The default Anki settings are not optimal. Here are the exact settings to change, what each one does, and the values that work best for most learners - based on the research and the Anki community consensus.
Anki's defaults were set in 2006 and haven't been updated for general use. The most impactful changes: switch to FSRS, set learning steps to 1m 10m, set maximum interval to 36500, and use a retention target of 0.90. The rest of this guide explains why.
The single most impactful change you can make is switching from Anki's old SM-2 algorithm to FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler). FSRS is newer, more accurate, and proven to require fewer reviews for the same retention rate.
Requires Anki 23.10 or later. If you're on an older version, update first.
Learning steps determine how many times you see a new card before it graduates to the spaced repetition queue. The default is 1m 10m - which is actually reasonable. Here's what changes to consider:
| Setting | Value | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Steps (fast) | 1m 10m | Most learners, language learning |
| Learning Steps (thorough) | 1m 10m 1d | Medical school, dense factual content |
| Learning Steps (AnKing) | 15m 1d | USMLE Step 1 with AnKing deck |
Adding a 1d step means you see new cards again the next day before they graduate. This significantly improves early retention at the cost of slightly more reviews in week 1.
This is the setting most beginners get wrong. The default is 20 new cards per day - which sounds manageable but creates a compounding review backlog that overwhelms most learners within 2 weeks.
Recommended: 10–20 new cards/day (beginners)
Start at 10 if you're new to Anki. Each new card adds ~7 review cards over the next month. At 20 new/day, you'll be doing 140+ review cards daily within a month.
For heavy users: 20–50 new cards/day
Medical students using AnKing often do 50–100 new cards/day. This requires discipline and a consistent daily routine. If you miss a day, the backlog grows fast.
Warning: Do not set to 9999
Some users set this to 9999 to see all new cards at once. This defeats the purpose of spaced repetition and will result in a massive, unmaintainable review backlog. Keep it at a sustainable daily number.
The maximum interval caps how long Anki can wait before showing you a card again. The default is 36,500 days (100 years) - which is correct. Do not lower this.
Some guides recommend capping at 365 days for exam prep. The logic: you don't want cards disappearing for 5 years when you need them for an exam next spring. If you have a specific exam date, set the maximum interval to the days remaining until your exam.
| Setting | Default | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduating interval | 1 day | 1 day | Fine as-is |
| Easy interval | 4 days | 4 days | Fine as-is; avoid pressing Easy |
| Starting ease | 250% | 250% | Default is fine with FSRS |
Stop pressing the Easy button
The Easy button inflates your ease factor and pushes cards out too far. Most Anki power users recommend only using Again and Good. The Hard button is also counterproductive in most cases. If a card is too easy, suspend it or delete it rather than marking it Easy.
# Paste these settings into your deck options:
FSRS: Enabled
Desired retention: 0.90
Learning steps: 1m 10m
Graduating interval: 1 day
Easy interval: 4 days
New cards/day: 10–20 (start low)
Maximum reviews/day: 9999 (no cap)
Maximum interval: 36500
Bury related new cards: Off
Bury related review cards: Off
Optimizing your settings is step two. Step one is having a good deck. How to create Anki cards covers card creation from scratch - or you can export AI-generated cards directly to Anki from your own notes in seconds.
While setting your new cards is crucial, how you handle your daily reviews determines whether you stick with Anki long-term or find yourself switching to AI-powered flashcard tools. A common mistake is capping the "Maximum reviews/day" to a small number (like 100). While this feels manageable in the short term, it creates a "hidden backlog" that doesn't disappear—it simply piles up, eventually leading to a mountain of overdue cards that can cause burnout.
For most users, especially those using FSRS, it is recommended to set Maximum reviews/day to 9999. This ensures you see every card the algorithm deems necessary for that day. To make this sustainable, focus on these scheduling tweaks:
No matter how perfectly you optimize FSRS or your learning steps, some cards will simply refuse to stick. In Anki, these are called "Leeches"—cards that you have lapsed on so many times that they are consuming a disproportionate amount of your study time. If you keep hitting "Again" on a card, the problem isn't the algorithm; it's the card's design.
By default, Anki tags a card as a leech after 8 lapses. Instead of ignoring this tag, use it as a signal to overhaul the card. A card usually becomes a leech because it is too complex, lacks context, or violates the "Minimum Information Principle."
The most important realization for any power user is that the algorithm is only as good as the data you feed it. FSRS is a mathematical model; if you provide it with a "fuzzy" or poorly worded card, the algorithm will struggle to find a stable interval, leading to unnecessary reviews and frustration. The goal is to achieve "atomic" cards—cards that ask one specific question and provide one specific answer.
To bridge the gap between raw information and algorithm-ready cards, many learners are now integrating AI into their workflow. Tools like StudyCards AI can help automate the creation of these atomic cards, ensuring that the input is optimized for spaced repetition from the start. When your cards are concise and clear, the FSRS algorithm can calibrate your retention more accurately, significantly reducing the total number of reviews needed over the lifetime of the deck.
StudyCards AI creates optimally structured flashcards from your notes, PDFs, or any study material - then exports them directly to Anki with one click. No manual card creation required.
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