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CSV and Anki Converters

Need a spreadsheet in Anki, or an Anki deck in Excel or Google Sheets? These two free converters cover both directions. Parsing and packaging run in your browser; Neurako does not upload your files. Use this hub to choose a tool, then follow the linked answers pages for step-by-step guides.

Choose a direction

CSV → Anki deck

Turn a UTF-8 CSV or TSV (including Excel / Google Sheets exports) into a downloadable .apkg, or open the cards in Neurako.

Open CSV to Anki

Anki deck → CSV

Drop an .apkg, pick fields, and download CSV, TSV, JSON, or Markdown — useful for bulk edits or sharing text with classmates who do not use Anki.

Open APKG to CSV

What Anki expects from a text import

Anki’s File → Import accepts plain UTF-8 text with comma, semicolon, or tab separators. Neurako’s CSV to Anki tool builds an .apkg instead, but the same spreadsheet habits still apply.

  • Prefer a header row (Front, Back, optional Tags). Anki counts fields from the first data line; our converter maps Front/Back aliases and can treat headerless two-column TSV as term/definition.
  • Tab vs comma: Anki guesses the delimiter and lets you override it. Our converter picks tab when the first line has more tabs than commas, otherwise comma.
  • Tags: put them in their own column (Anki’s import dialog can map a Tags field). Our tool splits tags on commas, semicolons, or pipes.
  • HTML in fields: Anki needs “Allow HTML in fields” for markup and media tags. The .apkg we build stores Front/Back as note text; leave raw HTML only if you know Anki will render it.
  • Media: Anki text import expects image/audio files already in collection.media with HTML references. Our converters keep media binaries out of CSV and do not embed spreadsheet image URLs into the .apkg archive.

CSV → Anki — how it works

  1. Step 1

    Export UTF-8 CSV or TSV

    From Excel use Save As → CSV UTF-8. From Google Sheets use File → Download → Comma-separated values. Keep one card per row with Front and Back columns.

  2. Step 2

    Map columns and preview

    On CSV to Anki, paste or drop the file (up to 50 MB). Confirm Front/Back mapping, optional Tags, name the deck, and flip through the preview cards.

  3. Step 3

    Download .apkg or open in Neurako

    Download the package for Anki Desktop / AnkiDroid / AnkiMobile, or use Open in Neurako to hand the same cards into FSRS review without leaving the browser.

Anki → CSV — how it works

  1. Step 1

    Export a .apkg from Anki

    In Anki Desktop choose File → Export and save the deck (or collection) as a packaged deck.

  2. Step 2

    Drop the package and pick fields

    On APKG to CSV, drop the file. Parsing stays in the browser. Review the deck summary, choose fields (Front, Back, Tags, and optional metadata), and pick CSV, TSV, JSON, or Markdown.

  3. Step 3

    Download and edit

    Save the spreadsheet, edit offline, then re-import with CSV to Anki or Anki’s File → Import when you are done. Scheduling and review history are not written into the CSV.

Related guides

Study these cards in Neurako

This hub has no file upload. Open either converter, preview your cards, then use Open in Neurako on the results to review with FSRS.

Convert CSV to AnkiExport Anki to CSV

Related tools

CSV to Anki Converter

Convert spreadsheets and Quizlet exports to .apkg without uploading your data.

APKG to CSV Converter

Export Anki decks to CSV, TSV, JSON, or Markdown in the browser.

Quizlet to Anki Converter

Paste your Quizlet export and convert it to Anki .apkg in your browser — no upload, no URL fetch, no Quizlet Plus.

Frequently asked questions

Do my CSV or .apkg files leave my browser?

No. Both converters parse and export locally in your browser. Neurako does not receive the spreadsheet or the Anki package.

What size limits apply?

CSV/TSV input is capped at 50 MB as a browser memory guard. .apkg parsing allows up to about 1 GB on desktop browsers and about 400 MB on mobile Safari, where large media archives can run out of memory.

Which columns does CSV to Anki use?

Front and Back are required. You can map Tags and an optional example-sentence column. Common aliases such as Term/Definition or Question/Answer are detected automatically. The exported .apkg uses the Basic note type for Front/Back(+Tags) and Neurako’s Enhanced note type when you map an example-sentence column.

What happens to media, HTML, and cloze?

CSV export from an .apkg is text-focused: you can include field columns, but media binaries stay out of the spreadsheet. HTML stays as text unless Anki’s Allow HTML option is on for a native text import. Cloze markup like {{c1::…}} can sit in Front/Back text, but CSV to Anki does not create Anki Cloze note types.

How do I go from Excel or Google Sheets?

Export UTF-8 CSV, then open CSV to Anki. See also the Excel to flashcards answers page for the spreadsheet-first checklist.

Can I round-trip Anki → CSV → Anki?

Yes for card text. Edit the CSV, then rebuild an .apkg with CSV to Anki or import the text file in Anki. Expect new note IDs and no preserved intervals unless you use advanced GUID workflows in Anki itself.