Start with the actual collection
An Anki package can hold notes, generated cards, note types, decks and media. A note contains named fields, while a note type can generate more than one card from those fields. Four notes therefore do not necessarily mean four cards. Reversed templates and multiple Cloze deletions are common reasons for different counts.
Choose a supported APKG and run the bridge. Legacy packages use collection.anki2 or collection.anki21 with a JSON media map. Modern package metadata selects the compressed collection.anki21b database and a different media map. A compatibility placeholder can coexist with the real modern database; this tool does not mistake that placeholder for your deck.
Review fields as stored text
Select a note type in the preview and move through its notes. Each named field appears in a read-only text area. HTML formatting, sound references and Cloze expressions remain visible as literal source text. The tool never runs card scripts, embeds a remote iframe or asks a card template to render inside the page.
For example, a field containing {{c1::Paris}} retains that exact expression in the raw exports. A separate {{c3::France}} can correspond to a card with ordinal two rather than ordinal one. Compare note counts, existing card counts and the original field order rather than flattening every note into an assumed front-and-back pair. The raw JSON includes the recorded card ordinals for that inspection.
Check the media inventory separately
Media files are stored under archive indices and mapped back to their original filenames. The export bundle places those bytes in its media directory. Bounded PNG and JPEG files can be previewed locally; other media remains available in the bundle without executing its contents. An SVG or HTML file is not inserted as active page markup.
The missing-reference table is based on recognized literal references in fields and templates. Dynamic template substitutions and CSS-generated paths may need manual review, so an empty table is not a complete Anki media audit. Keep the original package, compare representative notes and open the exported media before migrating a large collection. Modern media size and checksum information is checked when present; absent bytes are reported rather than recreated.