Anki Cloze Template Guide: Deletions, Hints, and Card Design

Quick answer: Anki cloze cards hide a piece of a sentence with {{c1::answer}}. Add hints with {{c1::answer::hint}}. Keep one idea per deletion, avoid ambiguous blanks, and enable FSRS so well-written clozes actually stick.

If you search anki cloze, anki cloze template, or cloze hint, you are usually stuck on syntax — or drowning in medical Twitter screenshots. This guide is the practical Anki cloze template playbook: how to write deletions, how hints work, how multi-cloze note types behave, and how to export or migrate without losing the point of the cards.

For the learning-science angle (why cloze beats disconnected Q/A for many domains), see also our cloze deletion guide.

What an Anki cloze card is

A cloze (fill-in-the-blank) note embeds the answer in context:

{{c1::Mitochondria}} are the site of the Krebs cycle in eukaryotic cells.

During review, Anki shows the sentence with a blank (or a hint). You recall the missing piece, reveal, and rate.

Cloze is the default language of many medical and STEM decks because context travels with the fact. You practice retrieving a term the way exams and clinics present it: inside a sentence, not as a lonely word on a black screen.

Core Anki cloze template syntax

Single deletion

The powerhouse of the cell is the {{c1::mitochondrion}}.

Hint on the same deletion

The powerhouse of the cell is the {{c1::mitochondrion::organelle}}.

You see the hint (organelle) while the answer stays hidden. Use hints for disambiguation — not as a crutch that gives the answer away.

Multiple clozes on one note

{{c1::Propranolol}} is a non-selective {{c2::beta blocker}} used for {{c3::hypertension}}.

Anki generates separate review cards for c1, c2, and c3 from one note. That is powerful — and dangerous if you hide unrelated facts in one monster sentence.

Extra fields (optional)

Many cloze note types include Extra / Notes / Image fields for explanations you do not want on the front. Put mnemonics and “why” detail there so the face of the card stays fast.

How to create a cloze note in Anki (desktop)

1. Click Add.
2. Change type to Cloze (not Basic).
3. Type your sentence in the Text field.
4. Select the word to hide → click the […] cloze button (or use the cloze shortcut).
5. Add a hint inside the ::hint segment if needed.
6. Tags + deck → Add.

On mobile, creation is clunkier. Prefer desktop for authoring; use AnkiMobile/AnkiDroid for reviews. AnkiMobile remains $24.99 one-time on iOS as of Sept 2026; desktop/Android are free.

Writing rules that keep cloze cards honest

Hide the concept, not the grammar. Blanking “the” or “is” teaches nothing.

One retrieval target per card face. Multi-cloze notes are fine; each c# should still test one clear idea.

Avoid list vomit. “List all cranial nerves” as one cloze fails. Prefer one nerve per card or image occlusion for spatial lists.

Ban ambiguous blanks. If three synonyms fit, the card is broken — add a hint or rewrite.

Keep sentences short enough to review in seconds. Cloze is not an excuse to paste paragraphs.

Prefer active knowledge. “Drug X causes Y” beats “Y is associated with several drugs including X, Z, …”

Cloze vs basic vs image occlusion

For diagrams, use Anki’s native occlusion or Neurako’s free image occlusion exporter (answers: image occlusion for Anki).

Hints: when they help vs when they cheat

Good hint: category cue ({{c1::naive Bayes::classifier}}) when the blank could be many algorithms.

Bad hint: almost-the-answer ({{c1::mitochondrion::mito…}}).

Better than a hint: rewrite the sentence so only one answer fits.

If you lean on hints for every card, you are practicing recognition with training wheels. Dial them back as the topic matures.

Importing and exporting cloze decks

• Export .apkg to share. To edit in bulk, convert with apkg-to-csv — expect to preserve {{c1::…}} text carefully.
• Building from spreadsheets: put cloze syntax in cells → csv-to-anki.
• Quizlet sets are usually basic term/definition; converting them does not magically create high-quality cloze. Rewrite important facts into cloze after import via quizlet-to-anki.

Cloze in Neurako vs Anki

Anki remains the customization king for note types, CSS, and mega shared decks. Neurako focuses on fast capture + FSRS by default, Pro at $59.99/year, no team plan, and no live AnKing sync claim. Many learners author dense cloze in Anki and capture lecture photos in Neurako — that hybrid is fine.

If Anki’s note-type UX is the only thing stopping you from reviewing, try the Anki alternative path rather than abandoning spaced repetition entirely.

Sample cloze patterns by subject

Language learning

Gestern {{c1::bin}} ich ins Kino {{c2::gegangen}}.

Medicine

First-line treatment for {{c1::absence seizures}} is often {{c2::ethosuximide}}.

Law / exams

Under the {{c1::Fourth Amendment}}, unreasonable {{c2::searches and seizures}} are prohibited.

Computer science

{{c1::TCP}} provides reliable, ordered delivery; {{c2::UDP}} does not.

FAQ

What is the Anki cloze shortcut?

On desktop, select text and use the cloze button or the documented shortcut for your OS/version (check Anki’s Create window tooltip — bindings can differ by platform).

Can I use cloze on AnkiMobile?

You can review cloze cards on iOS. Heavy authoring is still easier on desktop.

Why do my cloze cards say “Please edit this note”?

Usually invalid syntax — mismatched braces, empty deletion, or wrong note type (Basic instead of Cloze).

Should every card be cloze?

No. Vocabulary L2→L1 and pure prompts often work better as Basic. Use cloze when context matters.

Next steps

• Practice on ten cards from your hardest lecture using the patterns above
• Generate diagram cards with image occlusion
• New to Anki entirely? Start with how to use Anki
• Want FSRS without note-type pain? Try Neurako free or browse Quizlet alternative if you are leaving Quizlet’s metering instead

Worked example: rewriting a bad cloze

Bad: {{c1::The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and also involved in apoptosis signaling cascades.}}

Problems: too long, multiple facts, “the” energy wasted.

Better split:

1. The {{c1::mitochondrion}} is often called the powerhouse of the cell.
2. Mitochondria participate in {{c1::apoptosis}} signaling.

Same topic, two clean retrievals, faster reviews, better FSRS signal.

Cloze for languages vs medicine

Language learners often cloze grammar morphemes inside example sentences. Medical learners cloze mechanisms and criteria inside clinical sentences. Both fail when the blank is guessable from articles or word length alone. If you can solve the card from “it starts with M and has 12 letters,” the card is broken — rewrite or add a category hint that does not leak the answer.

Migrating cloze decks between tools

When you export to CSV, keep the {{c1::}} syntax intact. Re-import with csv-to-anki or study text in Neurako knowing that note-type bells and whistles may flatten. Always spot-check ten cards after any conversion. Media-heavy cloze+image notes need special care — text converters will not magically rebuild occlusion regions; use image occlusion for diagrams instead of forcing everything into sentence cloze.