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Daily limits

Updated on August 5, 2026

Daily limits protect your study rhythm. Without a cap, a large backlog can generate exhausting sessions that kill motivation. With well-calibrated limits, you learn steadily without burning out and stay consistent over the long term.

Maximum review cards per day

In Review Preferences, the Maximum review cards per day field sets how many reviews you can do in a single day. Cards that exceed the cap are deferred to the next day according to your configured distribution strategy.

A consistent limit helps retention: the brain consolidates learning better through regular sessions than through sporadic marathons.

Maximum new cards per day

The Maximum new cards per day field controls how many cards you haven't seen yet enter your session each day. Introducing many new cards at once inflates your future backlog, because each new card generates review sessions over the following days.

If you notice your workload chart growing week after week, reducing daily new cards is the most effective lever.

Distribution strategies

When a day exceeds the review limit, EON applies the distribution strategy to decide what to do with the excess. There are three options:

  • Strict — never exceeds the daily cap. Cards that don't fit that day are moved directly to the next. It's the most predictable option: you know no day will have more cards than your ceiling.

  • Balanced — allows up to 120% of the limit during backlog periods and then redistributes. There's some flexibility when load rises, but EON spreads it out so it doesn't spiral.

  • Hybrid — adapts to context. It behaves strictly during high-density streaks, but has more give when daily load is moderate.

The strategy is set with the Distribution strategy field in Review Preferences. You can also configure it per Deck Pack if one pack needs different treatment from the rest.

Workload balancing aggression

The Workload balancing aggression setting controls how much daily overflow you tolerate during peaks. It ranges from 0 (passive shifts, minimal movement) to 1 (cards moved aggressively to neighbouring days with available capacity). A middle value tends to be the sweet spot for most students.

Automatic nightly rebalancing

Enable Automatic Workload Rebalancing in Review Preferences and EON redistributes the load every night. By morning, the forecast chart already reflects a more balanced distribution without you having done anything. This is especially useful when your backlog fluctuates a lot — for example, after several days without studying.

Rebalance now

If you don't want to wait until overnight, click Rebalance Now in the Workload Distribution panel. EON recalculates instantly and redistributes excess cards from peak days to days with available capacity, within the margins your distribution strategy allows.

The balance between not falling behind and not burning out lives in your limits. If you finish each session feeling good, the limits are well set. If you finish exhausted or consistently well below the cap, it's time to adjust them.

Frequently asked questions

Do limits apply to all Deck Packs, or can I set them per pack? You can set them at account level (applies to all) or override them for a specific Deck Pack from that pack's Review Preferences.

What happens if I set the new cards limit to zero? EON won't introduce any new cards that day. You'll only see review cards you already know. Useful when you want to consolidate what you have before adding new material.

Can the "Balanced" strategy make a day have more cards than the limit? Yes, up to 120% of the limit. That's the key difference from "Strict", which never exceeds the cap.

When should I use "Hybrid"? It's useful if your load varies a lot between weeks — for example, some weeks you study every day and others you skip several. The strategy adapts instead of applying the same rule all the time.

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