Where Does Anki Store Decks?
Anki profile folder and collection.anki2 paths on Windows, macOS and Linux, and which files to back up before syncing.
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Anki keeps each profile in its own folder with collection.anki2 holding cards, scheduling and review history. Media files sit beside the database in a collection.media folder. The parent is called Anki2 in per OS data roots.
Back up the whole profile folder with Anki closed. Single file copies of the database without media leave cards pointing at missing images and audio. Sync through AnkiWeb first on the old machine, then verify counts on the new one. The .anki2 file is SQLite, so copies made while Anki runs risk corruption.
Where Anki stores this, by platform
%appdata%\Anki2\[Profile]\collection.anki2
Paste %appdata%\Anki2 into Explorer. Media lives in collection.media next door. Addons sit in addons21 one level up.
~/Library/Application Support/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2
Use Go > Go to Folder in Finder. Time Machine restores need the whole Anki2 folder, not just the database, to keep media intact.
~/.local/share/Anki2/[Profile]/collection.anki2
Same layout as other platforms. Check Tools > Preferences > Backups inside Anki too, since scheduled backups land in a backups sibling folder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move Anki to a new computer?
Sync the old install to AnkiWeb, install Anki on the new machine, and sync down. For offline moves, copy the full Anki2 folder to the same location with Anki closed on both ends.
Where are Anki automatic backups?
In a backups folder inside your profile directory, kept on a rolling schedule. Restore via File > Switch Profile > Open Backup, or copy one out manually.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.