# Modify sync settings without GUI

**URL:** <https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/modify-sync-settings-without-gui/60298>\
**Category:** Add-ons\
**Created:** [May 4, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/modify-sync-settings-without-gui/60298 "2025-05-04T17:20:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![twaslowski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@twaslowski](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/twaslowski)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/modify-sync-settings-without-gui/60298/1 "2025-05-04T17:20:54Z")

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Hey all!

I’m currently trying to build a language learning app where users can sync their own vocabulary with Anki. Since I want to support mobile, using AnkiConnect to sync to their collection is not an option. My current architecture is to create a sync server on-demand, sync all of the user’s data to their device, and then tear it down again:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/3X/8/8/88452a5cf977eada687d665babbb4518aefacc9b.png)

The issue with this is that I cannot figure out how to get my [headless-anki](https://github.com/ThisIsntTheWay/headless-anki) instance (which is simply a container running in a Kubernetes Cluster) to connect to my sync server. Where do I configure sync user, password and host without GUI? I can’t find good information on the database structure anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![abdo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/abdo/32/654_2.png) [@abdo](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/abdo)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/modify-sync-settings-without-gui/60298/2 "2025-05-04T18:35:38Z")

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Please see

> **[Sync Server - Anki Manual](https://docs.ankiweb.net/sync-server.html)**
>
> Anki's user manual. Anki is a flashcard program that makes learning easier.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twaslowski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@twaslowski](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/twaslowski)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/modify-sync-settings-without-gui/60298/3 "2025-05-04T19:11:35Z")

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Hey @abdo, thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, I have been through that docs page several times and cannot find the required information.

It doesn’t provide a lot of info on how to connect a client to the sync server. It mentions pointing the client to the sync server host, and it mentions a SYNC\_SERVER environment variable; but it doesn’t outline how to handle authentication programmatically.

To be clear: I can configure the sync server. What I want to know is _how to connect a Client to it without GUI_.