Find the knowledge actions
Mark definitions, sequences, relationships, examples, quotations and arguments. Each needs a different kind of question. Avoid copying a paragraph onto the back and calling it one card.
Use the minimum information needed for a complete answer. If a response has six unrelated parts, split it. If the parts form one process or argument, keep the structure and practise reconstructing it.
Write prompts with one interpretation
A card should tell future-you what kind of answer counts. ‘Photosynthesis?’ is vague. ‘What are the two stages of photosynthesis, and where does each occur?’ is testable.
- Include enough context to avoid ambiguity
- Ask for production, not yes/no recognition
- Keep answers short enough to check precisely
- Add an example when application matters
- Use images only when they carry information
Preserve the bigger picture
Atomised facts can weaken understanding if you never reconnect them. Add overview prompts, relationship questions and outlines. Cuepacks can include cards, hints, images, essay structure and purpose-built activities, which is useful when ordinary front-and-back cards flatten the topic.
Cueable can also import CSV and supported Anki decks, so improving your card design does not require starting from zero.
Test before you scale
Study ten cards once before making a hundred. Any prompt that produces confusion, multiple valid answers or excessive checking should be edited immediately. Card quality is easier to fix at the beginning than after weeks of unreliable ratings.