FSRS + AnKing + Step 1 → Step 2 Transition: Deck Separation, AnkiHub Overwrites, Retention Settings, and Vacation Mode — Need Architecture Advice

🙋 Support
2
Thinking

Search
Found 0 results for ‘tags:official FSRS AnKing Step 1 Step 2 separate decks retention vacation mode AnkiHub protect locally modified notes category::person_raising_hand: Support order:latest max_posts:10 status:open’

Search
Found 2 results for ‘tags:official FSRS retention AnKing Step 1 Step 2 decks vacation mode order:latest max_posts:10 status:open’

You’re thinking about this very clearly already. I’ll go through your questions in the same order and keep it as practical as possible.

:one: FSRS architecture: Step 1 vs Step 2

Step 2 priority, ~90% retention; Step 1 background, lower retention.

You’re correct that FSRS options are per preset (deck), not per tag.

Cleanest setup for what you want:

  • Keep current deck as Step 1 deck with:
    • Existing preset
    • Desired retention ~0.80–0.85
  • Move Step 2 cards (by tag search) into a new Step 2 deck with:
    • Its own preset
    • Desired retention ~0.90
    • Optionally its own FSRS optimization later

About “losing” FSRS modeling:

  • FSRS parameters are preset-specific, not card-specific.
  • If you use the default FSRS parameters for the new Step 2 preset:
    • You are not using the Step 1-trained parameters, but the defaults are already well-tuned for most people.
  • If you have lots of reviews overall and want to reuse history:
    • You can initially use the same parameters in both presets.
    • Later, when you have enough Step 2 reviews, you can run Optimize specifically for the Step 2 preset (using a search that restricts to Step 2 cards if you want).

People do run dual-retention setups successfully:

  • One preset for “core/high‑stakes” material (higher retention).
  • One preset for “maintenance”/less critical (lower retention).

Your plan (separate Step 2 deck + 0.90 retention) is aligned with how FSRS and presets are designed to be used.

:two: Max interval confusion

Raised max interval to 1 year; later want to reduce (e.g., 180 days).

  • Changing max interval from 365 → 180 does not retroactively reschedule existing cards.
  • Cards that already have a long interval will keep that interval until:
    • You review them again and FSRS computes a new interval, but that new interval will be capped by the current max interval.

In practice:

  • You don’t need to normalize those cards manually.
  • FSRS will “correct” over time as cards come due and get new intervals under your new settings.
  • Manual bulk rescheduling would risk big workload spikes and is typically not recommended unless something went seriously wrong.

Given that you want no artificial spike: just change the max interval and let FSRS handle the future.

:three: AnkiHub reconnection + protecting edits

Your goal: ~1000 edited notes must never be overwritten.

You already found the right general idea. The official FAQ you’ll want to review:

Safe order of operations:

  1. Backup your collection (File → Export → Anki Collection Package with scheduling).
  2. Install/update AnkiHub add‑on.
  3. Log in to AnkiHub.
  4. Resubscribe to the AnKing Step deck you use.
  5. In the AnkiHub add‑on:
    • Run “Find locally modified notes”.
    • For all notes you know you’ve edited, choose “Protect entire note” (not just selected fields).
  6. Then sync with AnkiHub to pull in updates for non‑protected notes.

About protection:

  • Protection is effectively a flag that tells AnkiHub not to overwrite that note’s fields from the shared deck.
  • It is reversible: you can later unprotect a note (or just individual fields) if you decide you do want updates.
  • With your requirement (“never overwrite any field”), protect entire note is the right choice.

Deck movement & syncing:

  • AnkiHub does not manage your deck tree or scheduling.
  • It updates:
    • Note fields
    • Tags
    • (Sometimes note types/templates, depending on the deck)
  • So:
    • Moving cards between decks does not interfere with AnkiHub syncing.
    • AnkiHub will not move your cards back to a different deck.

:four: Deck movement safety (Step 2 deck)

Move Step 2 cards to a new deck for separate FSRS settings.

From how AnkiHub works:

  • It does not override deck placement.
  • It does not touch intervals or other scheduling data.

So you can:

  1. Search Step 2 cards by tag (e.g. tag:Step::2 or the Step‑specific tags used in the Step deck).
  2. Move them to a new deck AnKing Step 2 (or similar).
  3. Assign that deck a distinct preset (FSRS 0.90 desired retention).

AnkiHub will:

  • Still update those notes’ fields and tags.
  • Leave them in whatever deck you put them in.

Your plan is compatible with syncing.

:five: Vacation mode before Step 1

You can only handle 50–60 reviews/day and want to protect weaker cards.

FSRS + v3 scheduler is well‑suited to this.

Reasonable pre‑exam approach:

  1. Lower daily limits to what you can actually handle:
    • Reviews/day ~50–60.
    • Consider also lowering or pausing new cards entirely before the exam.
  2. Display order:
    • Switching to ascending retrievability (showing cards you’re more likely to forget first) is a good idea to protect weak cards within your limited review budget.
  3. FSRS Vacation Mode (1–2 days before exam):
    • This is specifically designed to “freeze” things and avoid punishment for a short pause.
    • A 1–2 day vacation with FSRS vacation mode is very unlikely to “destabilize” your deck; FSRS will spread the resulting load.
  4. After the exam:
    • Turn off vacation mode.
    • Gradually bring your review limits back up as you transition into Step 2.

This is a sane and conservative plan that fits with FSRS’ design. The main thing is being honest with the review limit and not letting due cards massively outstrip what you can actually do in the days before the exam.

Putting it all together (minimal “once and done” plan)

Now / pre‑Step 1:

  1. Keep current deck as Step 1; desired retention 0.80–0.85.
  2. Adjust review limit to ~50–60/day, no/very few new cards.
  3. Use ascending retrievability.
  4. 1–2 days pre‑exam: enable Vacation Mode.

After Step 1, starting Step 2:

  1. Backup collection.
  2. Reinstall + log into AnkiHub, resubscribe to AnKing Step deck.
  3. Run Find locally modified notes → Protect entire note for all ~1000 edited notes.
  4. Sync with AnkiHub to pull updates for everything else.
  5. Create new Step 2 deck, move Step 2 cards there by tag.
  6. Assign:
    • Step 1 deck → FSRS preset A (retention 0.80–0.85).
    • Step 2 deck → FSRS preset B (retention 0.90).
  7. Optionally:
    • Start Step 2 preset with same FSRS parameters as Step 1.
    • Later, when you have enough Step 2 reviews, run Optimize FSRS parameters for the Step 2 preset only.

This gives you:

  • Different retention targets per step.
  • Stable protection of your edited notes.
  • No artificial rescheduling spike.
  • A structure you shouldn’t need to fight for the next 6+ months.

If you’d like, you can paste a screenshot of your current deck tree + presets, and I can suggest exact preset assignments and a concrete search for selecting/moving Step 2 cards.