This add-on automatically saves the contents of the Add Cards window every few seconds, so you never lose work if:
Anki crashes Your laptop runs out of power You accidentally close the Add window Another add-on misbehaves The OS freezes or reboots
If you reopen the Add window with the same note type, your draft will be restored automatically.
🚀 Features ✔ Automatic autosave Saves every N seconds (default: 5 seconds). Saves all fields + tags. Very lightweight, no noticeable performance impact. ✔ Separate drafts for each note type
Each note type (Basic, Cloze, Custom types) stores its own independent draft.
✔ Timestamp-based protection Each draft has a last_saved timestamp. Drafts older than a configurable age (default: 48 hours) are ignored and cleaned automatically. Prevents old drafts from “coming back from the dead.” ✔ Safe behavior Draft is deleted only after the note is successfully added. Never touches Anki’s database directly. Writes only tiny JSON files → very low overhead. 🛠 Installation Open Anki. Go to: Tools → Add-ons → Open Add-ons Folder Create a folder, for example: addons21/ add_cards_autosave/ init.py README.md
Place init.py inside that folder. Restart Anki. ⚙️ Configuration
Inside init.py, you can customize:
Autosave interval AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL_MS = 5000 # 5 seconds
Maximum draft age MAX_AGE_SECONDS = 48 * 60 * 60 # 48 hours
Where drafts are stored
Drafts are saved in:
<your Anki profile folder>/add_cards_autosave.json
Each draft is stored by note type:
{ “Basic”: { “last_saved”: 1732690000.123, “fields”: [“Front”, “Back”], “tags”: [“tag1”] }, “Cloze”: { … } }
🔒 When drafts are restored
A draft is restored only if all are true:
The note type matches Draft is not older than MAX_AGE_SECONDS JSON entry contains valid fields
Otherwise, the draft is ignored.
🧹 When drafts are deleted
A draft is removed only when a note is successfully added or discarded (Add window closed manually).
Drafts are not deleted when:
You switch note types Anki crashes The OS shuts down unexpectedly
This ensures your work is always recoverable.
❗ Compatibility Works with Anki 2.1.60+ Should work with earlier versions with minimal changes Compatible with most editor add-ons Light enough for slow/older machines
If you find a conflict with another add-on, open an issue or report the add-on name.
🧩 Why this add-on is helpful
The Add Cards window does not autosave by default. If you’ve ever:
Spent 10–20 minutes writing a detailed card Experienced a crash or laptop power loss Reopened Anki to find your card completely gone
…this add-on solves that forever. It gives Anki a “draft safety net” that many users wish it had built in.
🙋 FAQ
Q: Will autosaving every 5 seconds slow down my PC? A: No. Each autosave writes a tiny JSON file (1–5 KB). CPU and disk impact are effectively zero.
Q: Does it autosave images / LaTeX? A: It autosaves whatever is in the fields — including image references and LaTeX code.
Q: Does it work with multi-line fields / HTML? A: Yes, everything is stored as plain text in JSON.
Q: How do I test the add-on? A: Write notes in the Add Card Window, next open task manager, then right-click on the Python processes running under “Apps” and click “End Task”, after that relaunch Anki, and finally reopen the Add cards window. The draft should be restored.
🧪 Testing notes
Close Add without saving: Draft preserved Crash Anki: Draft preserved Power loss: Draft preserved Change note type: Draft not restored Add note successfully: Draft deleted Autorestore after restart: Fields restored automatically
📬 Contact
Feel free to open an issue or request enhancements. This add-on was designed to prevent one of the most common sources of lost work in Anki.
