PDF to flashcards
PDF to flashcards: drop your lecture, start reviewing
A course reader, your lecturer's slides, a scanned chapter. Mindlet reads it as it is and turns it into flashcards, multiple-choice questions and other exercises, sorted by topic.
- Scanned PDFs work
- Up to 25 MB per PDF
- Free to start
Even scanned Step by step
How do you convert a PDF into flashcards?
Four steps. The third is optional, but it saves time on a long reader. Button names are the French labels you'll see in the app.
-
Tap “Ajouter” (Add)
From your Mindlet library, on the web, iPhone or Android. The “Ajoute ton cours” (add your course) screen opens.
-
Drop your PDF
Drag it onto the drop zone, or pick it from your device. You can add several files to the same collection.
-
Skip the pages you don't need
Open the “Pages à exclure” (pages to skip) setting and enter, say, “1-3, 78-84”. Mindlet ignores the table of contents, appendices and bibliography.
-
Tap “Créer ma collection”
The AI analyses the document and prepares the cards. You can start reviewing as soon as they're ready.
Supported files
PDF, Word, slides, photos, scans: which files work?
Almost anything a course can be. Office documents are converted to PDF before they're read.
| Type | Extensions | Maximum size |
|---|---|---|
| PDF, even scanned | 25 MB | |
| Word processing | Word (.doc, .docx), OpenDocument (.odt), Pages, RTF | 40 MB |
| Slides | PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx), OpenDocument (.odp), Keynote | 40 MB |
| Spreadsheets | Excel (.xls, .xlsx), OpenDocument (.ods), Numbers, CSV | 40 MB |
| Books and pages | ePub, HTML | 40 MB |
| Images and photos | PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, TIFF, AVIF | 30 MB |
| Text | .txt, .md, or pasted text | 2 MB |
Not supported yet: iPhone HEIC photos (convert them to JPEG or PNG), OneNote files, emails (.msg, .eml), Kindle formats (.mobi, .azw3), DjVu, XPS and archives. Videos, audio and YouTube links go through video import.
Long documents
What does the AI do with an 80-page reader?
It reads the whole thing, then draws out its structure: topics, sub-topics, and within each one the notions worth remembering. Each notion gets an anchor card, flashcard or multiple choice, then other formats where the subject lends itself to them.
The collection also gives you a lesson path, in the “Apprendre” (learn) tab, and a placement test that checks what you already know. When the next chapter comes, add it to the same collection: its cards join the ones you're already reviewing.
- Table of contents and appendices skipped with “Pages à exclure”
- Several PDFs in a single collection
- A lesson path and a placement test
Scans and photos
Scans, photos, diagrams: what the AI reads
A scanned PDF or a photo of your notes goes through Mistral AI's character recognition. When an image holds little text, a diagram for instance, a vision model describes it so its content isn't lost. A sharp photo taken flat works better than a skewed snapshot.
- Printed text and scanned pages
- Diagrams and images analysed by a vision model
- iPhone photos: set the camera to “Most Compatible” (JPEG)
What's next
From PDF to quiz and practice exam
The same document feeds everything else. Once the collection exists, there's nothing to re-upload.
-
Auto-checked quizzes
Multiple-choice, true or false and fill-in-the-blank questions from the same PDF.
Learn more -
A practice exam
A timed paper graded out of 20, built from your own course.
Learn more -
A study guide
The PDF summarised topic by topic, downloadable as a PDF.
Learn more
Your files
Where do your files go?
-
Nothing public by default
A collection only becomes public if you choose to share it.
-
Read by Mistral AI
Reading and generation run on models from Mistral AI, a French company.
-
No training on your courses
We do not use your content to train AI models. It's written in our terms.
-
Providers listed
Your data is processed in the European Union by our main providers, all named in our legal notice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a PDF into flashcards for free?
Create a free Mindlet account, with no credit card. Tap “Ajouter” (Add), drop the PDF, then create the collection: the AI generates flashcards and multiple-choice questions from the document. The free plan has caps on collections and cards, listed on the pricing page. Reviewing your cards is always free.
Can I make flashcards from a photo of my notes?
Yes, in PNG, JPEG, WebP and most image formats, up to 30 MB. HEIC photos, the iPhone's default format, aren't supported yet: convert them to JPEG, or set the camera to “Most Compatible”. A sharp photo taken flat reads best.
Can AI read a scanned PDF?
Yes. A scanned PDF goes through Mistral AI's character recognition, which extracts the text before the cards are generated. The sharper the scan, the better the result; check the cards from a poor-quality document, as a date or a name can be misread.
How many pages can I upload?
The limit is on file size, not page count: 25 MB per PDF, 40 MB for a Word or PowerPoint file. You can skip pages with “Pages à exclure” and add several files to one collection. Your plan sets how many cards you can keep.
Are my PDFs shared with anyone?
Not without your say-so: a collection only becomes public if you choose to share it. Your files are read by our technical providers, mainly Mistral AI, to generate the cards, and we do not use them to train AI models. Details on the Your data page.
Can I upload PowerPoint slides or a Word document?
Yes. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OpenDocument and Apple formats (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) are accepted up to 40 MB. Mindlet converts them to PDF, then reads them like any other course.
Keep reading
Your next course, already in cards.
Drop a PDF, a link or a lecture recording. Mindlet does the preparation, you do the learning.
Free to start, no credit card · Web, iPhone, iPad and Android
