Cards are the core building block of Mochi. Every piece of information you learn, study, or reference—whether it’s a vocabulary word, a note, or a detailed explanation—lives inside a card. Cards can contain plain text, formatted Markdown, structured data, links to other cards, tags, and more. They also participate in the spaced-repetition review system, which helps you remember information over time.
Markdown content
At their simplest, cards are Markdown documents. You can write text, headings, lists, blockquotes, images, code blocks, and other Markdown-supported features directly into the card editor.
Example:
# Photosynthesis
**Photosynthesis** is the process plants use to convert sunlight into chemical energy.
## Key points
- Occurs in the chloroplasts
- Requires sunlight, water, and CO₂
- Produces oxygen and glucose
> “Plants turn light into life.”
Reference:
[Wikipedia: Photosynthesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis)
Markdown gives you a flexible, expressive way to format information without needing a separate text editor.
For more information on using markdown check out the Basic formatting section.
Turning a card into a flashcard
Mochi includes a simple syntax for creating flashcards with multiple sides.
To turn a card into a flashcard, insert a line containing three dashes:
What is photosynthesis?
---
The process plants use to convert sunlight into chemical energy.
The --- separator divides the card a front and back side. Cards are not limited to two sides—you can add as many sides as you like:
Side 1
---
Side 2
---
Side 3
During review, Mochi will show one side and prompt you to recall the next.
Using cards as notes
Mochi can be used as a lightweight note-taking app. Because cards support full Markdown formatting, you can create clean, structured notes directly inside a deck without using templates or review scheduling.
If you’re using a card purely as a note, it’s usually best to Archive the card (or the entire deck). Archiving removes it from both the New cards and Due today queues so it won’t appear in your spaced-repetition schedule. You can still open, edit, link, and tag archived cards normally.
This makes it easy to store reference material, summaries, reading notes, or long-form explanations alongside your study cards—without affecting your daily reviews.
Structured data on cards
In addition to Markdown, cards can also contain structured data. Together, the template handles consistent formatting while fields contain information specific to each individual card.
word
meaning
example_sentence
image
Fields store values that can be referenced by templates. Structured data is useful when you want consistent, repeatable formatting across many cards.
For more information on using structured data with templates, see the Templates section.
Templates and placeholders
Templates can be applied to a card to render predefined markdown. Templates use placeholders (such as <<word>>) in its markdown to display field values from the card.
When a template is applied:
The card’s Markdown is not deleted, but it is ignored during rendering.
The template’s Markdown is rendered instead.
Any placeholders inside the template are replaced with the card’s field values.
Templates allow you to separate content from presentation. Instead of rewriting the same formatting over and over, you define the layout once and then create cards simply by filling in fields.
See the Templates section for more information on creating and using templates.
Every card has a review history, recording each time it has been reviewed in the spaced-repetition schedule. This history includes:
Whether you remembered or forgot the card
The timestamp of each review
The intervals assigned
Duration of the review
You can reset a card’s review history at any time, returning it to the new card state.
Multiple review histories
Some cards can contain more than one review history. For example if the Review Reverse setting is enabled, there will be a review history for the forwards version, and a separate review history for the reverse direction.
Some cards can also contain multiple sets of Hidden text. In that case there will be a separate review history for each set.
Names, References, & Tags
Cards support several metadata features that help you organize information:
Card name
The card name is derived either from the Primary Field defined on the card's template, or from the first line of text in the markdown content on the card.
The cards name can be used to reference it from other cards.
References (links)
Cards can link to other cards using [[double bracket syntax]].
Mochi automatically adds backlinks, creating a bidirectional connection between cards.
A card’s content, metadata, and history remain intact—it simply stops appearing in review sessions. You can unarchive a card at any time.
Deleting cards
Cards can be moved to the trash. A card in the trash will not show up for review. Emptying the trash or deleting a card from the trash will delete it permanently.
Deleted cards cannot be recovered unless you restore from a backup or export.
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