Web Links Bubbles - Anki Addon

Quick access to your favorite web resources with customizable emoji bubbles!

This addon adds a panel of clickable bubbles to the side of your Anki main window, giving you instant access to frequently used websites. Perfect for keeping your study resources, documentation, and favorite links just one click away.

Use Case

I sync with a friend's cards using Google Drive. This is a manual, inefficient way of doing it, but it's easy. I want to streamline this process a little by having drive links for the different folders we use built into Anki, without me having to click through anything every time I restart my computer, or lose web browser shortcuts in the throng of other junk I've bookmarked. Making a dedicated addon was somehow easier than doing all that.

Usage

First Time Setup

When you first install the addon, you'll see a panel on the right side of your main deck window with three example links:

• 📚 Anki Manual
• 🎓 Anki Forums
• 🔍 AnkiWeb

Opening the Configuration

1. Go to Tools → Add-ons → Web Links → Config in the Anki menu
2. Alternatively, right-click on a link bubble and sselect the config from the context menu.

Adding a New Link

1. Click the "Add Link" button
2. Enter the following information:
   • Emoji: The emoji that will appear on the bubble (e.g., 🔗 📚 🎓 💡)
   • Title: The tooltip text that appears when you hover over the bubble
   • URL: The web address (must start with http:// or https://)
3. Click OK to save

Tip: You can copy emojis from emojipedia.org or use your system's emoji picker:

• Windows: Press Win + . (period)
• macOS: Press Cmd + Ctrl + Space
• Linux: Depends on your desktop environment

Editing a Link

1. Select a link from the list
2. Click "Edit Link"
3. Make your changes
4. Click OK

Deleting a Link

1. Select a link from the list
2. Click "Delete Link"
3. Confirm the deletion

Reordering Links

Use the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons to change the order in which bubbles appear on the screen. The top item in the list will be the top bubble in the panel.

Using Your Links

Simply click any bubble in the side panel to open that link in your default web browser!

Customization

The addon stores your configuration in Anki's standard config system. You can also manually edit the config by:

1. Going to Tools → Add-ons
2. Selecting "Web Links Bubbles"
3. Clicking "Config"

The config format is:

{
    "links": [
        {
            "emoji": "📚",
            "title": "My Website",
            "url": "https://example.com"
        }
    ]
}

Styling

The bubbles are styled with a modern, clean look:

• Circular buttons with emoji icons
• Subtle hover effects
• Color changes when clicked
• Fixed 50x50 pixel size for consistency

Compatibility

• Anki Version: 2.1.45 or higher (Qt6 compatible)
• Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Python: 3.9+

Troubleshooting

Bubbles don't appear

• Make sure you've restarted Anki after installation
• Check that you have at least one link configured
• Try adding a link through the configuration dialog

Link doesn't open

• Verify the URL starts with http:// or https://
• Check that your default browser is set correctly in your OS
• Some URLs might be blocked by firewall/security software

Emojis look weird

• Emoji appearance depends on your operating system
• Some older systems might not support all emoji characters
• Try using more common emojis like 🔗 📚 🎓 ⭐

Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Look for similar issues on the Anki forums
3. Report bugs or request features through the addon's homepage

Changelog

Version 1.0.1

• Added feature to link to programs not just websites

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• Add, edit, delete, and reorder web links
• Customizable emoji icons and hover titles
• Clean side panel interface
• Example links included