Importing Flashcards from Anki

Switching to Foxxy does not mean starting from scratch. If you have been using Anki or another flashcard tool, you can import your existing cards into Foxxy and pick up right where you left off. This guide walks you through the supported formats, the import process, and how to handle common issues.

Supported Import Formats

Foxxy supports several file formats for importing flashcards:

Anki Package (.apkg)

The native Anki export format. This is the most comprehensive option and preserves the most data.

• What transfers: Card fronts and backs, deck names, tags.
• What does not transfer: Anki scheduling data (intervals, ease factors), media files (images, audio), custom note types with more than two fields.

CSV (Comma-Separated Values)

A universal format that works with virtually any flashcard tool or spreadsheet application.

• Format: Each row is one card. The first column is the front, the second column is the back.
• Optional columns: A third column for tags (semicolon-separated) and a fourth for notes.
• Encoding: UTF-8 is required for proper display of special characters.

Tab-Separated Text (.txt)

Similar to CSV but uses tabs instead of commas as delimiters. This is the format you get when exporting from Anki via File > Export > Notes in Plain Text.

• Same column structure as CSV.
• Useful when your card content contains commas.

Step-by-Step Import Process

Exporting from Anki

Before you can import into Foxxy, you need to export your cards from Anki:

1. Open Anki on your computer.
2. Select the deck you want to export (or choose All Decks).
3. Go to File > Export.
4. Choose your format:
   • Anki Deck Package (.apkg) for the richest transfer.
   • Notes in Plain Text (.txt) for a simpler, more compatible option.
5. Check Include tags if available.
6. Click Export and save the file.

Importing into Foxxy

1. Log into Foxxy and navigate to My Decks.
2. Tap the Import button (or find it in the menu under More options).
3. Select your import format: .apkg, .csv, or .txt.
4. Choose the file from your device.
5. Foxxy shows a preview of the cards it found:
   • Review the first few cards to make sure fronts and backs are mapped correctly.
   • Check that tags were detected properly.
6. Choose the destination deck:
   • Create a new deck — Foxxy creates a deck using the imported deck name (or the file name).
   • Add to an existing deck — Merge the imported cards into one of your current decks.
7. Tap Import to start the process.
8. Foxxy displays a summary: number of cards imported, any cards that were skipped, and any warnings.

What Transfers and What Does Not

Data	Transfers?	Notes
Card front text	Yes	Plain text always transfers.
Card back text	Yes	Plain text always transfers.
Deck name	Yes	Used for new deck creation.
Tags	Yes	Mapped to Foxxy card tags.
Images/media	No	Anki media is not supported. Re-add manually if needed.
Scheduling data	No	Cards start fresh in Foxxy’s spaced repetition system.
Custom note types	Partial	Only the first two fields (front/back) are imported. Additional fields are placed in the notes field.
Cloze deletions	Partial	Converted to standard front/back cards. The cloze text becomes the front, the full text becomes the back.

Handling Large Imports

If you are importing a large collection (hundreds or thousands of cards):

• Be patient. Large imports may take a minute or two to process.
• Import in batches if you experience issues. Split large decks into smaller exports from Anki and import them one at a time.
• Check your card count after import to verify all cards came through.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Cards appear with garbled characters

This usually means the file is not encoded in UTF-8. To fix it:

1. Open the file in a text editor that supports encoding changes (e.g., Notepad++ or VS Code).
2. Re-save the file with UTF-8 encoding.
3. Try the import again.

Front and back are swapped

If your CSV or text file has the answer in the first column and the question in the second:

1. During the import preview, look for a Swap columns option.
2. Alternatively, open the file in a spreadsheet, swap the columns, and re-export.

Some cards were skipped

Foxxy skips cards that are:

• Empty — Both front and back are blank.
• Duplicates — Identical to a card already in the destination deck.

The import summary tells you exactly how many cards were skipped and why.

The .apkg file fails to import

Some older or heavily customised Anki packages may not be compatible. As a workaround:

1. Open the deck in Anki.
2. Export as Notes in Plain Text instead.
3. Import the text file into Foxxy.

After Importing

Once your cards are in Foxxy, here are some recommended next steps:

• Review a few cards to verify they look correct.
• Add tags or extended fields to enrich your imported cards. See Creating and Managing Decks.
• Start a Smart Mode session to let Foxxy’s spaced repetition algorithm begin scheduling your reviews.
• Organise into modules if you imported multiple decks from different subjects.

Related Articles

• Getting Started with Foxxy Flashcards
• Creating and Managing Decks
• Understanding Spaced Repetition in Foxxy