Anki MCP Server

What is Anki MCP Server about?

Anki MCP Server implements a Model Context Protocol (MCP) endpoint that connects to a locally running Anki desktop application. It enables external tools (e.g., Claude Desktop) to query decks, fetch due or new cards, create new cards, and submit review answers via MCP messages.

How to use Anki MCP Server?

1. Install dependencies

   npm install
   

2. Build the server

   npm run build
   

3. Run the server (recommended via npx for quick start)

   npx -y anki-mcp-server
   

4. Configure the client (e.g., Claude Desktop) with a JSON entry pointing to the server command. See the serverConfig section below for an example.

Key Features of Anki MCP Server

• Card Retrieval: Access cards using built‑in URL schemes such as anki://search/deckcurrent, anki://search/isdue, and anki://search/isnew.
• Review Updates: update_cards tool marks cards as answered with an ease score (1‑4).
• Card Creation: add_card tool adds new cards to the default Anki deck.
• Batch Fetching: get_due_cards and get_new_cards return a specified number of due or new cards.
• Development Friendly: npm run watch for auto‑rebuilding and npm run inspector for MCP debugging.

Use Cases of Anki MCP Server

• AI‑assisted studying: Connect large language models (e.g., Claude) to Anki for automated flashcard review and generation.
• Custom study workflows: Scripts can pull due cards, process them, and send back review scores programmatically.
• Integration with other tools: Any MCP‑compatible application can interact with Anki without directly using the Anki‑Connect API.

FAQ from the Anki MCP Server

• Do I need the Anki‑Connect add‑on? Yes, the server relies on Anki‑Connect being installed in the Anki desktop app.
• Which platforms are supported? Works on any OS that can run Node.js and the Anki desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux).
• How do I debug communication issues? Use the provided MCP Inspector (npm run inspector) which gives a web UI for monitoring MCP traffic.
• Can I change the target deck? By default new cards go to the "Default" deck; you can modify the server code or use Anki‑Connect commands to target other decks.
• Is there a pre‑built binary? No, you build from source with npm run build or run directly via npx as shown above.

Anki MCP Server

An MCP server implementation that connects to a locally running Anki, providing card review and creation.

This server is designed to work with the Anki desktop app and the Anki-Connect add-on.

Make sure you have the add-on installed before using.

Resources

• anki://search/deckcurrent
  • Returns all cards from current deck
  • Equivalent of deck:current in Anki
• anki://search/isdue
  • Returns cards in review and learning waiting to be studied
  • Equivalent of is:due in Anki
• anki://search/isnew
  • Returns all unseen cards
  • Equivalent of is:new in Anki

Tools

• update_cards

  • Marks cards with given card IDs as answered and gives them an ease score between 1 (Again) and 4 (Easy)
  • Inputs:
    • answers (array): Array of objects with cardId (number) and ease (number) fields

• add_card

  • Creates a new card in the Default Anki deck
  • Inputs:
    • front (string): Front of card
    • back (string): Back of card

• get_due_cards

  • Returns n number of cards currently due for review
  • Inputs:
    • num (number): Number of cards

• get_new_cards

  • Returns n number of cards from new
  • Inputs:
    • num (number): Number of cards

Development

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build the server:

npm run build

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run watch

Configuration

To use with Claude Desktop, add the server config:

On MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json On Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/anki-mcp-server/build/index.js"
    }
  }
}

Debugging

Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the MCP Inspector, which is available as a package script:

npm run inspector

The Inspector will provide a URL to access debugging tools in your browser.