PDF to flashcards
Turning a PDF into flashcards should not mean retyping every definition. Make AI Flashcards reads a text PDF in your browser, lets you choose pages, and — when you have a verified account and paid credits — drafts questions that carry a source quotation and a page reference for you to check before you accept them.
Start on the homepage
Open the Upload PDF tab on the AI flashcard maker, drop your text PDF, select pages, then review drafts in the workspace below the fold.
Open the flashcard maker → · Download the sample PDFWhat the PDF importer accepts
On the homepage Upload PDF tab:
- Text PDFs up to 25 MB and 100 pages
- Up to 10 pages and 10,000 characters selected per AI generation
- Deck name up to 100 characters
- Card count: up to 5, up to 10, or up to 20 per generation
Scanned PDF? The importer does not read a scan. Paste a transcription in the Notes tab.
Create flashcards from a PDF
- Drop or pick the PDF on your device. The file is read in the browser. It is not uploaded for storage.
- Select the pages for this session. Start with one chapter. If the PDF is a scan, stop here and paste a transcription in the Notes tab instead.
- Sign in. AI generation needs a verified account and paid credits. Trial generations are currently unavailable. Packs are one-time purchases with no subscription.
- Generate flashcards. Read each draft against its source quotation and page reference, edit what is wrong, and accept only the cards you want.
- Study in the browser, or export accepted cards to Anki (.apkg), CSV, or a printable double-sided layout (A4 or Letter).
Manual cards, study, and export (Anki, CSV, and print) are free and do not need an account. AI generation is the step that needs the verified account and paid credits.
Worked sizing example
An 80-page text PDF is inside the 100-page limit. You still select at most 10 pages for one generation, and the text from that selection has to fit in 10,000 characters. If the selection is over the character cap, drop pages and generate again. Choosing “Up to 10” asks for at most ten question-and-answer pairs grounded in the passages you selected. A larger textbook is a series of generations, not one upload of the whole book.
Privacy and recovery
The PDF stays in the browser. A generation sends only the selected text. Generated cards can be held for recovery for up to ten minutes from the start of the request. Export before you close the tab. Ten minutes is the recovery window, not a library that keeps the deck for you.
Create flashcards from PDF, same page
“Create flashcards from PDF” is this path: import a text PDF, review drafts that cite the source, study, and export. A scan still goes through the Notes tab. Start from the homepage Upload PDF tab, in the block “How to make flashcards from a PDF.”
Study loop
Accepted cards go into study (Study again / Got it, with keyboard shortcuts). You can shuffle and restart. Export uses accepted cards. Drafts stay editable until you accept them.
Notes tab when the PDF is a scan or you have no PDF
Each generation uses at most 10,000 characters. Longer pasted text stays in your browser: shorten it or split it into smaller requests before generating. Paste a transcription of a scanned PDF here, or paste lecture notes. Then pick a deck name and a card count and review the drafts the same way.
Related tools
PDF to quiz builds practice questions from a PDF. It is a different result from a flashcard deck. The word-frequency tool is separate again. Account and credit plumbing can overlap; the PDF limits above do not change because another tool exists.
Example deck
The homepage example is 6 curated biology cards. Flipping them does not send an AI request and does not spend a credit. Use it to see study and flip before you import a PDF.
Can I make flashcards from a PDF without AI?
Yes. The manual card editor, study mode, and exports (Anki, CSV, and print) are free and need no account.
Does AI generation come with the free tools?
No. AI generation needs a verified account and paid credits. Trial generations are currently unavailable.
What are the PDF limits?
25 MB and 100 pages. Each generation can use up to 10 pages and 10,000 characters.
Do scanned PDFs work?
Not as uploads. Paste a transcription in the Notes tab.
How long can I recover a generation?
Up to ten minutes from the request start. Export promptly. The PDF itself is read in the browser, and only selected text is sent when you generate.
Can I export to Anki?
Yes. Download an .apkg of accepted cards, with quotations and PDF source images where the export includes them. CSV and a printable double-sided layout are on the same bar.