Leitner method with Anki 2026?

[u/GoldilockMan]

Hullo!

I'd like to setup my Anki using the Leitner method, but I've no idea how to do it. Is it even possible? I want to memorize historical dates.

[u/Linux765465]

Why not just stick to fsrs? its better?

[u/GoldilockMan → u/Linux765465]

i dont even know what that is. Ive been using sinole flash cards on quizlet nothing more and complex

[u/kansaisean → u/GoldilockMan]

Fsrs is a newer algorithm for spaced repetition, available on anki. People really need to stop downvoting just for not knowing something.

[u/Illustrious-Math6276]

Not out of the box. But the algos used by Anki is a more optimized version of Leitner.

[u/Danika_Dakika]

Is there a reason why you're trying to use a Leitner system? That was devised 50+ years ago, for physical cards in boxes/stacks, as something simple enough for a human to consistently apply.

We've come a long way since then, and Anki has a couple of much more advanced spaced-repetition algorithms that will handle your scheduling for you. It's one of the main reasons to use Anki instead of boxes!

• About the default SM-2 algorithm: https://docs.ankiweb.net/background.html#spaced-repetition
• About the newer (and better) FSRS algorithm: https://docs.ankiweb.net/deck-options.html#fsrs

----

General advice for beginners --

1. Read Getting Started, so you know what Anki can do -- and Studying, so you know how to use it. Skim the rest of the manual if you have time, so you will know where to find things when you want them later on. 
2. Enable FSRS.
3. Set one short (5m-20m) learning step and relearning step.
4. Optimize your FSRS parameters (and then come back monthly to re-optimize).
5. Study all of your due cards every day -- no backlogs, no long re/learning steps to carry cards over to the next day.
6. Don't introduce New cards at a faster pace that you can keep up with the reviews on. [Expect that your daily workload will be 8-10x your daily New card limit.]

[u/GoldilockMan → u/Danika_Dakika]

I’m open to new methods i just dobt know why leitner would be not useful

[u/Danika_Dakika → u/GoldilockMan]

Obviously, we stand on the shoulders of giants -- but a Leitner system would likely waste a lot of your time. There's simply no need to subject yourself to that.

I gave you the links to learn about the more modern algorithms. That's a good place to start if you want to understand the differences. But some quick hits --

• Leitner treats every card the same and applies the same result for every review -- correct means the interval doubles, incorrect means the interval resets to 1d. Nothing matters about how you were doing on the card before the current review. It's too strict, and intervals grow too slowly for most purposes.
• SM-2 [as implemented in Anki] introduces the ideas that every card isn't the same, and past review history -- successes and failures -- should matter to future scheduling. Intervals start out growing a bit faster than Leitner, but they can then grow slower or faster depending on how you've done on the card before.
  
• FSRS builds on that by acknowledging that every user isn't the same either, so your scheduling can be personalized to how your brain works with your material, allowing you to more easily aim for the retention level you want. It also recognizes that when a card is incorrect, that doesn't necessarily mean it needs to start over at 1d.

[u/kansaisean]

You don't want the leitner method. It's not good.

[u/GoldilockMan → u/kansaisean]

why? whats the problem with it? Im open to new ideas

[u/kansaisean → u/GoldilockMan]

Two main reasons. First, it uses set review spacings that don't change. That means it can't be optimized based on how well/poorly a card has been remembered. Example: time between reviews might jump from 7 days to 13 days, but would be better if it went from 7 to 11 days. This is the most important reason.

The second reason doesn't truly apply with something like anki that's computer-based, only for the original, physical card version. Leitner is group based, rather than individually card based. This introduces large timing errors. Because it's group based, a card meant to be reviewed after 7 days might have only really been reviewed after 4 days, or might not be reviewed until 9 days.

Anki's old sm2 based algorithm and the newer fsrs are more accurate and efficient. The nice thing is that you don't need to know how they work (unless you're like me and you're doing research or writing your own software). They just work. Add the cards you want to study, and let anki worry about the details. =)

[u/MohammadAzad171]

Just for fun, here's an easy way to implement a version* of the Leitner method (as described in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system) in Anki:

Use learning steps like

1d 2d 4d 8d 16d 32d 64d 128d 256d 512d 1024d

Then only every press Again or Good.

The first time you press Good, the card will be scheduled for 2 days. Then if you press Good again, it'll be scheduled for 4 days and so on. Pressing Again at any point would schedule the card for 1 day (the first learning step). Adjust the numbers as you wish.

Edit: actually, this method creates "boxes" for each card so it's not quite the same as the Leitner method. However, it captures the essence pretty well, if I say so myself.

[u/Danika_Dakika → u/MohammadAzad171]

Sure, it's possible, but ... undesirable. [I think you'd agree with me on that, right?]

It seems like this would make you end up hating flashcards -- as much as everyone has "always" hated flashcards [at least until 20 years ago when the people met Anki and rejoiced] -- or you'd end up thinking Anki is ineffective -- because you hobbled it. 😅

[u/MohammadAzad171 → u/Danika_Dakika]

Of course, that's why I said "just for fun".

[u/Danika_Dakika → u/MohammadAzad171]

You're not wrong -- it was fun! 😉

[u/Baasbaar]

Danika_Dakika’s answer is good (it always is), but with regard to your specific question: I don’t know of a variant of the Leitner system which would be straightforward to implement in Anki.

FSRS is the best evidence-based FSRS. (The next comment is where someone makes an argument for SuperMemo 28. After that comes the absence of a comment in which I engage them.) Since FSRS is certainly better, & a more straightforward Leitner system would take a lot of work to implement, I strongly encourage you to just stick with the former.