How to Create Flashcards

⚡ Quick Start Guide

Get started with BuildFlashCards in under 10 seconds. No account required, no complicated setup. Just follow these simple steps:

1 Enter Your Flashcards

Type or paste your flashcard content into the text box. Each flashcard should be on its own line, with the question and answer separated by one of these characters:

Pipe character ( | ) - Recommended
Tab - Great for copying from spreadsheets
Comma ( , ) - Works with CSV files

Paris | Capital of France

Mitochondria | Powerhouse of the cell

1776 | Year of US independence

H2O | Chemical formula for water

2 Click "Start Studying"

That's it! Click the blue "Start Studying" button and your flashcards are ready to use. No signup, no email verification, no waiting.

3 Study Your Cards

Click on any card to flip it and reveal the answer. Use the navigation buttons or keyboard shortcuts to move between cards. Mark cards you know to track your progress.

✅ That's All There Is To It!

You're now ready to start studying. Your flashcards are automatically saved in your browser, so you can come back anytime.

📚 Detailed Tutorial

Creating Flashcards From Notes

The fastest way to create flashcards is to paste your existing notes. Here's how to format them correctly:

💡 Formatting Tips

Use the pipe character ( | ) to separate questions and answers. It's the easiest to see and won't accidentally appear in your content.

Example formats that work:

Question | Answer

Front of card | Back of card

Term | Definition

Word | Translation

Importing From CSV Files

If you have flashcards in a spreadsheet or CSV file, you can upload them directly:

Click the "Upload CSV" button
Select your CSV or text file
Your flashcards will automatically populate the text box
Click "Start Studying" to begin

💡 CSV Format

Your CSV should have two columns: the first for questions, the second for answers. Each row becomes one flashcard.

Creating Flashcards From Scratch

Don't have existing notes? No problem. Just type directly into the text box:

Type your question or term
Add a pipe character ( | )
Type your answer or definition
Press Enter to start a new flashcard
Repeat for each card you want to create

🎯 Study Mode Features

Flipping Cards

There are three ways to flip a flashcard and reveal the answer:

Click anywhere on the card
Press the Space bar
Tap the card on mobile devices

Navigating Between Cards

Move through your flashcard deck using:

Click the "Next" and "Previous" buttons
Press the → arrow key to go forward
Press the ← arrow key to go backward
The deck automatically loops when you reach the end

Marking Cards as Known

Focus your studying by marking cards you've already mastered:

Click "Mark as Known" button on cards you know
Press the K key as a shortcut
Known cards display with a green border
Track how many cards you have left to learn
Click again to unmark if you need more practice

Shuffling Your Deck

Randomize the order of your flashcards to improve retention:

Click the "Shuffle" button in the study controls
Cards will be randomly reordered
Great for testing yourself in different sequences
Shuffle as many times as you want

Resetting Progress

Start fresh with your flashcard deck:

Click the "Reset" button
Returns to the first card
Clears all "known" markings
Perfect for reviewing everything again

Downloading Your Flashcards

Save your flashcards for backup or sharing:

Click the "Download" button
Saves as a CSV file you can open in any spreadsheet program
Use the file to recreate your deck later
Share with classmates or study groups

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your studying with these keyboard shortcuts. No need to reach for the mouse!

`Space`

Flip the current flashcard to reveal the answer

`→`

Move to the next flashcard in the deck

`←`

Move to the previous flashcard in the deck

`K`

Mark the current card as known or unknown

💡 Pro Tip

Use keyboard shortcuts for faster studying. You can flip and navigate through cards without ever touching your mouse!

🌟 Best Practices for Effective Flashcards

Keep It Simple

Each flashcard should focus on one concept or fact. Avoid cramming multiple ideas into a single card.

Good: Paris | Capital of France

Bad: Paris, London, Berlin | Capitals of France, UK, Germany

Use Clear Questions

Make sure your questions are specific and unambiguous. You shouldn't have to guess what the question is asking.

Write Complete Answers

Answers should be clear and complete enough that you'll understand them weeks later when reviewing.

Study Regularly

Review your flashcards multiple times over several days for better retention. Spaced repetition is key to long-term memorization.

Mix Known and Unknown Cards

Don't just focus on new material. Shuffle your deck and review cards you've already marked as known to reinforce learning.

Test Both Directions

For vocabulary or terminology, create flashcards in both directions. For example, if learning Spanish, create cards for "hello | hola" and "hola | hello".

✅ Study Smarter

Effective flashcards combined with regular review sessions are proven to improve memory retention by up to 200%.

🔒 Privacy and Data Storage

Your Flashcards Stay Private

All your flashcards are stored locally in your browser using localStorage. This means:

Your flashcards never leave your device
We can't see what you're studying
No data is uploaded to our servers
Your study habits aren't tracked or analyzed
Complete privacy - what you study is your business

Automatic Saving

Your flashcard input is automatically saved as you type. Come back anytime and your content will still be there.

💡 Browser Storage

Your flashcards are saved in your current browser. If you switch browsers or devices, you'll need to recreate or upload your flashcards. Use the Download feature to save a backup.

Clearing Your Data

If you want to remove your flashcards from your browser:

Clear your browser's localStorage
Or simply delete all text from the input box
Your flashcards will be removed from your device

🔧 Troubleshooting

Cards Not Loading

If your flashcards aren't appearing:

Check that each card is on its own line
Verify you're using a pipe ( | ), tab, or comma separator
Make sure you have at least one card entered
Try refreshing the page

Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working

If keyboard shortcuts aren't responding:

Make sure you're in study mode (not the input screen)
Click on the page to ensure it has focus
Try clicking the flashcard first, then use shortcuts

Flashcards Disappeared

If your saved flashcards are gone:

Check if you're using the same browser
Your browser's localStorage may have been cleared
Use the Download feature regularly to keep backups

CSV Upload Not Working

If your CSV file won't upload:

Ensure your file has a .csv or .txt extension
Check that your file uses standard CSV formatting
Try opening the CSV file and copying the content manually