How to turn lecture notes into Anki flashcards
Your lecture notes are already somewhere — slide PDFs, a Word or Google doc, a Notion page, or a photo you took in class. 2anki reads each of those and gives you a .apkg deck you open in Anki. Pick the source that matches your notes and start reviewing the same day.
Start from lecture slides (PDF or PowerPoint)
Most lecture handouts are PDF or PowerPoint exports. Upload the file and 2anki makes one card per slide, with the slide title on the front and its bullets on the back. Slides that are mostly images fall back to image cards so you still get a reviewable deck.
Start from typed notes (Word, Google Docs, Notion, or Markdown)
If you type your notes, 2anki reads the structure directly. Word (.docx) and Google Docs exports keep headings, images, and formatting. Notion toggles become cards — heading on the front, body on the back. Markdown from Obsidian or a plain editor works the same way. Strikethrough text on a card becomes a tag on that card.
Start from a photo of handwritten notes
Took the photo in class? Upload it and 2anki turns the page into cards you can edit. Diagrams you want to quiz yourself on — anatomy, circuits, maps — go through image occlusion, where you mask the parts to recall.
Format your notes so they make good cards
One idea per card beats a wall of text. Keep questions short, put each one in a heading or a slide title, and let 2anki pair it with the text underneath. You can edit every card in Anki afterward — nothing is locked down.
Free for your first 100 cards a month
The free plan converts 100 cards a month, enough to build a deck for one course before you decide. Pro removes the cap for a full semester load. If you keep editing your notes in Notion, Auto Sync rebuilds the deck automatically.
Common questions
What's the fastest way to turn lecture notes into Anki cards?
Upload the file you already have. A slide PDF, a Word or Google doc, a Notion page, or a photo all convert to a .apkg deck in about a minute. You don't retype anything.
My notes are in several formats. Do I need separate decks?
No. Convert each source and Anki merges them, or point each conversion at the same deck name. Each PDF or Word file becomes one deck, so one file per lecture keeps a course organized.
Will my diagrams and images come across?
Yes. Images embed directly in the card. For diagrams you want to actively recall, use image occlusion to mask and quiz the labeled parts.
Is there a card limit?
The free plan converts 100 cards a month. Pro removes the cap, which matters once you're building decks for a full course load.