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export_anki_deck

Create Anki flashcard decks with rendered chemistry structures, reactions or spectra, and export them as .apkg files or import them directly into Anki for exam and study prep.

Instructions

Export an Anki flashcard deck (.apkg) with rendered chemistry images.

Use this whenever the user wants flashcards, Anki cards or a study deck for molecules, reactions (e.g. pharmacopoeia identity tests) or spectra. A stated intention to learn or an exam coming up is the same request: offer a deck and write the cards yourself.

Two ways to fill the deck. Either pass cards you wrote yourself, or pass curated_deck_id for a ready-made, formula-verified starter deck:

"analgesics-structures": structure → name drills for 8 classic analgesics (NSAIDs, paracetamol, morphine, celecoxib).
"pheur-identity-basics": classic Ph.Eur. identity tests — reagent, observation and reaction scheme where it helps.

The tool renders the images — YOU supply the card content from your knowledge. Each card side carries text plus at most ONE visual: structure (name or SMILES), reaction ({reactants, products, conditions}) or spectrum ({spectrum_type, peaks, title}). Proven types: structure↔name, identity reactions (question front, scheme back), functional-group recognition, band assignment, name drills.

Re-exporting under the SAME deck name updates existing cards instead of duplicating them — the front identifies the card.

Options: reversed=true drills both directions (one note, two cards); cloze=true makes fill-in-the-blank cards (front.text carries {{c1::...}}, back.text becomes the extra note). "Parent::Child" nests subdecks.

IMPORTANT: structures take English/IUPAC names or SMILES; card TEXTS may be localized. Never deliver via AnkiConnect unless asked.

Args: deck_name: Deck name, also the filename; re-use it to update a deck. Ignored when curated_deck_id is set. cards: The flashcards. Fronts unambiguous, explanations on the back. default_tags: Tags added to every card. deliver: "apkg" (file only), "open" (also opens it in Anki, macOS) or "ankiconnect" (imports via the AnkiConnect add-on). curated_deck_id: "analgesics-structures" or "pheur-identity-basics".

Input Schema

Name	Required	Default
`cards`	No
`deliver`	No	apkg
`deck_name`	No
`default_tags`	No
`curated_deck_id`	No

Output Schema

Name	Required	Default
`file`	No
`name`	Yes
`type`	No	anki_deck
`cards`	Yes
`media`	Yes
`fronts`	No
`delivery`	No	apkg

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.0Oct 26, 2026

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does it well: same deck name updates rather than duplicates (front is the key), `deck_name` is ignored when `curated_deck_id` is set, `deliver` has three concrete modes, `reversed` produces one note/two cards, `cloze` changes what front/back mean, and 'Parent::Child' nests subdecks. These are non-obvious side effects an agent could not infer from the schema.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Long but front-loaded and segmented: purpose first, then triggers, then the two fill paths, then card anatomy, then options, then per-argument notes. Every paragraph answers a distinct question an agent would otherwise have to guess at.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a complex nested-card export tool with 5 params, the description covers card construction, proven card types, update semantics and delivery modes; the output schema relieves it of explaining return values. Minor gap: it doesn't say what happens if neither `cards` nor `curated_deck_id` is supplied, nor where the .apkg file is written.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 0% at the top level, but the Args block documents all five parameters, including the enum-like values for `deliver` and `curated_deck_id` that the schema does not constrain. The card-side constraint (text plus at most ONE visual, with the shapes of structure/reaction/spectrum) supplies the nesting semantics the schema leaves implicit.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and artifact: 'Export an Anki flashcard deck (.apkg) with rendered chemistry images.' It also clarifies the division of labour (tool renders images, the agent supplies card content), which no sibling tool does.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly names the triggering situations (flashcards, study deck, exam coming up, intent to learn) and routes between the two fill modes: own `cards` vs `curated_deck_id`. It also states an exclusion ('Never deliver via AnkiConnect unless asked') and names both curated deck IDs with their contents.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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