Clanki

What is Clanki about?

Clanki offers an MCP‑based interface allowing AI assistants such as Claude Desktop to interact programmatically with Anki. It bridges Claude’s commands to Anki’s deck and card operations, leveraging the AnkiConnect plugin.

How to use Clanki?

1. Prerequisites – Install Anki and the AnkiConnect plugin; ensure Node.js ≥ 16 is available.
2. Installation – Clone the repository, run npm install, then build with npm run build.
3. Configure Claude Desktop – Edit claude_desktop_config.json to point to the built index.js script (e.g., { "mcpServers": { "clanki": { "command": "node", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/clanki/build/index.js"] } } }).
4. Run the server – Start Claude Desktop; the MCP server will be invoked automatically when Claude issues supported commands.

Key features of Clanki

• Create and delete Anki decks.
• Add basic front/back flashcards.
• Generate cloze‑deletion cards using {{c1::text}} syntax.
• Update existing notes (content, tags, cloze text).
• Tag management for organizing cards.
• Full read‑through of deck contents and card metadata.
• Direct integration with AnkiConnect, requiring no additional APIs.

Use cases of Clanki

• Study automation – Ask Claude to generate flashcards from lecture notes or articles on the fly.
• Revision assistance – Request updates to existing cards (e.g., fixing errors or adding tags) via natural language.
• Cloze generation – Quickly produce cloze cards for language learning or memorization tasks.
• Batch card creation – Script large‑scale card imports through Claude prompts.

FAQ from the Clanki

• Do I need to keep Anki open? Yes, Anki must be running with the AnkiConnect plugin enabled for the MCP server to communicate.
• Can I use Clanki without Claude Desktop? The MCP server can be called by any MCP‑compatible client, though the README focuses on Claude Desktop.
• Is there a graphical UI? No, interaction occurs through MCP commands issued by Claude or other compatible agents.
• What languages are supported? The server is written in TypeScript/Node.js and works on any platform where Node runs.
• How are tags handled? Tags are accepted as an array of strings during card creation or update and are sent directly to AnkiConnect.

Clanki - Claude's Anki Integration

An MCP server that enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with Anki flashcard decks through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Features

• Create and manage Anki decks
• Create basic flashcards with front/back content
• Create cloze deletion cards
• Update existing cards and cloze deletions
• Add and manage tags
• View deck contents and card information
• Full integration with AnkiConnect

Prerequisites

• Anki installed and running
• AnkiConnect plugin installed in Anki
• Node.js 16 or higher

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/clanki.git
cd clanki

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the project:

npm run build

Setup

1. Make sure Anki is running and the AnkiConnect plugin is installed and enabled

2. Configure Claude for Desktop to use the server by editing claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "clanki": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/clanki/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /absolute/path/to/clanki with the actual path to your clanki installation.

Available Tools

create-deck

Creates a new Anki deck

• Parameters:
  • name: Name for the new deck

create-card

Creates a new basic flashcard in a specified deck

• Parameters:
  • deckName: Name of the deck to add the card to
  • front: Front side content of the card
  • back: Back side content of the card
  • tags: (Optional) Array of tags for the card

create-cloze-card

Creates a new cloze deletion card in a specified deck

• Parameters:
  • deckName: Name of the deck to add the card to
  • text: Text containing cloze deletions using {{c1::text}} syntax
  • backExtra: (Optional) Extra information to show on the back of the card
  • tags: (Optional) Array of tags for the card

update-card

Updates an existing basic flashcard

• Parameters:
  • noteId: ID of the note to update
  • front: (Optional) New front side content
  • back: (Optional) New back side content
  • tags: (Optional) New tags for the card

update-cloze-card

Updates an existing cloze deletion card

• Parameters:
  • noteId: ID of the note to update
  • text: (Optional) New text with cloze deletions
  • backExtra: (Optional) New extra information for the back
  • tags: (Optional) New tags for the card

Development

To modify or extend the server:

1. Make changes to src/index.ts
2. Rebuild with npm run build
3. Debug with npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node build/index.js

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Acknowledgments

• Built with the Model Context Protocol SDK
• Integrates with Anki via AnkiConnect