Anki MCP Server

Overview

The Scorzeth Anki MCP Server bridges the gap between an AI assistant and a locally installed Anki instance. By exposing a set of MCP resources, tools, and prompts that mirror common Anki operations, the server enables an assistant to query decks, retrieve cards ready for review, and even create new flashcards—all without leaving the conversational interface. This eliminates the need to manually open Anki, search for a deck, and copy‑paste data into the assistant’s workflow.

At its core, the server offers three search resources that map directly to Anki’s query syntax. Clients can request all cards from the currently active deck, pull only those that are due for study, or fetch entirely new cards. These resources return structured JSON lists of card identifiers and metadata, allowing the assistant to present a curated study session or identify gaps in knowledge. The ability to filter by deck and due status is especially valuable for spaced‑repetition scheduling, ensuring the assistant presents material that aligns with Anki’s optimal review algorithm.

Beyond querying, the server provides actionable tools. The update_cards tool accepts a batch of card IDs with associated ease scores, effectively marking them as answered in Anki. This lets the assistant “grade” a review session by feeding back user responses, maintaining accurate intervals for each card. The add_card tool simplifies content creation: by supplying a front and back string, the assistant can generate new cards directly in the default deck. These write operations make the server a two‑way bridge, not just a read‑only data source.

The included high_quality_cards_prompt offers a reusable prompt template that encourages the assistant to generate well‑structured, pedagogically sound cards. Drawing from Andy Matuschak’s guidelines, it helps maintain consistency and quality across automatically created flashcards. Developers can incorporate this prompt into their own workflows, ensuring that any card the assistant generates meets a high standard of clarity and memorability.

In practice, this MCP server is ideal for educational bots that need to surface targeted study material, track progress, or augment a learner’s deck with new content. A language‑learning assistant could pull all due Spanish vocabulary cards, present them in a conversational quiz format, and then update Anki with the user’s responses—all within a single chat. Similarly, a coding tutor could add new flashcards on API usage or syntax as the user progresses through lessons. Because the server operates over stdio and integrates seamlessly with any MCP‑compliant client, developers can embed Anki functionality into a wide range of AI‑driven applications with minimal overhead.

Unique advantages include native Anki support (leveraging the widely used Anki‑Connect add‑on), a clear mapping between MCP resources and Anki’s query language, and built‑in tooling for both reading and writing card data. These features make the Scorzeth Anki MCP Server a powerful addition to any developer’s AI toolkit, enabling richer, data‑driven study experiences that stay in sync with the learner’s existing Anki ecosystem.