A useful flashcard tests one thing you want to retrieve later. It is neither a tiny textbook nor a trivia contest. Write cards for ideas that matter to you.
One card, one target
“What is confirmation bias?” has a clear answer. “Describe all cognitive biases” does not. If a card contains several ideas, split it into a few smaller questions.
Put a real cue on the front
A prompt like “API” is ambiguous. “What is an API?” gives the question a direction. For language learning, specify whether you are translating into or out of the language.
Keep enough context
Short answers are useful, but avoid removing the details that make an idea accurate. Keep units, qualifications, or a small example when they are essential.
Bring your own notes
In a deck, choose “Import cards.” Paste one pair per line using a tab or a vertical bar:
What does DNS do? | Maps a domain to records such as an IP address. What does 404 mean? | The requested resource was not found.
You can also upload a CSV with two columns, “question” and “answer,” or import a Rote JSON deck. Rote previews the parsed cards before adding them. Text is treated as text, not HTML.
Check generated answers
If you use an AI assistant to prepare question-and-answer pairs, check them against a reliable source before importing. Rote does not fact-check your deck or generate answers.
Improve the card after a miss
Repeated failure is useful feedback. The question may be unclear, the answer may contain too much, or the concept may need a worked example. Edit the card rather than just retrying the same confusing wording.