Anki MCP server

This MCP server enables LLMs to interact with Anki flashcard software through AnkiConnect, allowing for automated creation, management, and manipulation of Anki decks and cards. It supports multiple languages and provides a comprehensive set of tools for Anki automation.

Prerequisites

• Anki installed on your system
• AnkiConnect add-on installed in Anki

Installation and Configuration

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add the server to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["--yes","anki-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration for Cline

Add the server to your Cline MCP settings file inside VSCode's settings (ex. ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["--yes","anki-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

Deck Management

• list_decks - List all available Anki decks
• create_deck - Create a new Anki deck

Note Operations

• create_note - Create a new note (Basic or Cloze)
• batch_create_notes - Create multiple notes at once
• search_notes - Search for notes using Anki query syntax
• get_note_info - Get detailed information about a note
• update_note - Update an existing note
• delete_note - Delete a note

Note Type Management

• list_note_types - List all available note types
• create_note_type - Create a new note type

Usage Examples

Creating a New Deck

Create a new Anki deck called "Programming"

Adding a Basic Card

Create an Anki card in the "Programming" deck with:
Front: What is a closure in JavaScript?
Back: A closure is the combination of a function and the lexical environment within which that function was declared.

Adding a Cloze Deletion Card

Create a cloze card in the "Programming" deck with:
Text: In JavaScript, {{c1::const}} declares a block-scoped variable that cannot be {{c2::reassigned}}.

Language Support

The server offers intelligent language support:

• Automatically detects the language of your Anki installation
• Supports both English and Chinese Anki interfaces
• Dynamically uses the appropriate field names based on detected language
• Falls back to English if language detection fails

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.