Help Center & FAQ

What is Surge Flashcards?

Surge is an AI-powered learning platform that combines flashcards, spaced repetition, quizzes, and games to help you master any subject. Take the Learning Profile Assessment to discover your strengths across 10 cognitive dimensions and get AI coaching tailored to how you learn.

How do I create my first deck?

You can create decks in several ways:

• Manual creation: Create Deck → Create Manually → add cards one by one. Free tier includes 20 cards; after that, 5 credits per card.
• AI generation (topic): Create Deck → AI Generate → enter a topic, difficulty, and card count. 10 credits per card.
• From file or image: Create Deck → Upload Image/File → upload a document (10 credits per card) or image (750 analysis + 10 per card).
• Bulk CSV upload: Create Deck → Bulk Upload → import from Excel/CSV. Requires Premium tier. Images are not in the CSV; add them later in the deck editor.
• Community: Browse public decks and use “Copy to Edit” to make your own.

Is Surge really free?

The free tier includes:

• 20 free manual flashcards—after that, each additional manual card costs 5 credits
• All three study modes: My Pace, Cram, Long-Term Memory
• Spaced repetition reviews
• Access to community (public) decks
• Quizzes and games (may have limits on free tier; full access on paid plans)

Free accounts do not receive monthly AI credits. You can purchase credit bundles to use AI generation, Learning Profile Assessment unlock, or extra manual cards. The free tier may show ads; paid tiers are ad-free. Bulk upload and team creation require a Premium subscription.

What is the Learning Profile Assessment?

The Learning Profile Assessment measures your strengths across 10 cognitive dimensions (e.g. visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic). Your results unlock personalized AI coaching tips during study. You can take the assessment for free; unlocking the full report is available by payment or with credits for paid subscribers. Learn more and take the assessment →

What platforms does Surge work on?

Surge runs in web browsers at app.surgeflashcards.com (desktop and mobile). Games and Daily Trivia are at games.surgeflashcards.com. An Android app is available; iOS app is coming soon.

Do I need to download anything?

No. Use app.surgeflashcards.com in your browser. Sign up or sign in and start studying; your decks and progress sync across devices.

Can I generate flashcards from a document or image?

Yes. In Find & Create Decks, use the Upload Image/File (or “From File”) option. You can upload:

• Documents: .txt, .pdf, .docx (max 10 MB). Cost: 10 credits per card (no analysis fee).
• Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp (max 20 MB). Cost: 750 credits for analysis plus 10 credits per card.

Unsupported file types are rejected with a clear message.

Can I add images to my flashcards?

Yes. When you create or edit a card manually, you can add an image to the front and/or the back of the card. Images are uploaded and stored in your account. This is available for manually created cards and for cards you edit after AI or bulk upload.

Does bulk CSV upload support images?

No. The bulk CSV/Excel template does not include image columns. After importing, you can add images to individual cards by opening the deck and editing each card in the deck editor.

What is spaced repetition?

Spaced repetition means reviewing material at increasing intervals so you see each item right before you’re likely to forget it. It’s one of the most effective ways to build long-term memory. Learn more →

What’s the difference between My Pace, Cram, and Long-Term Memory?

• My Pace: Browse all cards in order at your own speed. No scheduling.
• Cram: Short, intensive practice with each card repeated 2–3 times in one session. Best for tests in 1–7 days.
• Long-Term Memory: Full spaced repetition (SM-2). Reviews are scheduled over days and weeks. Best for lasting retention.

Cram vs long-term guide →

How do the difficulty ratings (Again / Hard / Good / Easy) work?

After each card you rate how well you remembered it. Again = didn’t know; Hard = struggled; Good = knew with effort; Easy = knew instantly. These drive the SM-2 algorithm so your next review is scheduled at the right time.

Can I change study modes?

Yes. Choose the mode on the deck (on My Decks or Favorites). Your choice is saved per deck. Use Long-Term Memory for most studying and switch to Cram when a test is close.

How does AI flashcard generation work?

Enter a topic (e.g. “Spanish irregular verbs,” “World War II”), set difficulty and number of cards, and Surge’s AI generates a full deck with questions, answers, and explanations. You can edit any card after generation.

How much do AI-generated flashcards cost?

Topic-based AI generation: 10 credits per card. Generate from document (.txt, .pdf, .docx): 10 credits per card, no analysis fee. Generate from image (.jpg, .png, .webp): 750 credits for analysis plus 10 credits per card. Credits come with paid subscriptions or can be bought in bundles. Manual creation (after your free 20): 5 credits per card.

What are credits and how do I get them?

Credits power AI features. Subscription credits are included monthly with paid plans (use or lose each month). Purchased credits are one-time bundles that roll over and last 1 year from last account activity. Subscription credits are used first, then purchased. Free users can buy bundles without a subscription.

Can I unlock the Learning Profile Report with credits?

Paid subscribers can unlock the full report using credits (no card payment required). The cost is shown in the app. Free users can pay with card to unlock the report.

Can I edit AI-generated cards?

Yes. After generation you can edit, add images, simplify answers, or delete cards. Many people generate with AI then tweak for their own style.

What quiz types are there?

Multiple choice: Pick the right answer from options (good for recognition). Typed answer: Type the answer from memory (harder, better for recall). You can run manual quizzes from your decks in either format. Quiz types →

How do Surge Storm and Surge Challenge work?

Surge Storm: Timed challenge—answer as many questions as you can; correct answers add time. Surge Challenge: Board-style game where you move by answering questions. Both use your decks and support active recall in a game format.

How do teams work?

Teams let educators and study groups share decks, invite members, and track progress. Team creation and sharing require a Premium subscription.

Can I share decks?

Yes. You can make decks public or share a link. When someone copies your deck, they get their own copy to edit and study. Sharing with a team requires Premium.

What’s in the free tier?

20 free manual flashcards; after that, each extra manual card costs 5 credits. All three study modes (My Pace, Cram, Long-Term Memory), spaced repetition, access to community decks, and quizzes/games (possibly with limits). Free accounts do not get monthly AI credits—you can purchase credit bundles. The app may show ads on the free tier. Bulk CSV upload and team creation require a Premium subscription.

What do paid tiers include?

Paid plans (e.g. Basic, Premium) include monthly AI credits, more free manual cards per month, ad-free experience, bulk upload (Premium), team creation and sharing (Premium), and other features. Check the in-app Pricing or Subscription page for current plans.

How do I upgrade?

Sign in → profile → Subscription & Billing → choose a plan and enter payment. Benefits and credits are available right after upgrading.

Can I buy credits without a subscription?

Yes. Free users can purchase credit bundles. Purchased credits roll over and expire after 1 year of account inactivity.

How often should I study?

Short daily sessions work best for spaced repetition. Even 10–15 minutes is better than rare long sessions. For Cram mode, focus 3–5 days before a test.

What’s the best way to use flashcards?

Try to recall before flipping; rate yourself honestly (Again/Hard/Good/Easy); study consistently; use Long-Term Memory for lasting knowledge; review explanations when you’re wrong. Flashcard guide →

What’s active recall and why does it matter?

Active recall is retrieving information from memory without prompts (e.g. answering a question before seeing the answer). It’s much more effective than passive re-reading. Active recall explained →