# Scratchpad but for typing on desktop **URL:** \ **Category:** Suggestions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749 "2026-05-15T13:46:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lilhemdoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/48db29/32.png) [@lilhemdoc](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/lilhemdoc)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/1 "2026-05-15T13:46:34Z")
I know there is an option on Anki mobile to use a scratchpad where you draw/ handwrite notes before revealing the answer, but it would be really helpful to have a version of this for desktop where you can type in a box so that you can practice writing out the answer and then self-mark it against the true answer. Please let me know if this is already a thing, but I have looked and searched for add-ons and can’t find anything! ---
**Author:** ![Anon\_0000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Anon\_0000](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Anon_0000)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/2 "2026-05-15T15:12:31Z")
You could add a [text area](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/textarea) to your card template. It could also be styled and adjusted with js and css if needed. ---
**Author:** ![eroscard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/eroscard/32/22632_2.png) [@eroscard](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/eroscard)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/3 "2026-05-15T15:55:37Z")
[https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/456372554](https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/456372554) ---
**Author:** ![Danika\_Dakika](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/danika_dakika/32/17815_2.png) [@Danika\_Dakika](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Danika_Dakika)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 6:44pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/4 "2026-05-15T18:44:19Z")
Add-ons (like [AnkiDraw](https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1868980340)) are the way to get that drawing functionality in desktop Anki. ---
**Author:** ![lilhemdoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/48db29/32.png) [@lilhemdoc](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/lilhemdoc)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/5 "2026-05-15T19:12:36Z")
I want to type not draw though and I don’t think it has that option ---
**Author:** ![Danika\_Dakika](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/danika_dakika/32/17815_2.png) [@Danika\_Dakika](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Danika_Dakika)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/6 "2026-05-15T22:30:39Z")
That’s fine. I was only suggesting it as an option because of your mentions of scratchpad and handwriting. If you just want typing instead, and it needs to persist to the back of the card for you to compare it, you can use – - Built-in [type-answer functionality](https://docs.ankiweb.net/templates/fields.html#checking-your-answer) – but see Eltaurus and Anon\_0000’s suggestions [in this thread](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/editing-type-in-answer-formatting/66916/5) for how to dumb it down/simplify it since you don’t want the comparison. - [Any of these solutions](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/do-you-know-why-when-i-selected-on-decks-type-type-the-answer-they-actually-work-like-a-basic-card/56183/5) for creating your own javascript text input box on your card template. ---
**Author:** ![lilhemdoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/48db29/32.png) [@lilhemdoc](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/lilhemdoc)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/7 "2026-05-15T23:36:18Z")
Would those options require me to change it on every single card? I have 9,000 cards so definitely wouldn’t want to manually change all of them ---
**Author:** ![Danika\_Dakika](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/danika_dakika/32/17815_2.png) [@Danika\_Dakika](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Danika_Dakika)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/8 "2026-05-16T00:24:21Z")
No, all of these would be changes you made on the card template. Make sure you understand [the difference between notes and cards](https://docs.ankiweb.net/getting-started.html#notes--fields). You don’t need to change any of your notes, you just need to update the card template that Anki uses to make that card type from those notes. ---
**Author:** ![eroscard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/eroscard/32/22632_2.png) [@eroscard](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/eroscard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/scratchpad-but-for-typing-on-desktop/69749/9 "2026-05-16T13:07:58Z")
The add-on I mentioned has a T-shaped typing option. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/3X/2/a/2a9197b05f136d7271737118347425e68da5fba6.png)