# CSV to Anki: Turn a Vocabulary List Into an Importable Text File

URL: https://fulinlabs.com/blog/csv-to-anki-import-vocabulary-list-2026/
Published: 2026-11-09
Product: vocadeck
Summary: Format a vocabulary list from CSV, spreadsheet rows or JSON, then download a three-column Anki text file and import it with the right field mapping. Runs in your browser.

Anki imports delimited text, so the quickest way to bring a vocabulary list in is a clean file with the right columns. The [CSV to Anki and flashcards formatter](https://vocadeck.fulinlabs.com/vocabulary-csv-formatter?utm_source=fulinlabs&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=csv-to-anki) takes a list from a spreadsheet, a CSV or JSON, shows a preview, and downloads it as a CSV or as a plain Anki text file. It runs in your browser.

## What goes in

Paste your list. The formatter accepts:

- comma-separated CSV or tab-separated spreadsheet rows, with two columns (word, meaning) or three (word, pronunciation, meaning);
- named headers (word, pronunciation, meaning) in any order;
- JSON with named fields.

It does not translate anything or invent a pronunciation. It formats what you already have, and an empty pronunciation stays empty. Rows it cannot read are skipped and counted, so you can fix the source.

A small example:

```
word,pronunciation,meaning
茶,chá,tea
bonjour,,hello
```

## What comes out

After you press Format vocabulary you see a preview of the first 20 cards, and you can:

- download the full **CSV**, which keeps optional example sentences and images;
- download the **Anki text (TSV)**: three header-free, tab-separated columns for word, pronunciation and meaning, with tabs and line breaks inside a value turned into spaces so that no row can split;
- send the words to VocaDeck with Study these words, for lists of up to 500 cards.

## Importing the text file into Anki

In Anki's import dialog, choose the downloaded text file and set the separator to tab. Leave HTML disabled, and map column 1 to your word field, column 2 to pronunciation and column 3 to meaning. Look at a few imported notes before you study. The details of text import are in the [Anki manual](https://docs.ankiweb.net/importing/text-files.html).

This is a text file, not an `.apkg` deck, so it carries no card design, media or example sentences. If your notes need those, import the full CSV and map the extra columns yourself.

## Privacy

The list stays in your browser while you format, preview and download it. The exception is Study these words: it places the deck in the link's fragment, so anyone you share that complete link with can read the deck. Keep private vocabulary out of shared links.

## Next steps

If you are still choosing how to study, [VocaDeck vs Anki](/blog/flashcard-vs-anki-chinese-2026/) compares the two, and [how to make vocabulary flashcards](/blog/how-to-make-vocabulary-flashcards-2026/) covers what to put on a card. To decide how many new cards a day a list can support, use the [flashcard workload calculator](/tools/flashcard-workload-calculator/) and read [how many flashcards to study per day](/blog/how-many-flashcards-per-day-2026/).

## FAQ

### How do I convert a CSV to Anki?

Paste your list into the formatter, check the preview, and download the Anki text file (tab-separated). In Anki, import it as a text file with tab separation, leave HTML disabled, and map columns 1, 2 and 3 to your word, pronunciation and meaning fields.

### What columns does the formatter accept?

Two columns are read as word and meaning. Three unnamed columns are read as word, pronunciation and meaning. Headers named word, pronunciation and meaning can come in any order, and JSON with named fields also works.

### Does it create an Anki .apkg deck?

No. It produces a CSV and a plain three-column text file. It is not an .apkg archive, and the three-column Anki text leaves out examples and images, which stay in the full CSV.

### Is my vocabulary uploaded anywhere?

Formatting, previewing, copying and downloading run in your browser. Only the Study these words button puts the deck into a link so the app can open it, and anyone who has that full link can read the deck.