Hashcards Format

Creating decks from Hashcard Markdown files is available on the Scholar plan.

Hashcards is a plain-text format for writing flashcard decks in .md or .txt files. Write cards in any text editor, save the file, and import it — no special app or plugin required. It is the recommended format for building new custom decks that don't require media.

Basic Cards (Q & A)

Use Q: and A: prefixes. Multiline content is supported — keep writing on subsequent lines without a blank line between them.

Q: What is the capital of France?
A: Paris

Q: Who is considered the father of theoretical computer science?
A: Alan Turing

Cloze Cards (Fill-in-the-Blank)

Use C: and wrap blanks in [square brackets]. Each blank gets its own number automatically.

C: [Napoleon] was exiled to [Elba] in 1814.

C: The [mitochondria] is the [powerhouse] of the cell.

You can also write cloze blanks as {{c1::text}} directly — both styles are accepted.

Multiple Cards in One File

Separate cards with a blank line:

Q: When did World War II end?
A: 1945

C: The [Krebs cycle] produces [ATP] in the mitochondria.

Q: What language is Rust used for?
A: Systems programming

Paragraph Breaks Within a Card

Use --- on its own line to insert a paragraph break inside a block without ending the card.

Q: Recite the opening of the Gettysburg Address:
---
Four score and seven years ago…
A: (recite from memory)

Source Notes

Use S: to include a source note — reference material such as a poem, passage, speech, or any text you want to study from. Source notes are stored with the deck but are never scheduled for review.

S: The Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent,
a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal.

Q: Who delivered the Gettysburg Address?
A: Abraham Lincoln

Q: In what year was the Gettysburg Address delivered?
A: 1863

The line after S: is the title. Subsequent lines (until the next blank line) are the body. A bare S: with no title is also valid if you only want body text.

Source notes appear at the top of the deck's source view and are included when exporting back to .md.

Importing

On the Import Deck page, drop your .md or .txt file, or paste a URL to one (including GitHub links). The deck name is taken from the file name.

Limitations

The Flipnem Hashcards implementation supports Basic, Cloze, and Source cards only. The other card types — Basic (type in the answer), Basic (and reversed card), and Basic (optional reversed card) — can only be created via Manual Entry or .apkg import.