Import & export

Import from Anki

DecksMD imports an Anki .apkg export — your decks, cards, media, and scheduling + review history all come across, mapped onto FSRS-6 so cards resume where Anki left off rather than starting over. The import is additive and non-destructive: it writes into a target folder you choose (nested under the #decks/anki tag), never touches the source .apkg, and re-importing simply overwrites what it generated.

1. In Anki — File → Export, format Anki Deck Package (.apkg), with Include media and Include scheduling information checked. Export a single deck or your whole collection.
2. In Obsidian — open it from the import icon in the deck-panel toolbar (in the ”…” overflow menu on a narrow panel), or run the Import from Anki (.apkg) command.
3. In the dialog, choose the .apkg, a target folder, and a profile (its header level and scheduling apply to the imported decks). Optionally Scan first for a preview of deck/card/media counts, then Import.

Your Anki note types map onto DecksMD formats automatically:

• Basic cards → header + paragraph or table cards.
• Cloze cards → ==…== cloze deletions.
• Image occlusion → native image-occlusion blocks.
• Rich multi-field models → template tables, with the template generated for you.

Migrate from Spaced Repetition

Coming from the legacy Spaced Repetition plugin? The migrator turns every legacy card into a DecksMD deck, rewrites your notes into clean readable prose, and carries the SM-2/FSRS scheduling into FSRS-6 with a review log per card, so reviews resume rather than restart.

Like the Anki import, it’s additive: output goes to a target folder you choose (mirroring your source structure), your original notes are never touched, and re-running overwrites the generated files. Migrated decks are grouped under the #decks/migration tag.

Run the Migrate from Spaced Repetition plugin command (or the migrator icon in the panel toolbar), choose a target folder and a profile, then migrate. Legacy reverse cards (Front ::: Back) become two cards, each direction scheduled independently.

Caution

The migrator reads the Spaced Repetition plugin’s own separator and tag settings, so it recognizes however you configured your cards. Nothing in your vault is deleted — the migration only adds new files.

Export to Anki

DecksMD can export to Anki, so cards and progress you build in Obsidian aren’t locked in. This is useful for sharing decks or moving to another tool.

Automatic backups

DecksMD keeps automatic backups of its database. You control how many to retain via the automatic backup count setting (see the Settings reference). Because your card content also lives in plain markdown notes, your vault’s own version history and sync provider give you a second layer of safety.

Tip

Your cards are always recoverable from your notes — the database only stores scheduling state and review history. Even without a backup, re-tagging your notes rebuilds the decks (and deleted-and-recreated cards restore their previous progress).