# Basic(and optional reverse) not working as expected

**URL:** <https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896>\
**Category:** Card Design\
**Created:** [May 9, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896 "2021-05-09T19:26:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kenppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc8723/32.png) [@kenppy](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/kenppy)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896/1 "2021-05-09T19:26:51Z")

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…at least not as I hoped it would.  
I have a deck of cards for which I want the reverse cards, **but not all of them.** The reverse is triggered by adding some text into the Add Reverse field, and a second card is created.  
So far so good but if I do not want a particular card to have a reverse deleting the text does not remove the second card, once created it sticks and cannot be removed without removing the pair.  
Am I missing something here? Is there another template where optional really means optional.  
thanks

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**Author:** ![Bakr\_10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/46a35a/32.png) [@Bakr\_10](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Bakr_10)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896/2 "2021-05-09T20:21:59Z")

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It is optional. It just stays in the browser but doesn’t show up when you review the deck. If you want to delete the reverse card after you have removed the text from the optional field, then go to Tools \> Empty cards \> Delete.  
Edit: I’ve just checked and it seems that it will show when reviewing too but will say

> The front of this card is blank.  
> More information

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**Author:** ![kenppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc8723/32.png) [@kenppy](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/kenppy)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896/3 "2021-05-09T21:01:13Z")

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That’s the way to do it!

I did find a workaround, that is to delete the triggering text then change the note type, but into the same note without saving the second side.

thanks

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/1X/8f1279ababc5879d54e4838989f606cfe55af8c7.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2023, 7:40am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/basic-and-optional-reverse-not-working-as-expected/9896/4 "2023-05-01T07:40:28Z")

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