How to Back Up Your Flashcards Before Switching

To back up flashcards before switching, export a small real deck, restore the copy, inspect media and scheduling, then keep two independent copies. A file on your drive is only an export; it becomes a verified backup after a clean restore test. StudyDaily keeps .apkg and CSV exports open, so your move has a return path.

Short answer

• An export is the starting point, not proof that your backup works.
• Use a small, representative deck for a five-minute restore test.
• Keep the untouched source, the original export, and an independent copy.
• Compare cards, media, formatting, scheduling, and collection scope before switching.

A backup is a restore test, not an export file

An export answers one narrow question: did the source application write a file? It does not answer whether the file opens elsewhere, includes the parts you care about, or can restore your study state.

A verified backup has three layers. First, the original collection stays untouched. Second, the export remains unchanged. Third, a copy of that export opens in a separate test collection and passes a short inspection.

That distinction matters because flashcards carry more than front and back text. You may depend on tags, images, audio, cloze formatting, due dates, intervals, or review history. A file can look healthy in a folder while one of those layers is missing.

Use the smallest real deck that still represents your work. A language deck with images tests different things from a plain text glossary. A deck with mature review history tests more than a brand-new deck.

The first success condition is simple: you can restore the copy and recognize the cards. The second is more demanding: the restored cards still behave as expected. The third is practical: you know which file is original, which file was tested, and where to return if the switch fails.

How to back up flashcards in five minutes

You do not need to begin with the full collection. A small controlled test gives you evidence before a larger export creates a larger problem.

1. Choose a representative deck. Pick a deck with several card types you actually use. Include at least one card with media and one card with review history when those matter to your collection.

2. Export the smallest useful scope. Use .apkg for a structured deck test. Use a collection package only when you need collection-wide data and the destination accepts it. Keep CSV as a second, readable copy of card content.

3. Leave the source alone. Do not reorganize, delete, suspend, or bulk-edit the original collection between export and restore. You want a clear comparison between the source and the test copy.

4. Name the original before moving it. A useful name records the scope and purpose, such as biology-core-apkg-original-2026-05-25. Add a separate label to the copy you will restore, such as biology-core-apkg-restore-test.

5. Make an independent copy. Put the original export and its safety copy in different storage locations. Keep one copy unchanged. The second copy is the one you open, import, and inspect.

6. Restore the test copy. Import it into an empty or clearly labelled test collection. Do not test by importing over the collection you are trying to protect.

7. Compare three cards. Open a simple card, a media card, and a card with known review history. Check the front, back, tags, media, due date, and interval.

This sequence is short by design. It gives you a decision before you commit the full collection to a new destination.

The most useful test is a round trip. After restoring the copy, export it again if the destination allows it. That second file shows whether the new home can provide its own exit.

The browser version makes this check easy to start: open StudyDaily in your browser. It is the complete application, nothing needs installing, and reviewing never asks you for an account.

Keep independent copies and a clear filename

Treat the source collection and every export as separate objects. The source is the working collection you can return to. The original export is the unchanged snapshot. The restore copy is disposable. An additional independent copy is your fallback if the first file becomes corrupted or gets overwritten.

A filename should answer three questions without opening the file:

• What collection or deck does it contain?
• Which format and scope did you export?
• Is this the original, a test, or a later revision?

For example:

• biology-core-apkg-original-2026-05-25
• biology-core-apkg-restore-test
• biology-full-csv-readable-copy

Do not silently replace the original with a file that has been imported, edited, or exported again. Mark each new generation. A filename such as final.apkg is an invitation to guess.

Keep the source until the restore test passes and the first real review session looks right. Then keep it longer if the collection matters. The rollback plan below depends on having a known-good source, not merely a recent-looking file.

Check media, formatting, and scheduling after restore

A useful restore check follows the layers that can fail quietly. Use the same cards in the source and the test collection.

StudyDaily imports .apkg cards with their formatting intact. Its progress import carries the card state, due date, interval, reps, lapses, suspended and buried status, FSRS memory, and the complete review history for cards created by the import.

That is the part worth checking against known cards. Open one mature review card and compare its due date and interval. Open one card with lapses. If you use suspended or buried cards, inspect one of each. A list view is not enough to confirm media or scheduling.

The import option for scheduling is enabled by default and can be turned off. When the import creates cards, the progress belongs to those imported cards; importing over cards already in the collection does not rewrite their local progress.

Use .apkg for the structured restore test. Keep CSV as an additional open copy when a readable text fallback matters. Use COLPKG for a full collection only when the destination supports it, and test on a copy because a COLPKG import can replace a collection.

Do not stop after seeing the right number of cards. A successful restore should answer these questions:

1. Can you read the cards you rely on?
2. Do the media files open during review?
3. Does the known scheduling still point to the expected work?
4. Can you identify the restored scope without mixing it with the source?

If one answer is no, keep the source collection untouched. Fix the export or the import path, then repeat the small test.

Write the rollback plan before switching

A rollback plan is a set of decisions written before the move makes them urgent.

First, identify the source you will reopen if the destination fails. Use the untouched collection and the unchanged export, not a file whose origin you have to reconstruct.

Second, define the pass criteria. A migration passes when the representative cards, media, formatting, scheduling, and scope match the checks you chose. A missing image, unexpected due date, or replaced collection is a reason to stop and investigate.

Third, decide what happens after a failed test. Keep the new collection labelled as a test, record the mismatch, and return to the source. Do not keep editing both collections while you are still deciding which one is correct.

Fourth, preserve the exit. StudyDaily exports .apkg and CSV at any time, so the destination does not become the only place your collection exists. StudyDaily has no multi-device sync; each installation keeps its own collection, and transfer between installations uses .apkg or CSV.

The purpose of this plan is not to predict every failure. It is to make the safe action obvious when a restore check finds one.

Use the migration guides as a second check

The export scope changes the test you need. choose the right export scope

A restore check shows your own collection; a broader comparison explains the layers that can change. compare what survives a migration

For the complete sequence from source collection to tested destination, follow the full migration checklist

Questions people ask

Is exporting a flashcard deck enough for a backup?

No. Exporting creates a candidate backup. A verified backup also has an unchanged source, an independent copy, and a restore test that opens representative cards. Check at least the content, media, formatting, and scheduling that matter to your collection.

You do not need to test the entire collection first. A small real deck reveals whether the destination can read your format and whether your chosen options include the data you expected.

How do I check that a flashcard backup works?

Restore a copy into an empty or clearly labelled test collection. Open a simple card, a card with media, and a card with known review history. Compare their fields, media, due date, and interval with the source.

If the test passes, keep the original export unchanged and use the same checks on the full collection. If it fails, keep the source untouched and repeat with a corrected export.

Should I keep the original collection after exporting?

Yes. Keep the source until the restore test passes, the first review session looks correct, and your rollback path is clear. The original collection is your quickest reference when a restored card looks different.

Also keep an unchanged export and an independent copy. Naming those files makes it clear which one you can inspect and which one you can safely use for another test.

Can I test a backup without installing another app?

Yes. StudyDaily's web version is the complete application, so you can open the test destination in a browser. Nothing needs installing, and reviewing does not require an account.

Use a copy of the export for the test. The goal is to inspect the migration while the source collection remains available.

Sources used for this guide

The official Anki export manual covers packaged decks, collection packages, media, and scheduling options. The official packaged-deck import manual explains how imported cards and progress options are handled. I checked both sources on 12 August 2026 while preparing this guide.

Conclusion

To back up flashcards safely before switching, keep the source, export a small representative deck, restore a copy, compare the layers you rely on, and preserve independent files. That five-minute test is the difference between possessing an export and having a verified backup.

StudyDaily keeps .apkg and CSV exports open at any time, so your collection has a usable exit after the move as well. Test first, switch second.

Anki is a registered trademark of AnkiWeb, LLC. This guide is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by AnkiWeb, LLC.