MCP server for integrating with Anki flashcards through conversational AI
This MCP server integrates with Anki flashcards through conversational AI. It provides an MCP layer that bridges an Anki flashcard collection with conversational AI capabilities, using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for interoperability.
🛠️ Key Features
MCP server for integrating with Anki flashcards
Bridges Anki flashcard collection with conversational AI
Described as an “Anki MCP” server
🚀 Use Cases
Connecting Anki flashcard workflows to conversational AI via MCP
Using MCP to access or interact with Anki flashcard content in a conversation context
⚡ Developer Benefits
Uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) for integration
Package is available as an NPM module: @arielbk/anki-mcp
Distributed under the MIT license
⚠️ Limitations
Provided material does not specify available tools, configuration, or detailed behavior beyond the stated integration purpose
Transform your Anki flashcard experience with AI! This MCP (Model Context Protocol) server bridges your Anki flashcard collection with AI assistants like Claude, enabling natural conversations about your study materials.
🚀 What Can You Do?
Imagine having an AI tutor that knows your entire flashcard collection and can:
📚 Interactive Learning
"Quiz me on Japanese vocabulary I haven't seen in 3 days"
"Test me on challenging cards from my medical deck"
"Show me cards I've been struggling with recently"
✨ Smart Content Creation
"Create flashcards about photosynthesis with diagrams"
"Turn this PDF chapter into spaced repetition cards"
"Generate cloze deletion cards from my lecture notes"
🔍 Powerful Analytics
"Which topics am I struggling with most?"
"Show me my study patterns for the last month"
"What's my retention rate for different card types?"
🎯 Bulk Operations
"Tag all my chemistry cards with 'exam-prep'"
"Move cards with low retention to an intensive review deck"
"Find and fix duplicate cards across my decks"
🎯 Features
🎯 Smart Tool Design: Intuitive, high-level tools designed specifically for AI agents
💬 Natural Conversations: Talk to Claude about your flashcards like you would a study buddy
⚡ Lightning Fast: Efficient operations that don't bog down your AI assistant
📦 Bulk Operations: Update thousands of cards at once with simple commands
📊 Study Insights: Deep analytics on your learning progress and patterns
🎨 Rich Media: Full support for images, audio, and other media in your cards
🔍 Powerful Search: Leverage Anki's advanced search syntax through natural language
🔒 Rock Solid: Fully typed TypeScript with comprehensive error handling
📋 Version Requirements: This server requires AnkiConnect version 25.2.25.0 or newer (released 2025-02-25) for full compatibility. Most features work with older versions, but we recommend updating for the best experience.
3. Configure AnkiConnect (Optional)
AnkiConnect works out of the box, but you can customize settings:
Custom MCP clients: Build your own using the MCP SDK
For stdio transport, run:
bash
node dist/index.js
For localhost HTTP (Streamable HTTP) transport, run:
bash
node dist/index.js --http --host=127.0.0.1 --port=3000
# The MCP endpoint will be at http://127.0.0.1:3000/mcp
Clients that support Streamable HTTP can connect directly. Legacy SSE clients may still work via client-side fallback.
🎮 Usage Examples
Once configured with Claude Desktop, you can have natural conversations like:
📖 Study Sessions
code
You: "I have a Japanese exam tomorrow. Can you quiz me on Hiragana cards I haven't reviewed in a week?"
Claude: I'll find your Hiragana cards that need review and start a quiz session...
📝 Content Creation
code
You: "Create flashcards for the major battles of World War II with dates and significance"
Claude: I'll create comprehensive flashcards covering the key WWII battles...
📊 Study Analytics
code
You: "How am I doing with my medical terminology deck? Show me my weak areas."
Claude: Let me analyze your performance on the medical terminology deck...
🏷️ Organization
code
You: "Tag all cards about cardiovascular system with 'cardiology' and move them to my MCAT prep deck"
Claude: I'll help you organize those cards...
🔧 Available Tools
The server provides 7 intuitive tools that cover everything you need:
📝 Manage Flashcards
Create, update, delete, and search your flashcards. Perfect for content creation, bulk updates, and organization.
🎯 Study Sessions
Run interactive quiz sessions, manage card scheduling, and track which cards need review.
📚 Manage Decks
Create and organize decks, move cards around, and configure deck settings.
📊 Get Analytics
Dive into your study statistics, review history, and learning patterns.
🎨 Manage Models
Customize note types, add fields, modify templates, and style your cards.
🔧 Anki Operations
Handle sync, media files, imports/exports, and other utility operations.
🖼️ Get Media File
Retrieve media files (images, audio, etc.) from your Anki collection. AI assistants can analyze images directly (though they won't display in the UI).
💡 Pro Tip: Many operations support pagination to prevent overwhelming your context window. Use limit and offset parameters when working with large result sets.
🛠 Development
bash
# Run in development mode with auto-reloading
pnpm dev
# Lint the code
pnpm lint
# Format the code
pnpm format
# Test with MCP inspector
pnpm inspect
🔧 Configuration
AnkiConnect Settings
The server connects to AnkiConnect on localhost:8765 by default. If you've customized your AnkiConnect configuration, you may need to adjust the connection settings.
Important: Make sure Anki is running and AnkiConnect is installed before using the MCP server. The server will fail to connect if AnkiConnect is not accessible.
💡 Note: The underlying yanki-connect library supports auto-launching Anki on macOS, but this feature is not currently exposed in the MCP server configuration. You'll need to start Anki manually.
Claude Desktop Advanced Configuration
For advanced users, you can pass additional parameters:
