Formats and source materials
Turn a textbook chapter into a focused flashcard deck
A textbook chapter mixes definitions, worked problems, illustrations and supporting discussion. Converting all of it into a single pile of questions usually hides the chapter structure. Begin with one subsection and use the learning objectives to decide which facts need recall and which skills need practice beyond cards.
Select a subsection with a clear purpose
Write down the subsection heading and the questions it should help you answer. Extract the relevant PDF pages using a tool you trust, placing the actual content before a cover or contents page. Keep enough surrounding explanation to interpret terms correctly. Use a copy you are allowed to process; access to a textbook is not permission to distribute its text or derived decks.
Match the prompt to the paragraph
Definitions suit a direct question about a named term. Mechanisms suit a question about cause, direction or a condition. Worked problems need fresh practice problems as well as a card about the underlying rule. Avoid asking for an entire numbered list unless recalling that exact list is genuinely required; a shorter contrast may test understanding more effectively.
Worked example: two focused cards
These original editorial examples illustrate question design. They are not a live AI conversion or an official question bank. Use the wording and scope of your own source when editing a generated deck.
- What is the purpose of a subsection coverage check?
- To compare actual card questions with the concepts named in the subsection objectives.
- When is a rule card insufficient?
- When the learning task requires applying the rule to new problems.
Audit against the chapter outline
After generation, compare your deck with the subsection headings rather than simply counting cards. Mark an objective as covered only when a useful question actually tests it. Check figure-dependent statements against the figure yourself. If a caption explains a relationship that extraction missed, write that relationship explicitly in a new or edited card instead of assuming the draft read the image.
Convert, check, then study
- Prepare a short PDF excerpt with the relevant text near the beginning. Upload it using the PDFtoDeck generator; check that the selected pages contain the topic you intend to study.
- Generate an AI draft, then read every question and answer against the source. Correct missing conditions, split overloaded answers and remove unsupported details before treating the deck as study material.
- Use Study now for a review session, download an Anki .apkg deck or CSV, or copy tab-separated text for Quizlet. Choose an export your destination can actually import and test a small set before moving a larger deck.
Limits, cost and document handling
Free generation includes 3 conversions per day, the first 5 PDF pages per conversion and up to 20 cards. Pro costs $3.99/mo or $29.99/yr. A generated deck can miss concepts or contain errors; use your source to decide what belongs in the final set.
The browser reads your PDF; clear English scans use on-device OCR. Extracted text is sent to the PDFtoDeck server and DeepSeek for AI generation. Process documents you have permission to use, keep sensitive information out of uploads and check the privacy policy for details.
Questions about this workflow
Can I upload a whole textbook?
Start with a permitted, topic-sized excerpt. Free generation reads only the first five PDF pages, so uploading a long book does not give complete chapter coverage.
Should every bold term become a card?
Only if recalling its meaning supports your learning objective. Some bold terms organize the text or repeat concepts that already have useful cards.