How to import an Anki deck

What is actually inside an .apkg file

An .apkg ("Anki package") looks like a single file, but it is really a zip archive. Rename a copy to .zip and open it and you will find:

• A database. A SQLite file holding your notes (the raw fields you typed), the cards generated from them, the note types and card templates that define their layout, and, in a full export, the review log of every answer you have ever given.
• Media. Audio clips and images, stored as numbered files with a small map that tells the app which filename each number belongs to.

The cards are the obvious payload. The review log is the valuable one, because it is what lets a spaced-repetition system know when to show each card next.

Why history matters more than the cards

Spaced repetition works by spacing reviews further apart as a card proves it is known. That spacing is computed from your past answers. Import a deck without its history and every card looks brand new, so you are handed the whole deck to relearn from scratch, even though you may have known most of it for months.

Cards are cheap to recreate. History is not. Protecting your history is the entire point of a careful import.

Get a clean export first

Before importing anywhere, export properly from the source:

1. Open Anki on the desktop. Phone apps can study, but the desktop app is the reliable place to export.
2. Choose File, then Export.
3. Pick the Anki Deck Package (.apkg) format.
4. If the option is offered, keep scheduling information (and media) included. This is the toggle that preserves your progress. A "notes only" or "cards only" export will not carry your history.

Importing back into Anki

If you are moving between two Anki installs, it could not be simpler: choose File, then Import, and select the .apkg (double-clicking the file usually works too). Anki merges the deck and its media into your collection. Because both sides speak the same format, history comes across cleanly.

Importing into a different app

This is where apps differ a great deal. The .apkg format is not officially documented, so every non-Anki importer is a careful reconstruction. Three things commonly get lost or simplified:

• Review history. Many importers bring the cards but drop the log, quietly resetting your schedule. This is the one to check for first.
• Card templates. Complex layouts, cloze deletions, and Japanese furigana rendering may or may not survive.
• Media. Audio and images sometimes need to be re-linked, or are skipped entirely.

Before you trust an app with a big deck, import a small test deck and confirm that a card you know well is not presented as new. That single check tells you whether your history made the trip.

Frequently asked questions

What is an .apkg file?

It is Anki's deck package: a zip archive containing a SQLite database of your notes, cards, and (in a full export) review history, plus any media. It is how decks are shared and backed up.

Does importing keep my review history?

Only if the file contains it and the importing app reads it. Export with scheduling information included, and verify after import that known cards are not shown as new.

What is the difference between .apkg and .colpkg?

An .apkg is one or more decks you can share. A .colpkg is a backup of your entire collection, meant for restoring your own setup, not for sharing single decks.

Can I open an .apkg without Anki?

You can inspect it by renaming a copy to .zip and extracting it, but the contents are a database and numbered media, not something you read directly. To actually study it you need an app that imports the format.