Anki backlog calculator
Fell behind on Anki? See how many days it takes to catch up at a pace you can keep, and copy the filtered-deck searches that help.
Your backlog
Pause new cards (set New cards/day to 0) until you're caught up: every new card adds reviews later.
Your plan
Caught up in
8 days
clearing 200 extra a day
Time a day
1 h 7 min
400 reviews
Backlog left each day
Filtered deck searches
In Anki: Tools → Create Filtered Deck, paste a search, set the limit to your daily number. Add deck:"Your deck" in front to use one deck.
prop:due<=-1Every overdue cardprop:due>=-7 prop:due<=-1Overdue by a week or less (do these first: you still half-remember them)is:due prop:r<0.8Due cards you're most likely to have forgotten (FSRS on, Anki 23.10+)
How to catch up
- 1Set new cards to 0 in your deck options until you're caught up.
- 2Enter your overdue reviews, what's due each day anyway, and how many reviews you can do a day.
- 3Make a filtered deck with one of the searches and do it every day after your normal reviews.
Good to know
- Do recently overdue cards first: you still half-remember them, so they're quicker to save.
- With FSRS, Anki handles overdue cards well: a card you still know after a long gap gets a longer interval.
- The estimate is simple on purpose: cards you review now come back later, but mostly after your catch-up plan is over.
- Steady beats heroic: 50 extra a day for two weeks is easier than 700 in one sitting.
Sources (checked October 2026): Anki manual: filtered decks · Anki manual: searching
Questions
Should I reset my Anki deck instead?
Usually not. Resetting throws away what Anki knows about each card. Catching up over a week or two keeps your progress.
How do I find only overdue cards?
Make a filtered deck with the search prop:due<=-1. To start with the ones overdue by a week or less: prop:due>=-7 prop:due<=-1.
Should I pause new cards?
Yes. Each new card adds reviews in the next weeks, so the backlog shrinks much faster with new cards at 0.
From the blog
More free tools
Spend your Anki time on reviews, not on making cards
Upload the lecture and AnkiDecks writes the Anki cards in a minute, with the exact quote and page behind each one.
Make cards from your notesFree to try · No credit card needed