Turn your PDF into flashcards you can study.
Make AI flashcards from your lecture notes or textbook chapter. Bring your own PDF, choose your settings, and practise recalling the ideas that matter.
Illustrative example, not generated from your file.
From reading to remembering.
Choose your PDF
Start with the notes or textbook chapter you want to practise. Your file waits in this browser while you set up your account.
Set up your study session
Complete onboarding and sign in. Pausly opens your PDF with flashcard settings ready, so you don’t need to select the material again.
Create, then practise
Review the language and material selection, then start generation. Try each question before revealing the answer, and check unfamiliar points against the PDF.
A study deck built around your material.
Use a focused lecture or chapter instead of mixing every subject into one file. A biology chapter can become questions about definitions and processes; history notes can become prompts about events and their causes. Check that each answer keeps the context your course expects.
For calculations, use cards to recall a formula’s meaning and when to apply it. Keep practising worked problems too: remembering a formula is not the same as knowing how to solve a question.
What makes a useful PDF?
- Readable, selectable text rather than photos of pages.
- Clear headings and related topics in the same chapter.
- Up to 50 MB and 500 pages per PDF. Generation may need a smaller page selection.
- Material you own or have permission to upload.
Image-only scans are not supported. Complex tables, equations and diagrams can lose context during text extraction; review those against the original.
How to study your flashcards
Read the question and try to answer before revealing the other side. If you get stuck, return to the source explanation instead of memorising a sentence you don’t understand. Separate two ideas into separate prompts when an answer becomes hard to recall.
AI-generated cards are a starting point, not an answer key. Check names, dates, units and definitions against your PDF. Revisit difficult material in a later study session, and use your course exercises to test whether you can apply it.
Questions before you start?
Do I need an account to make PDF flashcards?
Yes. Choose your PDF here, complete onboarding and sign in. Your PDF is then uploaded to your account and opened in the study workspace. Flashcard creation starts only when you confirm the settings.
Will I have to upload the same material twice?
No. Your selected file is stored temporarily in this browser and carried through onboarding and sign-in. Use the same browser and don’t clear its site data during the process. If browser storage is unavailable, we show an error before continuing.
Which PDFs work best?
PDFs with selectable text work best. The file limit is 50 MB and the document limit is 500 pages. Image-only scans are not supported. Large documents may need a smaller page selection for generation, and complex diagrams or equations need checking against the original.
Is PDF-to-flashcard generation unlimited?
No. Generation uses your account’s available credits and is subject to usage limits. Review your balance and the in-app plan options before creating more study materials.
Can I choose a different language?
Yes. Review the language in the flashcard creation settings after onboarding. For technical terms or translated definitions, compare the result with the vocabulary used in your course.
Are the generated answers always correct?
No. AI can omit context, misread extracted text or make mistakes. Review the cards against your source, especially names, dates, equations and precise definitions. Treat them as a study aid, not a replacement for the original material.
Start with the notes you already have.
Your PDF stays with you through sign-up.
Choose your PDFLooking for more ways to study? Explore Pausly’s study workspace.