# Sequential order isn't sequential

**URL:** <https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080>\
**Category:** Scheduling\
**Created:** [May 18, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080 "2022-05-18T08:20:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![epistularum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/epistularum/32/9619_2.png) [@epistularum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/epistularum)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/1 "2022-05-18T08:20:31Z")

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I moved some new cards from another deck, so it’s in a state where a series of reviewed cards are sandwiched between two series of new cards.

When reviewing, new cards are pulled from both sides of the sandwich, both in sequential order.

Crude visualization (sorted in sequential order):  
new1  
new2  
reviewed1  
reviewed2  
new3  
new4

When reviewed, it would pull in this order:  
new4  
new2  
new3  
new1

Instead of:  
new4  
new3  
new2  
new1

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**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/2 "2022-05-19T03:32:37Z")

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The v2 scheduler fetches new cards in deck order. The v3 scheduler offers more options. [The 2021 scheduler - Frequently Asked Questions](https://faqs.ankiweb.net/the-2021-scheduler.html)

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**Author:** ![epistularum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/epistularum/32/9619_2.png) [@epistularum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/epistularum)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 6:49am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/4 "2022-05-19T06:49:24Z")

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The changes made in the v3 scheduler affects subdecks structure. The issue I’m facing occurs within a single deck.

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**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 8:16am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/5 "2022-05-20T08:16:08Z")

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If you can reproduce the problem in the v3 scheduler, please provide the exact steps I should take with your collection to reproduce it.

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**Author:** ![epistularum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/epistularum/32/9619_2.png) [@epistularum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/epistularum)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 10:09am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/6 "2022-05-20T10:09:53Z")

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The problem occurs both in v2 and v3. I’ve tried reproducing the issue on another profile without success.

This exported sample deck consistently displays this behaviour.  
[https://0x0.st/oau\_.apkg](https://0x0.st/oau_.apkg)

Video demonstration:

[https://0x0.st/oau9.webm](https://0x0.st/oau9.webm)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/7 "2022-05-21T02:08:18Z")

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Insertion order controls the due numbers that are assigned when cards are added. If you scroll down further in the deck options of v3, you’ll find a display order section that controls the order cards are shown in.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![epistularum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/epistularum/32/9619_2.png) [@epistularum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/epistularum)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 6:27am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/8 "2022-05-21T06:27:12Z")

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Setting “New card gather order” to “Ascending position” or “New card sort order” to “Order gathered” produces the same result. Newest card appears first.

I’ve rebooted anki several times and checked the database. I’m certain that it didn’t use to do that up until recently. The only significant thing I’ve done is swapping cards from another deck to this one.

At this point, I feel like anki is gaslighting me. Besides, this is a new feature of v3 right? The same issue happens on v2.

edit:  
Looking at the due date column, I can see that the order doesn’t match up with the created order. Anki seems to follow the due date order and not the created date order (even though specified in the settings!) How does that even happen? What am I supposed to do?

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/2X/d/dec1a972287dc653a7501804eb0d0329f55bc9ae.png) ](https://0x0.st/oa2t.png)

This is what happens when sorting by due date within the browser. What a mess. I am certain this is something that started recently. As you can see, all those have the due order in pair with another for some reason.

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/anki2/original/2X/b/b156e59e6f2d31035ade304b505768bdf8c8ee17.png) ](https://0x0.st/oa23.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rumo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/rumo/32/1505_2.png) [@Rumo](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/Rumo)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 1:37pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/9 "2022-05-21T13:37:39Z")

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Maybe you created these notes on April 29, and then later added a second card type on May 12?  
The deck options screen does point out that sorting is done by due number, which only _typically_ is the same as creation date.

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**Author:** ![epistularum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/epistularum/32/9619_2.png) [@epistularum](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/epistularum)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/10 "2022-05-21T14:10:22Z")

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This note type is very old, I’ve been doing it for years. I only sporadically tweak some fonts, but never add/remove a card type, that’s pretty much set in stone at this point.

Today I started to suspend all old cards in order to circumvent the issue. What I ultimately did is sort all new cards by created date on the browser and then use the “reposition” function to reorder everything.

I have no idea why after all these years it suddenly changed behaviour.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dae](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.ankiweb.net/dae/32/65_2.png) [@dae](https://forums.ankiweb.net/u/dae)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/11 "2022-05-23T00:01:23Z")

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My guess is you changed the insertion order to random and then back to ordered at one point. That will cause the cards in each deck to be repositioned based on their creation date. The ordering is specific to each deck, and if you move cards from one deck into another, they may end up being interleaved.

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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, 5:52am UTC](https://forums.ankiweb.net/t/sequential-order-isnt-sequential/20080/12 "2023-05-01T05:52:44Z")

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