Anki for Absolute Beginners: How to Set Up Your First Deck, Enable FSRS, and Start Reviewing in 20 Minutes

What You Need Before You Start

Anki is a two-device system. You will use the free desktop app to create and organize your cards, and a mobile companion app to review them on the go. This division exists because the desktop version is the most efficient tool for building decks, while the mobile apps are designed for quick review sessions during commutes, between classes, or in line at the coffee shop.

Here is the platform breakdown:

• Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux): Completely free. This is where you will do all your setup and card creation.
• Android (AnkiDroid): Free, open-source, and has over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store. It syncs seamlessly with your desktop via AnkiWeb.
• iOS (AnkiMobile): A one-time purchase of $24.99. This is the only paid version of Anki, and the revenue directly funds the development of the entire Anki ecosystem, including the free desktop and web versions.

For this guide, you only need the desktop app to get started. You can add the mobile companion later once you have built your first deck and established a review habit.

Step 1: Download and Install Anki from the Official Source

Getting the right version of Anki is the first hurdle. The official download page is apps.ankiweb.net. Do not search for "Anki" in your browser and click the first result — the knockoff apps spend heavily on ads and often appear above the real one.

• Windows / macOS / Linux: Go to apps.ankiweb.net and download the installer for your operating system. The desktop version requires Windows 10+, macOS 12+, or a modern Linux distribution (2023+).
• Android: Open the Google Play Store and search for "AnkiDroid Flashcards" by "ichi2". It is free and has a 4.8-star rating from over 163,000 reviews.
• iOS: Open the App Store and search for "AnkiMobile Flashcards" by "Ankitects Pty Ltd". It costs $24.99 and has a 4.8-star rating.

Step 2: Create Your First Deck and Understand Deck Structure

When you open Anki for the first time, you will see a blank window with a single "Default" deck. Your first task is to create a real deck for the subject you want to study.

Click the "Create Deck" button at the bottom of the main window. Name your deck something broad and descriptive — for example, "Spanish Vocabulary" or "MCAT Biology." Avoid names like "Deck 1" or "Random Stuff." You will thank yourself later.

Anki uses a double-colon (::) notation to create subdecks. For example, if you name a deck "Spanish::Verbs", Anki will create a parent deck called "Spanish" with a subdeck called "Verbs" nested inside it. This is useful for organizing large subjects without creating a flat list of dozens of decks.

For the first month, aim for this structure:

• One main deck for your primary subject (e.g., "Spanish")
• Optionally, one subdeck for a specific category (e.g., "Spanish::Verbs") if you have enough cards to justify it
• Everything else goes into the main deck

Step 3: Add Your First Cards Using the Basic Note Type

Anki offers several note types, but for your first month, you should use only the Basic type. It has two fields: Front and Back. You type a question or prompt on the Front, and the answer on the Back. Anki then creates one card that shows you the Front and asks you to recall the Back.

To add a card:

• Click the "Add" button at the top of the main window (or press the 'A' key on your keyboard).
• Make sure the "Type" dropdown is set to "Basic" and the "Deck" dropdown points to the deck you just created.
• Type your question in the "Front" field and your answer in the "Back" field.
• Click "Add" (or press Ctrl+Enter on Windows / Cmd+Enter on Mac).

Here is a concrete example for a Spanish vocabulary card:

• Front: "What is the Spanish word for 'cat'?"
• Back: "El gato"

You can also use the Tags field at the bottom of the Add window to label your cards. Tags are a lightweight way to organize cards across decks. For example, you could tag a card with "animals" or "verbs" to filter or search for it later. Do not overthink tags — just add one or two descriptive words per card.

Step 4: Enable FSRS — Anki's Modern Spaced Repetition Algorithm

Anki's default scheduling algorithm (SM-2) has been around since the 1980s. It works, but it is not optimal for everyone. Since version 23.10 (released November 2023), Anki has included a modern replacement called the Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler (FSRS).

FSRS uses machine learning to model your personal memory patterns. Research published at KDD 2022 and TKDE 2023 shows that FSRS produces more accurate recall predictions than SM-2 in 99.6% of cases. In practice, students using FSRS report 20 to 30 percent fewer daily reviews while maintaining the same retention rate.

Enabling FSRS is simple and requires no code:

• Click the gear icon next to your deck and select "Options."
• Go to the "Scheduler" tab.
• Toggle "Enable FSRS" to on.
• Leave all other FSRS settings at their defaults. The default parameters are fine for beginners.

Step 5: Recommended Starter Settings for Long-Term Retention

Anki's default settings are conservative. They work, but they are not optimized for long-term retention. The following settings are recommended by experienced users and are a safe starting point for any beginner.

Step 6: Build the Daily Review Habit

Anki's power comes from consistency, not volume. The algorithm is designed to show you cards at the moment you are about to forget them. If you skip a day, that moment passes, and the card's interval becomes less effective.

When you review a card, you have three buttons:

• Again: You did not remember the answer. The card will be shown again in a few minutes (the first learning step).
• Good: You remembered the answer, but it took some effort. The card will be shown again at the next learning step or interval.
• Easy: You remembered the answer instantly and confidently. The card will be shown again at a much longer interval.

The most important rule: be honest. If you hesitated, press "Good." If you had no idea, press "Again." If you knew it instantly, press "Easy." Dishonest answers confuse the algorithm and lead to cards appearing too early or too late.

The best way to stay consistent is to use idle time on your phone. Install AnkiDroid or AnkiMobile, sync your deck, and review a few cards while waiting for the bus, standing in line, or during a commercial break. Five minutes of review here and there adds up to a full session by the end of the day.

Common Beginner Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Every Anki user makes the same mistakes. Here is how to recognize and avoid them before they derail your progress.

• Downloading shared decks without understanding the material: The Anki manual warns: "Subjects like languages and the sciences can't be understood simply by memorizing facts — you need explanation and context." Shared decks are useful as a supplement, but they should never replace your own cards. Learn the material first, then create cards from your understanding.
• Over-subdecking: Creating a separate deck for every chapter or lecture leads to decision fatigue. You end up spending more time choosing which deck to study than actually studying. Stick to one or two broad decks for the first month.
• "Ease hell" from repeated Again presses: If you press "Again" on a card multiple times, the algorithm reduces its ease factor, making the card appear more frequently. This can create a death spiral where a card you find difficult becomes even more punishing. The fix: be honest with your answers, but if a card is genuinely hard, consider rewriting it or breaking it into smaller pieces.
• Card backlog from skipping days: As mentioned earlier, skipping a day creates a backlog. The solution is not to cram — it is to maintain consistency. If you know you will be busy, reduce your new card limit temporarily rather than skipping entirely.
• Confusing AnkiApp with Anki: The knockoff "AnkiApp" has a similar name but is a completely different product. It does not use the same algorithm, does not sync with AnkiWeb, and does not support the vast library of shared decks. Always download from the official sources listed in Step 1.

Next Steps: Essential Add-Ons and Pre-Made Decks

Once you have built a consistent review habit (usually after 2–4 weeks), you can start exploring Anki's ecosystem of add-ons and shared decks. These three add-ons are beginner-friendly and add significant value without overwhelming you:

• Image Occlusion: Lets you create cards from diagrams, maps, or screenshots by hiding parts of the image. Excellent for anatomy, geography, and any visual subject.
• Review Heatmap: Adds a visual calendar showing your review activity. Seeing a streak of green squares is surprisingly motivating and helps you maintain consistency.
• FSRS Helper: An official add-on that provides additional FSRS-related features, including a button to reschedule cards based on your current parameters. Useful once you have run the optimizer a few times.

For pre-made decks, the AnKing deck is the gold standard for medical students, while the AnkiWeb shared deck library has thousands of community-created decks for languages, history, programming, and more. Remember the iron rule: learn first, then make cards. A shared deck is a starting point, not a shortcut.

Troubleshooting: Sync Issues, Card Spikes, and FSRS Optimization

Even with a clean setup, you will eventually run into a few common issues. Here is how to handle them.

Sync Conflicts Between Devices

If you use Anki on both your desktop and phone, you will occasionally see a sync conflict warning. This happens when you make changes on both devices without syncing in between. The safest approach: always sync before and after a review session. On desktop, click the sync button (the circular arrow icon) in the top-right corner. On mobile, the sync button is usually in the deck list screen.

What to Do When the Daily Card Count Suddenly Spikes

A sudden spike in daily reviews usually means one of two things: you skipped a few days of reviews, or you added too many new cards at once. If you skipped days, just do your normal review and let the backlog clear naturally over a few days. If you added too many new cards, reduce your "New cards/day" limit in the deck options to 10 or 20 until the backlog clears.

When to Run the FSRS Optimizer for the First Time

The FSRS optimizer works best when it has enough review history to analyze. Wait until you have at least 500–1000 reviews logged before running it. To run the optimizer, go to the deck options, open the Scheduler tab, and click "Optimize." The optimizer will analyze your review history and suggest new parameters. You can apply them immediately — they will not disrupt your existing cards.

If you are curious about the research behind Anki's effectiveness, read our deep dive into what the research says about spaced repetition and exam scores. And if you are still deciding whether Anki is the right tool for you, our buyer's guide to spaced repetition flashcard apps compares Anki with other popular options.