Anki MCP Server

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Manage Anki learning through AI conversation.

How to install ↓ Compare GitHub source repository ↗

Category: Other #57 of 230
Stars: ★ 519 Very popular
Transport: stdio (local process)
Runtime: Node.js 22.12.0+
Credentials: No credential needed
License: MIT
Last commit: 15 days ago
Tools: 48

62FMRS · C

Based on the supplied repository, manifest, and README, this is an independent MIT-licensed Anki integration that exposes 42 MCP tools through AnkiConnect. The manifest lists version 0.18.4, while the README's current-status section states 0.22.0, so the version information is inconsistent.

Strongest · Documentation 15/20 Weakest · Reliability 9/20

Reliability

9/20

Security and permissions

14/20

Maintenance

11/20

Documentation

15/20

Setup experience

13/20

Why each score

Reliability 9/20: The supplied material describes clear STDIO, HTTP, and Tunnel entry points, dependencies, and failure protections, so the MCP initialization and tool-list flow is plausible. However, no actual source files, CI workflows, or committed tests are supplied, so startup, handshake, and consistency between the 42 declared tools and implementation cannot be verified. The manifest says 0.18.4 while the README later calls the current version 0.22.0, creating an auditable contradiction. Under static calibration the score is therefore capped below 12 and reduced for unverifiable key paths.
Security and permissions 14/20: The material documents localhost-by-default binding, Host/Origin checks, media-path and URL SSRF/path-traversal protections, OAuth for the tunnel, 0600 credential permissions, and explicit confirmation for several destructive operations; it also states that data remains local by default. Points are deducted because HTTP currently has no authentication, ngrok is explicitly unauthenticated and can expose Anki, and the server has broad write capabilities. The read-only description also permits sync, answerCards, suspend, and unsuspend, so the least-privilege boundary is not fully read-only. No source or security-test evidence is provided, so full marks are not justified.
Maintenance 11/20: The project is not archived, and the README provides an MIT license, beta status, a GitHub Actions test badge, an npm release path, vulnerability-report links, and a support email, indicating maintenance and feedback channels. Points are deducted because the supplied material cannot verify commit cadence, sustained releases, dependency updates, or issue response. The 0.22.0 README claim conflicts with the 0.18.4 manifest/npm package, indicating a version-governance gap.
Documentation 15/20: The README covers installation, client configuration, three transports, environment variables, tool inventory, examples, permissions and security boundaries, known limitations, troubleshooting, development, and test commands. Points are deducted because complete tool schemas, actual test results, runtime behavior, and cost information are not supplied; the README contains a version contradiction, and several external documents are only linked and cannot be reviewed from the provided material.
Setup experience 13/20: Multiple npm/npx, global-install, source, and MCPB paths are provided, along with Claude Desktop configuration, STDIO/HTTP/Tunnel examples, and AnkiConnect and Node.js prerequisites. The mainstream local setup path is reasonably clear. Points are deducted because Anki and AnkiConnect must be installed and configured first, remote use involves OAuth, tunneling, or the explicitly unauthenticated ngrok option, and no installation or end-to-end connection evidence is supplied. The version mismatch further reduces reproducibility; under static calibration the score remains at or below 15.

Static review · not runListed 2026-07-29

Read the FMRS scoring method →

Fit and risk

What it can accessReads local filesWrites / deletes local filesUses the networkConnects to a database

Best for

Individual learners already using Anki and AnkiConnect.
Users who want AI-guided review, explanations, and dynamic card creation.
Users connecting local Anki to Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, or Zed.

Not for

Users without the Anki desktop application or AnkiConnect.
Organizations requiring official Anki support or an official integration.
Remote users seeking only review workflows; GUI tools are intended for editing and creation, not review sessions.

Required permissions

Requires access to the configured AnkiConnect URL, which defaults to local http://localhost:8765.
Write operations can create, modify, move, and delete Anki content; deletion tools require explicit confirmation.
Media imports may read specified file paths or URLs, subject to media security settings.
If AnkiWeb sync is enabled, the Anki application synchronizes directly with AnkiWeb.

Risks and side effects

The project is explicitly in beta, and APIs and features may change.
Deleting notes permanently removes associated cards; clearing tags, deleting media, and removing fields can also cause data loss.
updateNoteFields may silently fail while the note is being viewed in Anki's browser.
ngrok mode is unauthenticated, so anyone with the URL may reach Anki; the managed Tunnel requires login authentication.
Remote HTTP exposure requires correct ALLOWED_HOSTS configuration; misconfiguration can cause rejected requests or broader exposure.

Setup

Before you start

Runtime：Node.js 22.12.0+

ANKI_CONNECT_API_KEY optionalsecret Set only if you configured an API key in AnkiConnect.

TUNNEL_AUTH_CLIENT_ID optionalsecret OAuth client ID for the device flow; only needed for self-hosted tunnel/auth services.

Other optional settings (13)

ANKI_CONNECT_URL optional URL of the AnkiConnect plugin, default http://localhost:8765; usually no change needed.

ANKI_CONNECT_API_VERSION optional AnkiConnect API version, defaults to 6.

ANKI_CONNECT_TIMEOUT optional Request timeout in ms, default 5000.

READ_ONLY optional Set to true or 1 to block all write operations.

ALLOWED_HOSTS optional Extra Host header values accepted in HTTP mode; required when binding to a LAN/public address.

ALLOWED_ORIGINS optional Comma-separated allowlist of browser Origin/Referer patterns for HTTP mode; wildcards supported.

TUNNEL_SERVER_URL optional Tunnel service WebSocket URL for tunnel mode, default wss://tunnel.ankimcp.ai.

MEDIA_ALLOWED_TYPES optional Extra MIME types allowed for file path imports, e.g. application/pdf.

MEDIA_IMPORT_DIR optional Restricts file path imports to this directory.

MEDIA_ALLOWED_HOSTS optional Private network hosts allowed for URL imports.

PORT optional HTTP server port, default 3000.

HOST optional HTTP bind address, default 127.0.0.1.

LOG_LEVEL optional Logging level, default info.

Install Anki and the AnkiConnect plugin, and confirm that AnkiConnect uses http://localhost:8765. Install Node.js 22.12.0 or newer. Run the server with npx and add the configuration above to an MCP client that supports STDIO; Claude Desktop can also install the project's MCPB bundle.

claude_desktop_config.json

{"mcpServers":{"anki-mcp":{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@ankimcp/anki-mcp-server","--stdio"],"env":{"ANKI_CONNECT_URL":"http://localhost:8765"}}}}

Shown for Claude Desktop. Other clients may use a different file or key (VS Code uses "servers") — the configurator below converts it.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "anki-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ankimcp/anki-mcp-server",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ANKI_CONNECT_URL": "http://localhost:8765"
      }
    }
  }
}

Goes in your project's .vscode/mcp.json (VS Code uses a "servers" key).

Terminal

claude mcp add anki-mcp -e ANKI_CONNECT_URL=http://localhost:8765 -- npx -y @ankimcp/anki-mcp-server --stdio

Run it in a terminal; replace any <…> placeholders with your own values first.

Generate and validate client config

Check that it works

After starting the server, tools like sync, listDecks, and get_due_cards should appear in your MCP client's tool list; asking 'List my Anki decks' and getting real deck data back confirms the AnkiConnect connection works.

Troubleshooting

Confirm that Anki is running and AnkiConnect is installed.
Check ANKI_CONNECT_URL, API version, API key, and the default 5000 ms timeout.
Confirm that Node.js is at least 22.12.0.
Use --stdio for STDIO clients; HTTP mode defaults to 127.0.0.1:3000.
Close the note in Anki's browser or switch to another note before updating it.
For remote or non-loopback access, check ALLOWED_HOSTS, ALLOWED_ORIGINS, and tunnel settings.

Things to try

Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:

Help me review my Spanish deck.
Create 10 Arabic vocab cards with RTL styling.
Import this image from my Downloads folder into the front of the selected note.
Show me statistics for all my decks.

Tools 48

sync writes

Synchronize data with AnkiWeb.

get_due_cards read-only

Get cards due for review, optionally filtered by deck.

get_cards read-only

Filter cards by state and deck.

present_card read-only

Present a card's question or front side.

rate_card writes

Record a review rating and schedule the next review.

listDecks read-only

List decks, optionally with card statistics.

deckStats read-only

Get comprehensive statistics for one deck.

createDeck writes

Create an empty deck with up to two hierarchy levels.

Show 40 more tools

changeDeck writes

Move cards to another deck, creating it if needed.

addNote writes

Create one note with fields and tags.

addNotes writes

Batch-create up to 100 notes sharing a deck and model.

findNotes read-only

Search notes using Anki query syntax.

notesInfo read-only

Get detailed note fields, tags, and styling information.

updateNoteFields writes

Update note fields with HTML support while preserving styling.

deleteNotes destructive

Delete notes and associated cards; confirmation is required.

getTags read-only

Get all tags in the collection.

addTags writes

Add tags to specified notes.

removeTags writes

Remove tags from specified notes.

replaceTags writes

Rename a tag across specified notes.

clearUnusedTags destructive

Remove orphaned tags unused by notes.

getMediaFilesNames read-only

List media filenames, optionally filtered by pattern.

retrieveMediaFile read-only

Read a media file as Base64 content.

storeMediaFile writes

Upload media from Base64 data, an absolute path, or a URL.

deleteMediaFile destructive

Delete a media file from the media collection.

modelNames read-only

List available note types.

modelFieldNames read-only

Get field names for a note type.

modelStyling read-only

Get CSS styling for a note type.

modelTemplates read-only

Get card templates for a note type.

createModel writes

Create a note type with custom fields, templates, and CSS.

updateModelStyling writes

Update note-type CSS for all its cards.

updateModelTemplates writes

Update card templates for all cards of a note type.

addModelField writes

Add a field to a note type.

removeModelField destructive

Remove a note-type field; explicit confirmation is required.

renameModelField writes

Rename a note-type field.

repositionModelField writes

Change a field's position in a note type.

collection_stats read-only

Get aggregate statistics with per-deck details.

review_stats read-only

Analyze review history, retention, and study streaks.

guiBrowse read-only

Open the Card Browser and search for cards.

guiSelectCard read-only

Select a card in the Card Browser.

guiSelectedNotes read-only

Get IDs of currently selected notes.

guiAddCards writes

Open the Add Cards dialog with preset note details.

guiEditNote writes

Open the editor for a specific note.

guiDeckOverview read-only

Open the overview dialog for a deck.

guiDeckBrowser read-only

Open the Deck Browser dialog.

guiCurrentCard read-only

Get current-card information in review mode.

guiShowQuestion read-only

Show the current card's question.

guiShowAnswer read-only

Show the current card's answer.

guiUndo writes

Undo the last Anki action.

Use cases

Review a selected deck conversationally and record Again, Hard, Good, or Easy ratings.

Batch-create vocabulary cards with custom fields, templates, and RTL styling.

Search and edit notes while managing tags and media files.

Inspect deck, collection, and review-history statistics.

Supported clients

Claude Desktop

Cursor

Cline

Zed

Listed from the project's documentation, not tested by this site.

Overview

Anki MCP Server connects AI assistants to Anki flashcards through AnkiConnect. It supports reviews, decks, notes, media, tags, models, templates, statistics, and selected Anki desktop GUI workflows. The project is in active beta development, so APIs and features may change.

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Source revision e0e347f7f399 Data synced 2026-10-19 Read the FMRS scoring method