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User Documentation

How spaced repetition works

Spaced repetition is a review method that shows material again after a delay. The delay grows when you remember a card and shrinks when you struggle. Acorny uses this idea to keep highlights from becoming a passive archive.

In Acorny, the review item is a recall card generated from a saved highlight. You try to remember the idea, then rate the result. That rating changes the next review interval.

  1. Save or import a highlight.
  2. Acorny makes the highlight eligible for review.
  3. Review shows a recall card.
  4. You answer from memory.
  5. You rate how well you remembered it.
  6. Acorny schedules the next review interval.

This loop works best when highlights contain complete ideas. A full sentence is usually easier to review than a short phrase.

The rating buttons are not a grade. They are feedback for scheduling.

Rating meaningWhen to use itScheduling effect
ForgotYou could not recall the ideaBring the card back sooner
HardYou remembered only after effort or with missing detailsKeep the review interval short
GoodYou remembered the main ideaIncrease the review interval
EasyThe idea felt obvious and stableIncrease the interval more

Use the rating that describes recall before rereading the original highlight. If you reread first, the card will feel easier than it actually was.

Not every saved highlight appears in Review immediately. A highlight can be in your library before it becomes due as a recall card. This is normal.

Acorny may also mix due cards with newer material so your library does not stay invisible. If Review says you are caught up, check the Highlights page to confirm the highlights exist, then return later when cards are due.

Good review cards come from highlights that express a clear claim, principle, definition, or example. These highlights are easier to remember and apply.

Weak review cards often come from:

  • Half sentences without context.
  • Quotes that depend on a previous paragraph.
  • Long excerpts with several ideas at once.
  • Lists where each item should be reviewed separately.

When possible, save one idea per highlight.

Imported highlights can enter the same review system as extension-saved highlights. A large import may add many new candidates at once, but they do not all need to appear in one session. Acorny schedules review work so the library can become reviewable over time.

If you import thousands of highlights, start by checking the Highlights page and provider guide. Then review in normal sessions instead of trying to process the whole import manually.