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Reference guide

The Anki CSV Format, Explained

Everything Anki expects from a CSV import file — field order, encoding, tags, and decks — with real examples.

The basic shape

An Anki-ready CSV is a plain-text table where each row becomes one flashcard note. At minimum, it needs two columns:

ColumnPurpose
FrontThe question, term, or prompt side of the card
BackThe answer, definition, or explanation side
TagsOptional, space-separated keywords for filtering later
DeckOptional, lets a single file populate multiple decks

Encoding

Anki expects UTF-8 text. Files that include a byte-order mark (BOM) at the start are read correctly by Anki's importer, which is why SheetToAnki writes one automatically — this matters for anything beyond plain English, like accented letters, Chinese characters, or math symbols.

Escaping commas, quotes, and line breaks

Standard CSV rules apply: a field containing a comma, quotation mark, or line break must be wrapped in double quotes, with any internal quotes doubled. SheetToAnki handles this automatically when it generates your file, so you never need to hand-edit the CSV.

A worked example

FrontBackTags
PhotosynthesisProcess plants use to convert light into energybiology chapter3
"Bonjour" meansHellofrench vocab
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does the column order matter?+
During import, Anki lets you map each CSV column to a field, so the order in the file just needs to be consistent, not a fixed standard.
Can one CSV contain cards for more than one deck?+
Yes, if you include a Deck column — Anki's importer can route each row into the deck named in that column.
What happens to blank Tags or Deck cells?+
They're simply left blank on import; only Front and Back are required for a valid card.
Do I need headers in the first row?+
SheetToAnki uses the first row as headers to build the column mapping, and it's good practice to keep them in the exported CSV too.