Importing Cards from a Deck List or Text

Got a deck list, a wishlist, or a tracker export that’s just plain text — 4 Lightning Bolt, one card per line? The Text import tool lets you paste it straight into CardNexus and add the cards to a list (or to an in-progress import) in a few seconds.

If your data is in a spreadsheet, use the CSV importer instead. Text import is built for the way deck-builders and collection trackers print their content: one line per card, with optional set codes and print numbers.

Where to find it

From a list (deck, wishlist, sell list…) — open the list, then Add products → Text.
From an in-progress import — open the import, then Add products → Text.

You’ll land on a full-screen editor where you can paste your list.

Before you start

You’ll need:

A list of cards as plain text (one per line).
The game already chosen — the editor uses a different parser for each game (Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana, Flesh and Blood, Riftbound, and a generic parser for everything else).
A default language and condition for the lines — set them once at the top of the page and they’re applied to every card. You can change them per-card later if needed.

The line format

The basic format is the same across every game:


[quantity] <card name> [(<set code or name>)] [<print number>] [*F*]

Quantity is optional. If you leave it out, we assume 1. 4 Lightning Bolt and 4x Lightning Bolt both work.
Card name is required.
Set code or set name goes in parentheses — e.g. (M19) or (Stellar Crown). Optional but strongly recommended: many cards share names across sets and we’ll need it to pick the right one.
Print number comes after the set, e.g. 161 or 223a.
Foil marker is *F* at the end of the line. For Magic, the Manabox-style trailing F (just an F after the print number) also works.

Examples that all work


Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt (M10)
4 Lightning Bolt (M10) 146
4 Lightning Bolt (M10) 146 *F*
1 Sure Strike (M19) 161

Game-specific notes

Game	Notes
Magic: The Gathering	Paste output from Manabox, Moxfield, MTG Arena and most deck-builders directly — we recognise the trailing `F` for foils as well as `F`.
Lorcana	Print numbers can use the `#` prefix (e.g. `2 Mickey Mouse (Rise of the Floodborn) #24`). We strip the `#` automatically.
Flesh and Blood	We recognise pitch colours in parentheses (e.g. `(red)`, `(yellow)`, `(blue)`) and FAB-style print codes like `WTR000`. Foil suffixes `-RF` (rainbow foil) and `-CF` (cold foil) on the print number are also recognised.
Riftbound	Uses the standard format above.
Other games	Same standard format. Set codes/names in parentheses, print numbers after.

Tip — use set codes when you can. They’re shorter, less prone to typos, and unambiguous. (M10) will always match Magic 2010; (Magic 2010) works too but is more fragile if the set’s display name changes.

Pasting and validating

Pick a default language and condition at the top of the page.
Paste your list into the editor — or type it manually.
Click Check content. We’ll run every line against the CardNexus catalog and tell you what’s wrong, if anything.

Lines we couldn’t match are highlighted with a marker in the left gutter, and a summary of every problem appears below the editor.

While we’re checking, the editor becomes read-only for a moment. Once we’re done, edit any line and we’ll automatically clear its error so you can re-validate.

The errors you might see

Each error tells you the line number and the reason. Click into the line, fix it, and click Check content again.

Cannot find product "<name>"

The card name doesn’t match anything in our catalog for the selected game. Usually a typo — check the spelling, or whether the card is from a set we haven’t added yet.

Cannot find expansion "<name>"

The set you wrote in parentheses doesn’t match any set we know. Either the code/name is wrong (e.g. M-19 instead of M19), or it’s a set we don’t support yet.

Invalid expansion identifier

The set code is malformed (extra characters, weird punctuation). Re-type it.

"<name>" is not available in "<language>"

The card exists but wasn’t printed in the language you picked at the top of the page. Change the default language, or override the language for that specific card later in the flow.

Metadata mismatch for "<name>"

The name and the set/print number contradict each other — e.g. Black Lotus (Stellar Crown) doesn’t exist because Black Lotus isn’t in that set. Fix one or the other.

Finishing up

Once every line is valid, the Add to list / Add to import button at the bottom becomes available. Click it and the cards land in your list (or import session).

You can keep pasting more lines after that — the editor stays open until you close it.

FAQ

Can I mix quantities, foils, and regular cards in the same paste? Yes. Each line is independent. You can have 4 Counterspell (7ED), then 1 Lightning Bolt (M10) 146 *F*, then Black Lotus (LEA), all in one paste.

What if I don’t know the set? Leave the parentheses off. We’ll try to match by name and print number, and if the name is ambiguous you’ll see “cannot find product” — at which point you can add the set in parentheses and re-check.

Will I get duplicates if I paste the same card twice? Each line is treated as its own entry. If you paste 2 Lightning Bolt twice, you’ll end up with two entries of 2 copies each in your list — not one entry of 4. Combine them in the paste itself, or merge them afterwards in the list.

Why is the language / condition picker at the top instead of per-line? Most people paste lists where every card is the same language and condition (e.g. an entire English Near Mint deck). Setting it once at the top is much faster. You can still tweak individual cards from the list itself once they’re imported.

Can I import the same way I would from TCGPlayer or Manabox? For those, the CSV importer is a better fit — they export structured CSV files with much more metadata than plain text. Text import is best for deck-builder exports, hand-written lists, and Discord/forum-style paste-ins.

Does Text import work for selling? Text import adds cards to a list or to an import session, not directly to a marketplace listing. Once your cards are in your inventory, you can list them for sale from there (or use List for sale via CSV if you want price + listing in one go).