Sync Cards with Excel/CSV Files

Keep your flashcard decks synchronized with Excel or CSV files stored in cloud storage. Edit your cards on a laptop, save to Google Drive or Dropbox, and changes automatically sync to your phone—all while preserving your study progress.

Why Sync Instead of Import?

The Problem with Traditional Apps:

Most flashcard apps only support importing files. Every time you update your flashcards, you have to delete the old deck and import a new one, losing all your study progress in the process.

The GoCards Solution:

Sync your deck once, then edit the file anytime. Changes flow automatically in both directions while your learning statistics, due dates, and mastery levels stay intact.

How Sync Works

GoCards uses smart synchronization that compares modification dates to determine which source has the newest changes.

Intelligent Card Matching

When syncing, GoCards automatically detects whether a card has been modified or is entirely new:

  • 🟠 Modified cards - Updated if there's at least 70% similarity in the term or definition (prevents accidental overwrites)
  • 🟢 New cards - Added automatically if similarity is below 70%
  • 🔴 Deleted cards - Removed if they no longer exist in the source

This smart matching ensures your edits are preserved while preventing duplicate cards.

What Gets Synced

When the file is newer than the deck:

  • 🟢 New cards from the file are added
  • 🔴 Deleted cards are removed
  • 🟠 Modified cards are updated
  • Card order matches the file
  • Study progress is preserved

When the card is newer than the file:

  • 🟠 Changes from the card are written back to the file
  • Custom columns in your spreadsheet are preserved and move with their cards

See It in Action

Watch how sync works in practice:

What happens in this demo:

  1. A deck is exported to create a synced file
  2. Changes are made to both the file (3 cards) and the app (3 cards)
  3. Sync is triggered
  4. The card list shows what changed with color indicators
  5. Study progress remains intact despite the updates

Visual Sync Indicators

After syncing, colored edge bars in your card list show exactly which cards changed.

Learn more in Edge Bars.

Key Benefits

✅ Preserve Study Progress - Never lose your learning statistics again

✅ Bi-directional Sync - Changes flow both ways automatically

✅ Edit Anywhere - Update cards on laptop or phone

✅ Cloud Storage Integration - Works with Google Drive, Dropbox, and more

✅ Smart Conflict Resolution - Prevents accidental data loss with similarity checking

✅ Extra Data Preserved - Keep custom columns in your spreadsheet intact

Supported File Formats

Excel (.xlsx, .xls)

  • Compatible with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc

CSV (.csv)

  • Universal compatibility with any text editor or spreadsheet program

See the File Format Guide for detailed specifications.