Anki

What is Anki MCP Server?

Anki MCP Server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that connects to a locally running Anki desktop application. It allows for programmatic interaction with Anki decks and cards, enabling automation of card review and creation.

How to use Anki MCP Server?

To use Anki MCP Server, you need to have the Anki desktop app and the Anki-Connect add-on installed. After installing dependencies (npm install) and building the server (npm run build), you can configure it with Claude Desktop by adding the server configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json file. Debugging can be done using the MCP Inspector via npm run inspector.

Key Features of Anki MCP Server

• Card Search: Provides endpoints to search for cards based on criteria like current deck (anki://search/deckcurrent), due cards (anki://search/isdue), and new cards (anki://search/isnew).
• Card Management: Offers tools to update existing cards with ease scores (update_cards) and create new cards (add_card) with specified front and back content.
• Card Retrieval: Allows fetching a specified number of due cards (get_due_cards) or new cards (get_new_cards).
• Integration: Designed to work seamlessly with the Anki desktop app and Anki-Connect add-on.

Use Cases of Anki MCP Server

• Automated Anki Interaction: Developers can build applications that interact with Anki programmatically, automating tasks like adding new cards from other sources or updating review progress.
• Custom Anki Workflows: Create custom tools or scripts that leverage Anki's spaced repetition system for specific learning needs.
• Integration with Other Tools: Integrate Anki functionality into other productivity or learning applications through the MCP server.

FAQ from Anki MCP Server

Q: What are the prerequisites for using Anki MCP Server? A: You need the Anki desktop app and the Anki-Connect add-on installed.

Q: How can I debug the Anki MCP Server? A: You can use the MCP Inspector by running npm run inspector, which provides a URL for debugging tools in your browser.

Q: Can I create new cards with this server? A: Yes, the add_card tool allows you to create new cards in the Default Anki deck.

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.