Converting to Anki format

Export your KAnki decks to Anki’s .apkg format for use with desktop and mobile Anki applications

While KAnki is designed for Kindle devices, you may want to use your decks on desktop or mobile Anki applications. The KankiToAnki converter enables this workflow.

KankiToAnki converter

KankiToAnki is a tool that converts KAnki configuration files to Anki’s .apkg package format.

Available at:

• GitHub: github.com/crizmo/KankiToAnki
• Web app: kankitoanki.vercel.app

Converting KAnki to Anki

Use this when you want to study your KAnki decks on desktop, mobile, or web versions of Anki.

1. Export your KAnki configuration

   Connect your Kindle to your computer and copy:

   /documents/kanki/js/kanki_config.js
   
2. Open the converter

   Visit kankitoanki.vercel.app or run the tool locally.

3. Upload configuration

   Select your kanki_config.js file in the converter interface.

4. Convert to .apkg

   Click convert to generate an Anki package file.

5. Import to Anki

   Open Anki on your desktop or mobile device and import the generated .apkg file.

Workflow: Anki to KAnki

The recommended workflow for bringing Anki decks to Kindle involves using Üben as an intermediary:

1. Find or create Anki deck

   Download a shared deck from AnkiWeb or export your own deck as .apkg.

2. Import to Üben

   Upload the .apkg file to Üben.

3. Edit if needed

   Use Üben’s interface to customize cards, add notes, or adjust proficiency levels.

4. Export to KAnki format

   Generate a kanki_config.js file from Üben.

5. Transfer to Kindle

   Copy the configuration file to your Kindle’s /documents/kanki/js/ directory.

This workflow is preferred over direct conversion because Üben provides a better interface for adjusting cards to work well on Kindle’s e-ink display and limited browser capabilities.

Understanding format differences

KAnki format

KAnki uses a simple JavaScript configuration:

var KANKI_CONFIG = {
  language: "Japanese",
  levels: ["N5", "N4", "N3"]
};

var VOCABULARY = {
  "N5": [
    {
      "front": "こんにちは",
      "reading": "konnichiwa",
      "back": "Hello",
      "notes": "Common greeting"
    }
  ]
};

Anki format

Anki uses .apkg files which are SQLite databases containing:

• Card data with scheduling information
• Media files (audio, images)
• Note types and templates
• Deck configurations

Limitations

When converting between formats, some features may not transfer:

KAnki to Anki limitations

• Progress data not included: The converter only exports card content, not your study history or statistics from localStorage
• Starred cards: Star status doesn’t map to Anki’s tagging system automatically
• KAnki-specific features: Error review mode and per-card view counts are KAnki-only

Anki to KAnki limitations

• Media files: Images and audio in Anki cards won’t work on Kindle
• Complex formatting: HTML formatting in Anki cards may not render correctly
• Card types: Cloze deletions and complex note types must be simplified
• Scheduling: Anki’s spaced repetition schedule doesn’t transfer to KAnki

Alternative: Parallel study

Instead of converting, you can maintain the same deck in both apps:

Why use both?

Anki advantages:

• Richer media support (audio, images)
• More advanced spaced repetition
• Mobile apps with better performance
• Community add-ons and plugins

KAnki advantages:

• Perfect for distraction-free reading sessions
• E-ink display is easier on eyes for long study sessions
• Exceptional battery life
• Portable reading device you already carry

To maintain parallel decks:

1. Create your master deck in Anki
2. Export to .apkg when you make changes
3. Import to Üben
4. Export from Üben to KAnki format
5. Transfer updated kanki_config.js to Kindle

Your progress in each app will be tracked independently. This is often desirable since your study patterns may differ between devices.

Exporting progress data

If you want to manually analyze your KAnki progress:

1. Back up localStorage

   Copy the file from:

   /Kindle/.active_content_sandbox/kanki/resource/LocalStorage/file__0.localstorage
   
2. Extract JSON data

   The localStorage file contains JSON-encoded deck data. You can parse it programmatically to extract:

   • Card difficulty levels
   • Review history with timestamps
   • Success/failure rates per card
   • View counts and patterns
3. Analyze externally

   Use the extracted data for custom analysis or import into other spaced repetition systems that accept JSON.

There’s no automated tool to import KAnki progress data into Anki’s scheduling system. This would require custom scripting to map KAnki’s difficulty levels to Anki’s ease factors and interval calculations.