I’m reaching out because I accidentally deleted some cards from one of the deck folders synced through AnkiHub, and I can’t seem to get them back.
It happened after I created a filtered deck and unintentionally pulled in cards that weren’t in my current schedule (my “luz”). That somehow disrupted the organization of my decks. When I tried to undo it and return to my regular schedule, I realized some cards had been deleted or gone missing.
For example, in the Neuro > Autonomic Nervous System section, the deck starts from “02” instead of “01”, which used to be there.
I tried restarting Anki and syncing again, hoping it would re-download the missing cards, but unfortunately, they haven’t returned.
Thank you so much
But I’m afraid it will reset also all my learning cards also.
What is the recommended behavior when I use create filter deck option- should I delete the whole deck when I am not interested any more?
Should the cards will come back to original deck?
Yes, if you delete the custom filtered deck, the cards will return back to their original deck
It will not reset your learning card scheduling or anything like that. It will only reset what you have not protected, for example, if you edited the text field of a card and did not protect it then it will reset that
I still don’t fully understand why the deck was deleted in the first place. When I deleted it, it seems like it was just moved – interesting…
I also followed the 2025 settings video and applied the settings to the AnKing Step Deck, but I find it difficult to maintain these settings across all the sub-decks I created for each course. I’m worried that the custom settings I applied won’t stick, because the cards might inherit settings from the sub-deck or parent deck (depending on where they were moved).
Yes, around that much depending on what you select (we regularly delete duplicate cards so that number might be slightly off)
This method is similar to what I did for Step 1 but with one change, so instead of creating a new deck called for example “Vibrio cholera” and then watch the Sketchy video and do the cards after moving them there.
I create a custom study deck, a custom study deck makes a temporary deck that follows the settings of the original deck the cards are from and when you are done with that deck, you can click delete and it automatically returns that deck back to the original deck
In this picture, the blue decks are the custom study decks, so what I did was
Move all cards from each rotation (or for your case you have biochemistry, microbiology etc
I have a question regarding filtered decks. I’m trying to study an entire topic (e.g., Cellular Injury) by creating a filtered deck using the tag for that topic.
However, even when I include is:new in the search and set a very high card limit (e.g., 9999), the deck only pulls in some of the new cards — not all of them.
For example, in the screenshot below, it shows “New: 27 +11”, and even after I finish those cards, it only allows me to study the next 11. I feel like the rest of the cards are “stuck” somewhere.
Thanks again for sharing your filtered deck method — it’s already helped me a lot.
I wanted to give a quick update:
The issue I mentioned earlier with the filtered deck not showing all cards seems to have resolved itself — the cards have already returned to my learning flow, so I can’t reproduce it right now. If it happens again, I’ll definitely reach out with details and screenshots.
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to get your thoughts on an Anki-related strategy question.
Throughout the semester, I’ve been consistently using Anki and really grew to appreciate the method. Now I’m entering a month-long exam period, and in the back of my mind, I’m also aware that USMLE Step 1 is coming up in about a year—so I want to make sure I’m using my time effectively.
Toward the end of the semester, I added a large number of new cards, and now I’m facing a backlog of due (green) cards. I’m struggling to keep up with the daily review load and haven’t been able to clear my daily quota. I’ve attached screenshots of my current settings—maybe you can help me figure out how to break this loop and stabilize my reviews.
Also, I’d love your opinion on how to handle Anki during the 2–3 days between exams. Time is extremely limited, and at the end of the day, UWorld questions targeted to the upcoming test are probably the most high-yield.
Do you think it’s smart in those short gaps to focus only on Anki cards relevant to the upcoming subject (I’ve already tagged and sorted them by course)? Or does that go against the core spaced repetition approach?
Would really appreciate your advice—both in terms of how the system works in theory and from your own experience.
From what I understand, you’ll have in-class exams soon and you are doing AnKing cards for this exam as well as for Step 1 simultaneously. My first piece of advice is that since exams are coming up, it is okay to not always finish your daily reviews. As long as you are consistent, so if you always finished them before exams, then aim for a smaller consistent target.
For example, if you can’t do 600 a day, then aim for 300 everyday and be consistent. It’s okay to have a bit of a backlog during exams, at the end of the day, consistency will always be better than just abandoning Anki altogether. And making sure you pass those exams will be more important than finishing Anki reviews
Once you are done your in-class exams, then you can go back to getting your reviews done everyday as you’ll have more time.
For this, it would be helpful to know if your curriculum is NBME based or do they also test random in-house stuff etc.
I agree questions are the most high yield. This honestly depends, if you are confident with the exam material and know its going to be primarily coming from Step 1 material then you can continue doing Anki cards. If your exams test specific random lecture material, then focusing on the lectures/class material will be more useful than finishing Anki cards.
Don’t sweat it if you have a backlog during exams, this is normal. I always had a backlog during exams and just did what I could, and whenever the exams finished I went back and hammered through the reviews to get back up to speed.
100% yes, focus on the cards that are coming up in the exam. A few days won’t mess up the spaced repeittion especially if you are honest with the ratings (pressing again if you got it wrong, pressing good if you got it right)
Also, doing cards just for that specific subjects can help you focus on weaknesses and gives you more time to watch YouTube videos, do practice questions, etc so you can ace that specific exam. It wouldn’t be useful to do OBGYN cards for example, when the exam is about psychiatry.
Thanks so much for your detailed response – it was really helpful!
I wanted to ask for some further advice regarding my Anki settings. I have a feeling that this might be a major part of why I’m struggling to keep up.
Right now, I’m preparing for NBME-style exams, and my Step 1 is scheduled for about a year from now.
Here’s how I currently study:
I watch a video (like a sketchy or lecture video), and immediately after, I do a filtered deck with only the cards relevant to that specific video. Then, I move those cards into the deck for the relevant course.
This approach helps me stay focused on the content, but I’m often unable to finish my daily review quota, so I’ve accumulated a large number of green cards (due), and I haven’t even started on my new (blue) cards.
I’m reviewing at least 200 cards a day, but it still doesn’t feel like I’m making a dent in the backlog. I suspect something in my deck settings or filtered deck setup isn’t optimized.
I’d love your opinion on a few things:
Are there any specific Anki settings (like maximum reviews/day, intervals, steps) you’d recommend changing to improve efficiency?
What do you think about my method of using a filtered deck after every video? Do you think it’s effective, or would you suggest a different workflow?
Would you recommend limiting the number of due cards I do each day to avoid burnout, or temporarily pausing new cards altogether?
What changes would you suggest to help me stay consistent with spaced repetition and still manage my time during this intense exam month?
I really believe in the value of spaced repetition through Anki, but right now I’m feeling overwhelmed and looking for ways to make the system work better for me.
Also, I came across something called the Anki Ambassador Program, and I’d love to get involved and represent it at my university. Could you tell me a bit more about what that involves and how I could participate?
Thanks again for all your help – I truly appreciate it!
I suspect there is not really an issue with your settings, but it is just a matter of having to do more. Often times when I have a backlog, I try to review at least 1,000 cards a day.
Can you let me know what your average review time per card is? 8 seconds per card? 10?
My settings are FSRS at 88% retention
Learning steps: 25m
Relearning steps: 10m
Max interval: 180 days
Also, I don’t optimize my FSRS intervals, I just default (this is just personal preference)
So far what I suspect is that everything is fine, but you will unfortunately just need to do more per day. Backlogs suck, and I’ve had so much over the past 3 years. At one point I even had backlogs of 6,000 cards and 10,000 cards (don’t ask me how that happened ). But the way I dealt with them is setting 4 hours aside and just grinding through them. Another very very useful tip that I recommend is doing cards from easiest to hardest (so the biggest intervals first). This makes it so much easier, so you can fly through the green cards that are furthest away first and the hardest ones are at the last where you’ll slow down the most
This is what I do, I custom study the entire AnKing deck and only show the green due cards and filter by decreasing intervals.
I did this for all of Step 1, I loved this method and I recommend it.
When you’re experiencing a backlog, I would recommend pausing new cards so it doesn’t exacerbate the problem. Once you’ve dealt with the backlog, then introduce new cards again.
You could limit your due cards but it won’t do much, in the end the more you do the faster your backlog will finish and you can go back to doing new cards
My approach during exams is always putting exams first, so if that means your step studying will suffer a little bit, that’s okay. Always approach it with in-house exams first and ask yourself what do I need to do to excel in these exams, then prioritize it based on your answers.
If anki will help more than anything, then do that first
If practise questions will help more than Anki, then put that first
If in-house lectures, past paper questions will help more, etc etc.
Once you’ve determined that, you can dedicate the most time to things that will give you the most benefit. You mentioned your exams are NBME based, so I would assume Anki would help a ton. In that case, I’d sit for 5 hours and grind through as much of the backlog as I can. Since its overwhelming, I would just set a limit of due cards, whether in the settings or mentally, of like 500 cards per day and do them as soon as possible in the day
Definitely the approach of the easiest intervals first will help a ton, this helps a lot. Doing the easier cards at the start is so much better mentally than starting with the hardest cards and getting demotivated.
And just tell yourself that it’s okay to have a backlog, we are all human and exams are tough, just do as much as you reasonably can (and of course, keeping in mind self-care etc).
Once accepted, you’ll be invited to the Slack channel and you’ll have a set of tasks you can complete. Once completed you’ll get free perks like a year of AnkiHub etc. It involves hosting a AnkiHub workshop at your university (and we provide instructions on how to do so). If you’re interested, you can apply in the link above
I wanted to sincerely thank you again for your detailed response — I really appreciate your time and the way you broke everything down so clearly. It’s already helped me adjust my workflow and mindset.
I created a filtered deck just like you suggested, with due cards sorted by decreasing intervals, and it’s made reviews much more manageable. I also updated my Anki settings and built a new preset based on your advice (and the FSRS-based setup I discussed with someone).
That said, I’m not quite hitting the review speeds you mentioned. My average is around 28 seconds per card, which is definitely slower — but part of that is because I need to carefully read the card, and I often take a moment to jot down notes in my lecture notebook, especially for more complex concepts. That naturally adds some time.
Still, I’m confident I’ll close the gap over time. These changes are already helping me move in the right direction, especially for content that’s Sketchy-heavy like micro and pharm, which will be crucial in the short-term with exams coming up.
Thanks again for being so generous with your insights — it’s made a real impact.
Warmly,
Yuval
בתאריך יום א׳, 25 במאי 2025 ב-15:01 מאת Ahmed Khudair via AnkiHub Community <noreply@community.ankihub.net>:
I hope you’re doing well.
I just completed my first year in medical school and am now beginning the system-based phase of the curriculum.
During the first semester, I developed a consistent daily Anki routine, which helped me succeed — even in courses I initially thought I’d struggle with. The combination of spaced repetition and active recall made a huge difference, and I’m grateful I found this method early.
Now that I’m moving into system-based learning, I realize the study format is very different — each system only lasts about three weeks, compared to four-month semesters. I’d really appreciate your insight on how to adapt my Anki use to this new structure.
For the system-based approach, I would advise making sure that you do the relevant cards for that specific system during the block. Here is an example:
If you have 3 weeks for cardiology, I would either create a subdeck or custom filtered deck of all the cardiology cards you need to do and try to finish it before the 3 weeks is up. So everyday you do for example 100 cards and finish the reviews for cardiology, then after that you can do the reviews of your entire AnKing deck or catch up on the weekend.
Prioritize the block you’re in so you don’t fall behind. Once the next block approaches, do the same, so make a new subdeck or filtered deck for pulmonology for example and do the cards everyday. Once you are done the reviews for that day, then you can do the reviews for all the other AnKing cards.
I did this approach for obgyn, peds, psych in my first semester and it helped a ton. I did have a backlog at times which was annoying but it let me focus on the block I’m in currently without overwhelming myself with other cards
Thanks again for your helpful advice on the system-based approach for my Step 1 prep (in August).
I’m currently following your method (B&B video → Filtered Deck of system cards), but I’m running into a problem: I can’t keep up and I’m developing a significant card backlog.
I’ve attached screenshots of my current AnkiHub settings and deck stats. I’ve been adjusting the settings and I’m unsure if they are optimal.
My main concern is managing the backlog while keeping up with the current system block.
My main question is:How can I change my AnkiHub settings to revert to the default settings, or what specific settings (like the 500 new cards / 5000 reviews shown in the attached image) should I change to best manage this load?
After reviewing my “Collection” stats, I realized I have been very consistent (studying 96% of the days) but I have accumulated a massive backlog of over 6,000 cards.
I suspect my current settings are incorrect and contributing to this issue. Therefore, I have two main requests/questions:
1. Resetting to Defaults: I want to revert my Anki/AnkiHub settings back to the “factory defaults” (the recommended baseline for AnKing). I want to start fresh with standard settings and adjust from there. How can I ensure I am fully reset to the recommended setup?
2. Strategy & Technical Setup (Current vs. Past Material): My main goal is to study for Step 1 (August) effectively. I am currently studying the Respiratory system (as you can see in the attached screenshot of my deck structure). I want to prioritize the current block, but simultaneously start reviewing material from Year 1 and previous systems I have already finished.
My question is: How do I set this up technically in Anki?
Should I keep everything in one big deck?
Should I use specific Filtered Decks for the past material?
How do I ensure the algorithm prioritizes the current system reviews so I don’t fall behind on “Respi”, while still feeding me review cards from Year 1?
I’ve attached a screenshot of my current deck structure for reference.
Thanks for your guidance!
בתאריך יום ב׳, 17 בנוב׳ 2025 ב-16:33 מאת Ahmed Khudair via AnkiHub Community <noreply@community.ankihub.net>:
If you are using FSRS, you can revert back to the default parameters, this is what I do. I have never optimized (just personal preference), and I just move around the retention % as needed
Yes, I would keep everything under one big deck (with subdecks as you already have done) but
Yes, so one filtered deck would be your respiratory block stuff and you will prioritize doing this everyday, and one filtered deck will be for everything except the respiratory stuff that you do after you’ve finished your resp studying/reviews for that day. So that way you prioritize your current block and also put time towards Step 1 studying
In a filtered deck, I would keep them separated, so select all the tags for resp in one filtered deck and do them first everyday. And repeat this for future blocks. I think this is th easiest way
Another thing I noticed is your backlog is most likely not due to your settings, but your overall reviews per day. usually for the Step deck, users usually reach between 300 reviews per day up to 600 reviews per day, and especially closer to the exam it can reach 800-1000 cards per day. Obviously the upper limit is not sustainable for a long time but this may be the reason you are experiencing a significant backlog.
Some questions I have
How long do you usually spend on each card?
How long do you spend doing Anki reviews usually?
Your average card review time should be around 7-15 seconds, from the image above it seems for 83 cards it was 33.6 seconds per card, which is a bit on the higher side and this will cause you to develop a backlog quickly, especially if you’ve unsuspended many cards
Hi Ahmad,
). But the way I dealt with them is setting 4 hours aside and just grinding through them. Another very very useful tip that I recommend is doing cards from easiest to hardest (so the biggest intervals first). This makes it so much easier, so you can fly through the green cards that are furthest away first and the hardest ones are at the last where you’ll slow down the most
