Creating Anki Import Files (.txt and .csv)

Overview

Anki can import flashcards from plain text files where each line is one note, and fields are separated by a delimiter (like | or ,).

What you'll make

A file with two fields per line:

• Front (Question / Prompt)
• Back (Answer)

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Rules Anki Uses

• One line = one card (note)
• Delimiter splits fields (Front vs Back)
• Lines starting with # can configure import behavior (optional but handy)

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Full file examples

.txt (pipe-separated).csv (comma-separated)

Use this when you want a pipe delimiter (|).

#separator:pipe
#html:false
Inheritance|Testing Inheritance answer
Some other concept|Some other answer

Use this for easy editing in Excel / Google Sheets (standard comma-separated).

#separator:comma
#html:false
Inheritance,Testing Inheritance answer
Some other concept,Some other answer

Avoid trailing commas on the header lines

Write headers as #separator:pipe (not #separator:pipe,). Trailing commas can confuse the importer.

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Editing the .csv in Excel (easy workflow)

1. Put Front in column A and Back in column B.
2. Export / Save As CSV (Comma delimited).

3. (Optional) Add the header lines at the very top:

4. #separator:comma

5. #html:false

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Importing into Anki

1. In Anki, go to File → Import
2. Select your .txt or .csv
3. Confirm the delimiter matches:
4. .txt example: |
5. .csv example: ,
6. Import