Create Flashcards Without JSON: Introducing Manual Card Creation

We built SimpleFlashcards to be the fastest way to study with flashcards online. No bloat, no complexity — just paste your JSON and start learning.

But we heard from many of you: "I love how simple this is, but I don't know JSON. Can I just type my cards in?"

Today, we're thrilled to introduce v2.0 — a complete redesign of how you create flashcard decks, featuring an intuitive manual card creation mode that requires zero coding knowledge.

What's New: Three Ways to Create Flashcards

Starting today with v2.0.0, you can create flashcard decks in three different ways:

✏️ Create Cards — The New Card-by-Card Builder

Our brand new manual card creation mode lets you build flashcard decks with a simple form interface:

Type front and back — No JSON formatting required, just fill in two fields
See real-time preview — Watch your deck build as you add each card
Word count tracking — Visual indicators show 250 words max per card side (unlimited for premium users)
One-click deletion — Remove any card instantly with immediate visual feedback
Progress tracking — See exactly how many cards you've added (100 card limit for free users)

This is perfect for students, teachers, or anyone who wants to quickly type in their flashcards without learning JSON syntax.

{ } JSON Import — The Original Fast Method

Love JSON? We kept it exactly as it was:

Paste your JSON array of flashcards
Load instantly and start studying
Perfect for bulk imports or AI-generated cards

✨ AI Generate — Coming Soon

We're building AI-powered flashcard generation so you can:

Paste your study notes or lecture transcripts
Upload PDFs, DOCX, or text files
Let AI automatically generate question/answer pairs
Review and edit before saving

Stay tuned for this exciting feature!

Why We Built Manual Card Creation

SimpleFlashcards started with JSON because it's fast and portable. For power users, it's unbeatable.

But we realized we were creating unnecessary friction for a huge group of people:

Students who just want to type in vocabulary words
Teachers creating classroom study materials
Professionals making training flashcards
Anyone who shouldn't need to learn JSON syntax just to study

The old way required you to either:

Learn JSON formatting (curly braces, quotes, commas, brackets)
Use AI to generate properly formatted JSON
Copy examples and hope you don't break the syntax

That wasn't simple enough. So we built something better.

How Manual Card Creation Works

Creating a flashcard deck is now as easy as filling out a form:

Step 1: Fill in Your Card

Front (Question): Type your question or prompt
Back (Answer): Type your answer or explanation
Watch the word counter to stay within limits (250 words per side for free users)

Step 2: Add It to Your Deck

Click the + button to add your card
See it appear instantly in the preview list below
Front and back content are shown in an easy-to-scan format

Step 3: Build Your Deck

Repeat for each card you want to add
Remove any card with a single click if you change your mind
Watch the counter: "Cards (5/100)" shows your progress

Step 4: Create & Study

Click Create Deck when you're ready
Optional: Give your deck a custom name
Start studying immediately with the same great flashcard interface you know

All with zero JSON knowledge required.

The New Tabbed Interface: Choose Your Method

Version 2.0 introduces a unified tabbed interface that puts all three creation methods in one place:

Smooth transitions — Polished 400ms fade-in animations when switching between tabs
Fixed navigation — Top action bar stays pinned with a subtle glassmorphism effect
No layout shift — Content stays stable as you switch methods
Progressive disclosure — Start simple (manual), move to advanced (JSON), or wait for AI

The tabs are clearly labeled with icons:

✏️ Create Cards — Manual entry
{ } JSON Import — Technical users
✨ AI Generate — Coming soon

This design makes SimpleFlashcards accessible to everyone while keeping the power features that advanced users love.

Real-Time Feedback & Visual Polish

We obsessed over the little details:

Word Count Indicators

Every card shows live word counts:

"45 / 250 words" for free users
"45 / ∞ words" for premium users
Prevents frustration from hitting hidden limits

Card Preview List

See every card you've added:

Front and back content displayed clearly
Delete button on each card for easy editing
Scrollable list for decks with many cards
Empty state message when starting: "Cards you add will appear here"

Smooth Animations

Every interaction feels polished:

Cards fade in when added
Smooth 400ms transitions between tabs
Custom cubic-bezier easing for natural motion
No jarring jumps or layout shifts

Still Fast, Now More Accessible

Here's what we didn't change:

✅ No account required — Still works instantly, no sign-up ✅ Privacy-first — Your cards stay in your browser (or sync via optional cloud account) ✅ Blazing fast — Same instant load times you expect ✅ Mobile-optimized — Works perfectly on phones and tablets ✅ Offline-ready — PWA support means it works without internet

We just made it easier to get started.

Who This Is For

Manual Card Creation is perfect for:

Students typing in vocabulary lists or study questions
Teachers building classroom flashcard sets
Language learners creating custom word lists
Anyone who wants to quickly jot down study cards

JSON Import is still great for:

Power users who love the speed of copy-paste
People using AI tools to generate flashcards
Developers who want portable, text-based study decks
Bulk imports of 50+ cards at once

Choose the method that fits your workflow. That's the point of SimpleFlashcards — study your way.

Start Creating Flashcards Today

Ready to build your first deck with the new manual card creator?

Head to SimpleFlashcards.org
Click the ✏️ Create Cards tab
Start typing — no JSON required

Already a JSON power user? Your workflow hasn't changed. Switch to the { } JSON Import tab and paste away.

What's Next

This redesign is just the beginning. With the foundation of multiple input methods in place, we're working on:

✨ AI flashcard generation — Upload notes, get instant flashcards
Enhanced editing — Update cards in existing decks more easily
Bulk operations — Reorder, duplicate, and manage cards faster
Import from popular formats — Quizlet, Anki, CSV, and more

We're committed to making SimpleFlashcards the best free flashcard app while keeping the simplicity and speed you love.

Have ideas or feedback? Email us — we read every message.

Thank You

To everyone who requested an easier way to create flashcards — this one's for you. We heard you, and we hope v2.0 makes studying even simpler.

Now go crush those exams. ✨

Happy studying, The SimpleFlashcards Team