 42 essential tools for everyday Anki operations and 11 GUI tools that drive the Anki desktop interface for note editing/creation workflows.
Essential Tools
Review & Study
- sync - Sync with AnkiWeb to pull latest data and push changes
- get_due_cards - Get cards that are due for review, optionally filtered by deck (answers omitted unless include_answer: true, default false)
- get_cards - Get cards with flexible filtering by state (due, new, learning, suspended, buried) and deck (answers omitted unless include_answer: true, default false)
- present_card - Show a card for review with its question/front side
- rate_card - Rate card performance (Again, Hard, Good, Easy) and schedule the next review
- forgetCards - Reset cards to new, discarding their scheduling without recording a review
- setDueDate - Reschedule cards to become due in N days ("0", "3-7", "1!"), without recording a review
- areSuspended - Check suspension state for one or more cards without changing anything
- suspend - Suspend cards so they are skipped during review until unsuspended
- unsuspend - Unsuspend cards so they return to normal review
> **Note:** forgetCards and setDueDate change scheduling *without* logging a review, which is what separates them from rate_card. Reach for them when a card's schedule is wrong rather than the answer: rating a card Again to bury it deeper records a real lapse and drops its ease factor, permanently skewing both future scheduling and your statistics. forgetCards wipes the interval and starts the card over; setDueDate keeps the card's history and just moves the next review.
> **Note:** Card front/back content is rendered per card from its own template (as Anki shows it), so reversed and cloze cards display the correct direction. Static text added by your card templates appears in the output as well.