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Anki: Notes & Cards

How Anki Stores Knowledge vs How It Tests Memory

If you understand this chapter, you understand Anki.

1. The Core Distinction (Memorize This)

Notes store information.

Cards test memory.

You create notes.

Anki generates cards.

This separation is not cosmetic — it is a design principle.

2. What Is a Note?

A note is a structured container of information.

It is:

  • One concept
  • With multiple fields
  • Saved once

Examples of fields:

  • Term
  • Definition
  • Example
  • Explanation
  • Image
  • Extra info

A note is not something you review directly.

2.1 Example: Vocabulary Note

Fields:

Word: abandon
Meaning: give up completely
Example: He abandoned the plan.
Pronunciation: /əˈbændən/

This is one note.

3. What Is a Card?

A card is a question–answer pair generated from a note.

A card:

  • Has a front (question)
  • Has a back (answer)
  • Is scheduled for review
  • Is shown repeatedly over time

Cards are what Anki actually shows you.

3.1 Cards Generated from One Note

From the same vocabulary note, Anki can generate:

  • Card 1 Front: abandon Back: give up completely
  • Card 2 Front: give up completely Back: abandon
  • Card 3 Front: He ___ the plan. Back: abandoned

One note → multiple cards.

4. Why Anki Separates Notes and Cards

This separation allows:

  1. Reuse
    • One fact, many tests
  2. Consistency
    • Fix the note → all cards update
  3. Multiple recall directions
    • Recognition
    • Production
    • Contextual recall
  4. Better memory coverage
    • Memory is context-dependent

Anki tests how you know something, not just that you know it.

5. Note Types: The Blueprint

A note type defines:

  • What fields exist
  • How many cards are created
  • What each card looks like

Examples:

  • Basic
  • Basic (and reverse)
  • Cloze
  • Custom note types

Think of a note type as a card factory.

5.1 Basic Note Type

Fields:

Front
Back

Cards:

  • One card per note

Use when:

  • Knowledge is one-directional
  • You want simplicity

5.2 Basic (and Reverse)

Fields:

Front
Back

Cards:

  • Front → Back
  • Back → Front

Use when:

  • Both directions matter
  • Vocabulary, definitions

Caution:

  • Not always appropriate (not all facts are symmetric)

5.3 Cloze Note Type

Fields:

Text
Extra

Example note:

TCP is a {{c1::connection-oriented}} protocol.

Cards:

  • One per cloze deletion

Why cloze is powerful:

  • Keeps context
  • Encourages atomic deletions
  • Fast to create

6. Fields: Design Matters

Fields are raw data, not cards.

Good field design:

  • Clear purpose per field
  • No mixing of unrelated info
  • Optional extra fields allowed

Bad field design:

  • Huge paragraphs
  • Multiple concepts in one field
  • Formatting chaos

Rule:

If you hesitate while recalling, the card is poorly designed.

7. Card Templates: How Notes Become Cards

A card template decides:

  • What appears on the front
  • What appears on the back
  • How fields are arranged

Example template logic:

Front: {{Word}}
Back: {{Meaning}}<br>{{Example}}

Change the template:

  • All existing cards update
  • No need to re-enter notes

This is why notes are more important than cards.

8. One Note, Many Cards — But Not Too Many

Anki allows many cards per note, but:

Too few cards:

  • Poor coverage

Too many cards:

  • Review overload
  • Redundancy
  • Fatigue

Rule of thumb:

  • 1–5 cards per note
  • Each card tests a different angle

9. Editing Notes vs Editing Cards

Edit the note when:

  • Content is wrong
  • Explanation is unclear
  • Example is bad

Edit the card when:

  • Question is poorly phrased
  • Front reveals the answer
  • Card is ambiguous

Most of the time:

Edit the note, not the card.

10. Common Beginner Confusions

“Why did editing one card change others?”

Because they share the same note.

“Why do I see cards I didn’t create?”

Anki generated them from the note type.

“Why does deleting a note delete many cards?”

Because cards depend on the note.

11. Designing Notes with Memory in Mind

Ask while creating a note:

  • What might I forget?
  • In what direction will I need recall?
  • What context helps recall but doesn’t give away the answer?

Design notes so cards can be:

  • Short
  • Clear
  • Atomic

12. Mental Model to Keep Forever

Notes are knowledge.

Cards are questions.

Templates are factories.

If Anki feels hard:

  • Fix cards → short term
  • Fix notes → long term

Final Advice

Most Anki problems are note design problems disguised as scheduling issues.

If you master notes and cards:

  • Reviews become fast
  • Retention becomes high
  • Anki becomes boring — in a good way