How to diagnose Anki media import when pictures or audio are missing

List the source note, media filename, purpose, and permission for each representative item. State whether the file is a question cue, an answer explanation, or optional decoration. A missing question cue can make the task impossible, while missing decoration may not affect the answer. This distinction helps prioritize diagnosis and prevents the learner from rating a card as forgotten when the required evidence was never visible or audible.

In the fictional pronunciation set, the audio clip is the cue for identifying a spoken word. In a diagram note, the image provides orientation for a location question. A third note includes an optional illustrative picture on the answer side. The manifest records these different roles. Keep a copy of the authorized originals outside the active collection before reorganizing filenames or folders. If you do not know the rights to a shared image or recording, resolve that before redistributing it. Technical transfer success does not establish permission to share the underlying material.

Check the actual file and the reference stored in the relevant field as two pieces of evidence. The official text-import manual documents Anki’s supported media placement and reference forms. Follow that structure rather than inventing a template shortcut. Compare exact names, including extensions, against the manifest. A source spreadsheet that mentions diagram does not necessarily contain the full reference needed by the review prompt. Read the actual imported field rather than only its column heading.

The fictional learner discovers that a diagram was renamed during preparation while the text still references its previous name. The image exists, but not under the expected identity. They correct the test copy and inspect the resulting card. Another audio reference points to a clip never included in the source folder. That requires obtaining the authorized file or changing the task, not another text import. Recording these distinct diagnoses keeps a missing-file problem from being treated as a formatting problem and avoids repeated bulk operations that do not address the cause.

Choose one image, one audio item, and any unusual file type that actually occurs in the collection. Include filenames with the kinds of characters present in the real material. Record the expected visible or audible result before testing. Open an actual review on the intended client and device. A field containing a plausible reference is not proof that the image displays at a readable size or that the correct clip plays.

For the pronunciation example, listen to the entire sample clip and compare it with the source. A file can play successfully while containing the wrong word, silence at the relevant point, or an unclear recording. For the diagram, inspect labels and orientation at the study size. The purpose is content validation as well as technical playback. If the wrong file is associated with the note, a functioning player can create a misleading learning task. Keep the manifest as the link between the source meaning and the actual file, not just an inventory of successful loads.

For each sample, record a content identifier that is not merely the filename: the spoken word, the diagram title, or a distinctive visible feature. Then compare the actual playback with that identifier. This catches accidental swaps between two valid files. In the pronunciation set, both clips may play correctly while belonging to opposite notes. A file-presence check would pass, but the manifest’s meaning check reveals that the learner would be trained on the wrong association.

A card working on one device does not establish that all devices have the required media ready. Check the state of the intended study client and follow the current syncing documentation when diagnosing cross-device availability. Keep collection content and media availability conceptually separate. Repeatedly changing the question text because an image is missing on a phone can damage a correct note while leaving the transfer problem unresolved. Preserve the working device as evidence during diagnosis.

In the fictional set, the laptop displays every diagram but the learner studies on a phone during travel. They test the sample on the phone before relying on the commute session. The check includes readability, volume, and whether headphones are required for the audio task. These practical conditions matter even after files are present. A silent setting is not a missing recording; an unreadable miniature is not a failure to know the structure. Record the observed obstacle accurately and choose an appropriate device or alternative task for that session.

Choose a recovery method that includes what you need to restore. A text export is not a media-inclusive native backup. The official exporting manual describes package and media options; inspect the choices rather than inferring completeness from a large filename or file size. Keep a recovery copy outside the only device holding the originals. A list of filenames can document missing assets, but it cannot reproduce the images or sound when those assets are gone.

For sharing, test a permitted sample as a recipient would encounter it. Check for personal information in the media, source captions, and filenames. A personally recorded clip may include another person’s voice or background details that should not be distributed. A diagram may contain an author’s attribution that must remain visible. Verify the relevant permissions and include an intelligible source record. Do not assume that a successful export makes a package appropriate for every audience. The transfer checklist should match the actual purpose: private recovery, a second device, or authorized sharing.

Elly’s CSV, TSV, and TXT import is a text-content workflow. It does not import Anki media files, native image behavior, audio prompts, templates, scheduling, or review history. A visible filename in transferred text is not a recreated media card. Keep the native collection when those behaviors are central. If your goal depends on listening or visual identification, judge the workflow against that requirement instead of treating a text upload as a complete replacement.

You can separately evaluate a permitted written source in Elly for explanation or question drafting. For example, a diagram’s function explanation can become a text task while image identification stays in Anki. Check that the new front is answerable without a missing picture and that the accepted answer matches the source. This division can be useful, but describe it honestly. The success criterion is a clear supported task, not the appearance of having moved an entire media collection through a format that carries only its written content.