Missing Tags, Don't want to reset local changes

[duriando]

How do I restore tags without resetting local changes? I have cards in personal decks, and I also have lecture notes in each card, so I don’t want to reset all the progress. Thank you!

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Found 0 results for ‘tags:official restore tags without resetting local changes category: Support order:latest_topic max_posts:20 status:open’

You’re right to be cautious here—resetting local changes would risk your personal edits, so you don’t want to do that.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no built‑in “restore just the tags” function in AnkiHub that cleanly re-applies all original tags without touching local edits, especially when:

• You’ve moved cards to personal decks, and
• You’ve added lecture notes or other custom content to the cards.

Any operation that “resets” or “re-downloads” the note from AnkiHub risks overwriting that custom content.

Here are your realistic options and trade‑offs:

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1. Check if tags are only hidden by a filter/search

Before assuming tags are gone, double‑check they aren’t just filtered out:

1. In Anki’s Browser, select the relevant deck.
2. In the search bar, try:
   • tag:* (shows notes with any tag)
   • Or search for a specific tag you know should exist.
3. Make sure you don’t have an active sidebar filter that hides some tags.

If the tags truly are missing, continue below.

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2. Avoid “Reset local changes” for these cards

Do not:

• Use AnkiHub → Reset local changes on the deck or those notes.
• Delete and resubscribe to the deck.

Both will likely wipe your lecture notes and other card‑level edits.

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3. Manual / semi‑manual tag recovery (safest for your data)

This is more work, but it best protects your personal content.

A. Make a full backup first

1. In Anki: File → Export
2. Export:
   • All decks
   • Format: Anki Collection Package (*.colpkg)
   • With scheduling and media
3. Save this somewhere safe. If anything goes wrong, you can restore via File → Switch Profile → Import.

B. Use a clean profile to inspect original tags

1. Create a new temporary profile in Anki.
2. Install the AnkiHub add‑on in that profile.
3. Subscribe to the same AnkiHub deck there.
4. Sync so it downloads the deck fresh.
5. Open the Browser in that temporary profile and:
   • Locate the same notes (by their text, or by Note ID if you know it).
   • Observe the original tags for those notes.

You now have:

• Your main profile with your edits but missing tags.
• A clean profile with the correct, original tags.

C. Recreate tags in your main profile

You can now manually or semi‑manually restore important tags in your main profile:

• If missing tags follow a clear pattern (e.g., by lecture, topic), you can:
  1. In the temp profile, search for a tag (e.g., tag:Lecture_05), note which cards it covers (by text or some shared field).
  2. In your main profile, search those same cards and add the tag back via the “Tags” field.
• Use Anki’s Browser to:
  • Select multiple notes.
  • Press T (or right‑click → Add Tags) to apply a tag to all selected notes at once.

This is tedious, but it does not touch your lecture notes or local edits.

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4. If only some fields are safe to reset

In some workflows, users:

• Put all personal lecture notes into dedicated fields that AnkiHub does not sync (custom fields).
• Leave only “core” fields (like front/back) synced.

If that’s how your note type is set up:

• It might be safe to reset certain notes from AnkiHub, because your lecture notes live in unsynced fields that won’t be overwritten.
• But this is highly dependent on your specific note type and AnkiHub deck configuration.

If you’re unsure, I’d recommend:

1. Sharing:
   • The name of the deck you’re using on AnkiHub, and
   • A screenshot of the note type fields showing where your lecture notes are stored.
2. I can then clarify whether resetting would overwrite those fields.

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5. If tags were deleted by AnkiHub updates

If the deck owner or AnkiHub deck update actually removed or changed tags globally, then:

• Even a clean resubscribe might not have the old tags anymore.
• In that case, the only way to get them back is from:
  • An older backup of your collection (before tags went missing), or
  • Documentation from the deck creator listing the intended tag structure.

If you suspect this, let me know which deck you’re using, and I can point you to relevant discussions or instructions (if they exist on AnkiHub).

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Summary

• There’s no simple, one-click way in AnkiHub to “restore only tags but keep all local changes”.
• Do not reset local changes unless you’re 100% sure your lecture notes and edits are in unsynced fields.
• Safest approach:
  • Make a full backup.
  • Use a clean profile + fresh AnkiHub download to inspect original tags.
  • Manually re-add important tags to your main profile.

If you can share:

• The AnkiHub deck link, and
• How your note fields are structured (which field has lecture notes),

I can give more specific, step‑by‑step guidance tailored to your setup.

[MarcosZan]

Hello,

To restore your tags, you will need to reset your local changes because tags are handled as a component of the card itself. It is not possible to update tags without updating the card data. Think of a tag as just another field on the card.

I recommend protecting any fields where you have personal annotations. We usually recommend to have annotations in the Lecture Notes or Missed Questions fields. After making sure these fields are protected, reset local changes.

Protect fields tutorial: How to Manage Protected Fields
Reset local changes tutorial: How to Reset Local Changes

AnkiHub does not interfere with your personal decks or custom subdecks; it will keep the cards in their assigned decks.

Once you are finished, your cards and tags will be fully up to date. Please note that if you have annotations in fields like Text or Extra, you will lose them, as AnkiHub must overwrite those fields to keep the content current.

Let me know if you need help with anything else!

[duriando]

Hi! I have my notes in the “Lecture Notes” field. So, just to confirm, I can reset local changes, and any notes in the Lecture Notes field will not be deleted?

[MarcosZan]

If the Lecture Notes field is protected, then you will not lose anything. Make sure the field has it’s box checked here How to Manage Protected Fields