Turn Obsidian notes into Anki flashcards. Panda Zap extracts Q/A pairs from Markdown and syncs them to Anki via AnkiConnect - with full preview of adds, updates, and deletions before anything touches your collection.
Desktop only. Requires Anki + AnkiConnect.
| Q/A Extraction | Simple, configurable labels (Q: / A:). Bold/italic around labels is stripped automatically. |
| Preview before sync | See exactly what will be added, updated, or removed. |
| Deck targeting | Per‑note Deck::my/deck override > folder‑based (folder::NoteName) > global default deck. Multiple files can share the same deck - cards merge safely. |
| Basic card model | Creates and updates Basic (Front / Back) notes. Works with any model exposing Front and Back. |
| Connection test | Quick status check in the sync dialog. |
- Obsidian - desktop app
- Anki - desktop app
- AnkiConnect - add-on 2055492159
-
Install Anki and AnkiConnect, then keep Anki running.
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Install and enable Panda Zap in Obsidian.
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In a note, write cards using Q/A:
Q: What is the capital of France? A: Paris Q: What year did World War II end? A: 1945
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Click the ⚡ Zap ribbon icon to open the sync dialog, review the preview, and sync.
Preview and full analysis rely on a working AnkiConnect connection. Keep Anki running for accurate add/update/delete suggestions.
Model - Basic only (uses Front and Back fields). Cloze and other types are not supported.
Labels - Case‑insensitive, must be followed by a colon: Q: / A:.
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| Single‑line | Q: question A: answer |
| Images | I: [[image.png]] or I:  - attached to the Answer field. |
| Formatting | Bold/italic around labels (*Q:*, _A:_) is stripped. |
| Multi‑line | Bullet lists, tables, steps - any content after Q: is the answer. |
| Deck override | Deck::my/deck on the first line - highest priority. Overrides folder‑based naming and the default deck. Slashes → Anki ::. |
Avoid Q/A inside fenced code blocks or YAML frontmatter.
More examples: docs/writing-cards.md
- Plugin extracts Q/A pairs from the active note.
- It analyses existing Anki notes to decide what to add, update, or remove.
- Preview all changes in a modal before syncing.
- The plugin detects cards that were removed from your note and asks to delete them from Anki (with confirmation). Deletions are scoped per‑file: cards from other notes in the same deck are never touched.
Communication is via AnkiConnect's local HTTP API. Keep Anki open.
| Setting | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anki Connect URL | http://127.0.0.1 |
|
| Anki Connect Port | 8765 |
|
| Default Deck | - | Global fallback |
| Note‑based Decks | off | Derives deck from folder/NoteName.md |
| Deck Override Word | Deck |
First‑line prefix |
| Question Word | Q |
|
| Answer Word | A |
|
| Note Type | Basic |
Uses Front / Back fields |
| Bold Question in Reading Mode | on | Presentation only |
Details: docs/settings.md
| Symptom | Cause / Fix |
|---|---|
| "Not connected to Anki" | Ensure Anki is open and AnkiConnect is installed. Check host/port. |
| "Duplicate" errors | Note likely already exists. The plugin skips when safe. |
| Missing cards | Confirm Q/A lines aren't inside code blocks or frontmatter. |
| Other issues | Open Obsidian Dev Console (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+I) for error messages. |
If you're stuck, open a GitHub issue with a small repro (a few lines of the note) and any console output.
Panda Zap communicates with AnkiConnect over HTTP (http://127.0.0.1:8765 by default). See PRIVACY.md for full details.
Data transmitted to the configured AnkiConnect host:
- Full note content (for analysis and sync)
- Note path / filename (with note‑based decks)
- Card fields (
Front,Back) and target deck/model names
By default the plugin connects to localhost only. If pointing to a remote host, secure the transport (SSH tunnel, VPN). This plugin collects no telemetry.
PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 - see LICENSE. Free for hobby, personal, educational, and noncommercial use. Commercial use, rebranding, or resale is not permitted.
Developer notes and extended examples: docs/.
