# Flash Cards from PDF

Turns a PDF into study flash cards, with optional AI-generated images per concept.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Markdown variants are available by appending `.md` to any URL or sending an `Accept: text/markdown` header. An agent skill is available at [/.well-known/agent-skills/site-skill.md](/.well-known/agent-skills/site-skill.md).



<DocsBaseSwitcher base="mastra" agent="flashcards-pdf" />

<AgentPreview
  agent="flashcards-pdf"
  framework="mastra"
  inputFields="[
  {
    name: &#x22;url&#x22;,
    label: &#x22;PDF URL&#x22;,
    placeholder: &#x22;https://example.com/biology-chapter.pdf&#x22;,
    type: &#x22;text&#x22;,
  },
]"
/>

## Summary [#summary]

The **Flash Cards from PDF Agent** turns a document into ready-to-study flash
cards. It extracts the text, identifies the concepts worth memorizing, and writes
concise front/back pairs — and on request, generates an illustrative image for
each card. Reach for it to build study decks from textbooks, slides, or notes.

## Installation [#installation]

<CodeTabs>
  <TabsList>
    <TabsTrigger value="cli">
      Command
    </TabsTrigger>

    <TabsTrigger value="manual">
      Manual
    </TabsTrigger>
  </TabsList>

  <TabsContent value="cli">
    ```bash
    npx shadcn@latest add @agentcn/mastra/flashcards-pdf
    ```
  </TabsContent>

  <TabsContent value="manual">
    <Steps>
      <Step>
        Install the following dependencies:
      </Step>

      ```bash
      npm install @mastra/core unpdf
      ```

      <Step>
        Copy and paste the following code into your project.
      </Step>

      <ComponentSource src="registry/mastra/flashcards-pdf/config.ts" title="config.ts" />

      <ComponentSource src="registry/mastra/flashcards-pdf/instructions.md" title="instructions.md" />

      <ComponentSource src="registry/mastra/flashcards-pdf/tools/parse_pdf.ts" title="tools/parse_pdf.ts" />

      <ComponentSource src="registry/mastra/flashcards-pdf/tools/generate_image.ts" title="tools/generate_image.ts" />

      <Step>
        Update the import paths to match your project setup.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </TabsContent>
</CodeTabs>

## Composition [#composition]

```text
├── config.ts               # Agent definition (model + config)
├── instructions.md         # Card-writing instructions
└── tools/
    ├── parse_pdf.ts        # Extract text from a PDF
    └── generate_image.ts   # Generate an image for a concept
```

## Customization [#customization]

* **Change the card style.** Edit `instructions.md` for cloze deletions,
  definitions, or Q\&A pairs.
* **Swap the image model.** Edit `generate_image.ts` to use a different provider
  or skip images entirely.
* **Export the deck.** Add a tool that writes cards to Anki, CSV, or your SRS.
* **Swap the model.** Edit `config.ts`.