How to bulk-create Anki vocabulary cards
If you are building a vocabulary deck, making cards one at a time is the slowest possible way to do it. The faster approach is to capture words in bulk as you read and import them into Anki in a single batch. This guide shows you how to collect dozens of words across a reading session and turn them into a finished deck — with translation and native-speaker audio — in one import.
Why bulk creation beats one-at-a-time
Every time you stop to build a single card, you break your reading flow and you pay the full overhead of opening Anki, choosing a note type, and filling fields. Doing that fifty times is exhausting. Capturing in bulk flips the cost: you collect words effortlessly while you read, and pay the import cost only once, at the end. You end up with far more cards for far less friction.
Step 1: Capture words as you read
Install the AnkiExpress Chrome extension and, while reading, highlight each word or phrase you want to learn, right-click, and choose Capture Anki card front text. Each capture is saved with its translation and transliteration, and the extension's badge count rises so you can see your batch growing. Keep reading and keep capturing — there is no need to switch apps. For the capture step in detail, see how to make Anki cards from web articles.
Step 2: Export the whole batch at once
When you finish, open your AnkiExpress profile and click Download file. Every word you captured is written into a single import file. If you want native-speaker audio on the whole batch, generate the file with the optional Windows companion app instead — it adds audio to every card automatically.
Step 3: Import the batch into Anki
In Anki, click Import file, select the generated file, confirm the field separator is Tab, and choose the deck you want every card to land in. One click imports the entire batch. See the tutorial's import section for the screenshot walkthrough.
Common use cases for bulk card creation
Bulk capture fits naturally into the way people already study a language:
- Graded readers and online books. A single chapter of a graded reader can yield twenty or thirty unfamiliar words. Capture them as you read the chapter, then export the whole chapter's vocabulary into one deck so your reviews track your reading.
- News articles. News is full of high-frequency, current vocabulary. Read a few articles on a topic, capture the new words from each, and import them together — you build a themed deck (politics, sport, business) in minutes.
- Subtitles and lyrics. When you read along with subtitles or song lyrics in your browser, capture the words you do not know as they appear, then turn the whole episode or song into a study batch.
- Exam and textbook word lists. Working through an online vocabulary list or course glossary? Capture each term in order and import the full list as a single deck, ready for spaced repetition.
Tips for bigger, better batches
- Capture across several articles. Your batch does not reset between pages — read a few articles, then export once.
- Prefer phrases over isolated words. Phrases give context and make each card easier to recall.
- Organise by deck at import time. Keep one reading session per deck (for example, by topic or difficulty) by choosing the deck during import.
- Remember 1 token = 1 card. New users get 10 free tokens and tokens never expire, so a large batch is predictable: 200 captured words is 200 tokens.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards can I create at once?
There is no fixed limit. Capture as many words as you like across your reading and export them all into one import file. One token generates one card.
Can I bulk-import the cards into a specific deck?
Yes. When you import the generated file into Anki, you choose the destination deck, so an entire batch lands where you want it.
Do bulk cards include translation and audio?
Yes. Every card carries its translation and transliteration, and native-speaker audio is added for the whole batch when you generate the file with the optional Windows companion app.
Build your deck in batches
Stop making cards one at a time. Create a free account and add the Chrome extension to start capturing vocabulary in bulk on your next reading session.