How to prevent an Anki review backlog
A backlog usually grows because the system is receiving more new material than your daily review time can support, or because several skipped days allow due cards to accumulate. The easiest backlog to fix is the one you catch early.
Keep new cards subordinate to reviews
If the due queue is growing, lower or pause new cards. Every new card creates more future reviews, so adding fresh material while old reviews are already late can turn a small problem into a larger one.
1. Stop increasing the workload.
2. Complete a realistic block of due reviews each day.
3. Keep sessions focused rather than rushing through hundreds of cards.
4. Reintroduce new cards only after the queue is stable.
Consistency beats occasional marathons
A shorter daily session is usually easier to sustain than a very large catch-up session once a week. The goal is to preserve recall quality as well as queue size.
Quick check
Your due reviews are increasing faster than you can finish them. What should you change first?
Use your time to review language, not build thousands of cards.
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