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How to Import Media in Order in Anki

For reliable media order in Anki, arrange text-import rows explicitly, reference files in collection.media, and verify the imported notes. Folder-based bulk import has no documented sorting guarantee.

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For predictable order, import notes from a text file whose rows are already arranged in the sequence you want, and reference media files stored in Anki’s collection.media folder. In the import options, enable Allow HTML for media references. Anki’s bulk-media add-on can create notes from a folder, but its manual does not specify how files are sorted, so don’t rely on it to produce a particular order automatically.

Choose an import method

Method Order control Best suited to Important limitation
Ordered text-file import Arrange the rows in the desired order before importing. Notes whose fields and media references need a deliberate sequence. You prepare a delimited text file and copy the media into collection.media.
Bulk Media add-on The official manual does not state a file-sorting rule. Creating notes from files in a selected folder, especially when filenames should appear on the front. Do not assume alphabetical or numeric ordering; verify the result and check the add-on’s suitability for your Anki version.

Anki’s manual explains both text-file imports and folder-based bulk media in its text file import documentation. A community add-on documents a Sequence field as a number indicating the order in which a file was imported, but that does not establish how files are enumerated or sorted. See the media-import add-on repository for its description; treat the field as a record of import sequence, not a guarantee of folder sorting.

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Import media in a specific order with a text file

  1. Make one row per note. Use a delimited plain-text file, such as a tab-separated file, and arrange its rows in the order you want the notes created or updated.
  2. Put the media files in the collection media folder. Copy them into Anki’s collection.media folder before importing. For this text-import workflow, the manual says not to use subdirectories in that folder.
  3. Add each media reference to the appropriate field. For an image, use an HTML reference such as <img src="001_topic.jpg">. For audio, use Anki’s sound marker, for example [sound:002_topic.mp3].
  4. Import the text file with HTML enabled. In the import options, enable Allow HTML so Anki interprets image tags and other HTML in the fields.
  5. Check the resulting notes. Confirm that notes appear in the intended sequence and that each referenced file displays or plays correctly.

If sequence numbers help you keep the source data clear, use zero-padded filenames such as 001_topic.jpg, 002_topic.jpg, and a sequence column in the text file. This makes the intended order visible, but filenames alone do not make Anki’s folder importer sort files that way. The ordered rows are the control in this workflow.

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What the folder-based Bulk Media option does—and does not promise

Anki’s manual describes a Bulk Media add-on that creates notes from all files in a selected folder. By default, it puts each filename without its extension on the front and the image or audio on the back; you can change the note type afterward if you want a different arrangement. The manual does not document a stable sorting rule for the folder’s files, so the resulting note order should not be assumed to be alphabetical, numeric, or otherwise predictable.

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The community media-import repository describes a Sequence field that records the order in which a file was imported. It does not explain what ordering rule produces that sequence. If the exact sequence matters, use explicitly ordered text-import rows or verify the add-on’s output rather than inferring a sort rule from the field.

Check missing media, filenames, and compatibility

  • Find broken or unused references: run Tools > Check Media. Anki reports media referenced by notes but missing from the media folder, as well as files in the folder that are not used. The check also helps ensure manually added filenames are encoded compatibly for syncing. See the manual’s media and file handling guidance.
  • Handle encoded names carefully: filenames containing spaces or special characters may appear encoded differently in the editor than on disk. When locating or changing the original file, use the filename as it appears on disk.
  • Choose broadly supported formats: Anki identifies MP3 audio and MP4 video as the most universally supported formats, while warning that a format that works on desktop may not work on AnkiWeb or mobile clients. Confirm compatibility with the clients you use in the media documentation.
  • Understand media sync behavior: media sync follows files that are added, removed, or replaced. The manual says edits to an existing file are not detected; to propagate an edit, add, remove, or replace the file. Details are in Anki’s syncing documentation.
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Importing a package instead of individual files

A deck package (.apkg) can bring notes and media into an existing collection. A collection package (.colpkg) replaces the collection when imported. Choose the package type according to whether you want to add a deck or replace the collection; Anki documents the distinction in its exporting and package documentation.

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