Can ChatGPT create flashcards for you?
Yes, and plain ChatGPT already does a decent job of drafting them: paste your notes, ask for small question-and-answer cards and you get a list back. The weak point is what happens next. A list in a chat has no review schedule, so you either paste it into another app by hand or never see the cards again.
With developer mode turned on, ChatGPT can connect to a custom MCP server, and you can skip that step. Cirello runs a hosted remote MCP server, so ChatGPT can create the cards straight into your Cirello library, where FSRS-6 schedules every review. ChatGPT drafts; Cirello remembers and schedules.
What you need
- A ChatGPT account with developer mode turned on. A paid plan is not needed: it works on the free plan. OpenAI renames its menus now and then (Connectors, Apps, Plugins), so the names below may differ slightly.
- A Cirello account (the beta is free).
The server address:
https://api.cirello.app/mcp
It uses the Streamable HTTP transport with OAuth 2.1 sign-in and dynamic client registration, which is what ChatGPT's custom MCP apps use. Nothing runs on your computer.
Set it up
- In ChatGPT's settings, turn on developer mode, then open the apps or connectors section and choose to create or add a custom MCP app. OpenAI's help article "Developer mode and MCP apps in ChatGPT" shows where it lives.
- Enter a name such as Cirello and paste the URL above as the server URL.
- Choose OAuth for authentication.
- Sign in to Cirello when the browser opens, and approve the permissions you want to give.
- In a new chat, enable the Cirello app and ask for something.
Steps and names change often, so if a step does not match what you see, OpenAI's current help pages win over this page.
What to ask ChatGPT
- "Here are my notes from today's lecture. Create small question-and-answer cards in a deck called Cell Biology." Up to 50 cards per request.
- "What is due in Cirello today?"
- "Find duplicate cards in my library."
- "Split this card into three."
- "Quiz me on my Spanish deck." ChatGPT can ask the cards in chat and record a grade, but only for a card you actually tried to answer, and you can undo a grade within one minute.
ChatGPT's developer-style connectors can take write actions, so read each tool call before you confirm it, and switch off any permission you do not want on Cirello's consent screen. Deleting is off unless you allow it.
Why not just ask ChatGPT to make Anki or Quizlet cards?
You can, and many people do: ask for "Front / Back" output and import it. It works for a one-off set. The costs are the copy-paste step every time, no duplicate checking across sets, and no feedback loop between how you did and when the card returns. With Cirello connected, cards go to one library, duplicates can be found and merged, and the schedule learns from your grades. See bulk-importing flashcards if you prefer to paste a list yourself.
What stays in Cirello
Your real reviews happen in Cirello, with its review modes, drill and exam plans. The chat quiz is a quick check, not your schedule. Your password, email address and account settings are never sent to ChatGPT; what the assistant can see depends on the permissions you grant. Once data reaches ChatGPT, OpenAI processes it under its own terms, so check your ChatGPT data settings first. Disconnect any time in Cirello under Account - Security - Connected apps.
Other assistants
The same server works with Claude, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Codex CLI and others; the AI flashcards hub lists every client we have checked and the caveats.
Limits to know about
Cirello is a web app today. There are no cloze deletion cards yet. ChatGPT cannot review for you on its own. The MCP server is part of the free beta.