Powerpoint Ppt

PowerPoint Presentation Workflows

Tech Stack Target / Version: PowerPoint current desktop or web releases and python-pptx automation.

Use this skill when a .pptx deck is the output and slide composition matters.

• Leverage native parallel subagent dispatch and 200k+ context windows where available.

Current MCP Reality

Presentation MCP tooling is host-dependent. Some clients expose Office presentation tools directly, while others do not. Do not assume stable public tool names. If the current client lacks those tools, use the included local automation script or generate the content structure first and import it into PowerPoint.

Activation Conditions

Use symptom -> action triggers: when one matches, apply this skill and verify with the protocol below.

• Creating a deck from structured content
• Applying templates, branding, and slide layouts
• Updating text, images, or charts inside an existing presentation
• Extracting slide text for review or translation

Practical Workflow

1. Confirm whether the client exposes presentation tools. 2. Prefer template-driven decks over manual one-off slide formatting. 3. Keep one idea per slide and treat text density as a defect. 4. Validate the final deck visually before calling it done.

MCP Fallback – Native Automation

When MCP is unavailable, use native automation: python-pptx for .pptx, image export or screenshot checks for visual validation, and manual review for animations or speaker notes. Preserve slide order, layouts, theme fonts, media, notes, and aspect ratio, then reopen or render the deck before claiming success.

Anti-Patterns

• Writing for the author instead of the reader: It bakes in unstated context and leaves the actual audience unsure what to do next.
• Skipping concrete examples or commands: Abstract guidance is easy to approve and hard to apply correctly.
• Letting links, screenshots, or versions drift: Polished formatting does not help if the instructions are no longer true.

Verification Protocol

Before claiming "skill applied successfully":

1. Pass/fail: The Powerpoint Ppt artifact type, target format, and required output fidelity are stated before editing. 2. Pass/fail: MCP availability is checked and the native automation fallback path is named when MCP is absent. 3. Pass/fail: The produced file or formula is opened, parsed, rendered, or otherwise validated locally. 4. Pressure-test scenario: Apply the workflow to a file with formatting, metadata, or conversion edge cases and verify nothing important is lost. 5. Success metric: Zero unverified document claims; the artifact itself is the evidence.

Deck Checklist

• [ ] Title slide is present
• [ ] Slide layouts are consistent
• [ ] Fonts and colors match the template
• [ ] Images are high-resolution and not stretched
• [ ] Final slides were reviewed in slideshow size, not just as raw XML or text

References & Resources

Documentation

• PowerPoint References - Supporting notes for formatting, structure, and automation expectations

Scripts

• PPT Automation Script - Local fallback for building or updating presentation content

Examples

• Presentation Examples - Example deck structures and content patterns

<!-- PORTABILITY:START -->

Cross-Client Portability

This skill is written to stay usable across GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

• GitHub Copilot: keep the folder in a Copilot-visible skill or plugin path, or wrap the workflow as project instructions if the host does not support portable skill folders directly.
• Claude Code: keep the folder in a local skills directory or a compatible plugin or marketplace source.
• Codex: install or sync the folder into $CODEX_HOME/skills/<skill-name> and restart Codex after major changes.
• Gemini CLI: this repository generates a project command named /skills:powerpoint-ppt from this skill. Rebuild commands with python scripts/export-gemini-skill.py powerpoint-ppt and then run /commands reload inside Gemini CLI.

<!-- PORTABILITY:END -->

<!-- MCP:START -->

MCP Availability And Fallback

Preferred MCP Server: PowerPoint MCP

• Fallback prompt: "Use the PowerPoint Presentation Workflows skill without MCP. Rely on the local SKILL.md, bundled references or scripts, and manual verification. Show the exact commands, evidence, and final checks you used before concluding."
• Use python-pptx, PowerPoint desktop, or a scriptable slide generator when the MCP surface is unavailable.
• Render the final deck and manually verify layout, overflow, and speaker-facing notes before delivery.

<!-- MCP:END -->

Related Skills

• documentation-authoring: Use it when the workflow also needs drafting structured technical or product documents.
• documentation-patterns: Use it when the workflow also needs reusable documentation structures and templates.
• documentation-quality: Use it when the workflow also needs documentation review standards and quality gates.
• documentation-verification: Use it when the workflow also needs final documentation validation before publishing.

Changelog

[2026-04-25] - Version 1.2 Verification Protocol Refresh

Added

• Added a Verification Protocol section with skill-specific pass/fail checks, one pressure-test scenario, and a measurable success metric.
• Added guidance to leverage native parallel subagent dispatch and 200k+ context windows where available.
• Added the shared MCP Fallback ? Native Automation section for Office-style workflows.

Changed

• Updated SKILL.md frontmatter to version: "1.2" and last_updated: 2026-04-25.
• Reframed activation guidance toward symptom -> action triggers and standardized two-stage review wording where applicable.

[2026-04-24] - Version 1.1 Refresh

Changed

• Updated the SKILL frontmatter version to 1.1 for the 2026-04-24 catalog refresh.

All notable changes to this skill will be documented in this file.

[2026-04-24] - Skill Refresh

Changed

• Standardized the SKILL frontmatter with version metadata, last-updated date, tags, and a concise catalog description.
• Reformatted the portability and MCP guidance with a preferred server line, a copy-paste fallback prompt, and consistent bullet lists.
• Added a catalog-standard Anti-Patterns section and refreshed the Related Skills links at the end of the skill.
• Added a Tech Stack Target / Version note so deck-generation guidance is tied to the current slide tooling surface.

[2026-04-04] - Cross-Client Portability Refresh

Changed

• Added a standard portability note covering GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
• Documented the preferred MCP server surface for this skill and a local no-MCP fallback workflow.

Tested

• Validated SKILL.md frontmatter, portability sections, and Gemini export readiness with python scripts/validate-skills.py.

[2026-03-09] - Workspace Modernization

Changed

• Rewrote the skill to describe presentation MCP access as host-specific instead of assuming stable wrapper tool names
• Repositioned the local automation script as the fallback path when MCP presentation tools are unavailable

[2026-02-28] - Description Rewrite and Cross-References

Changed

• Rewrote the skill description to concise activation-focused wording
• Improved keyword specificity to reduce overlap with related skills

Added

• Added the related-skills cross-reference table

[2026-02-19] - PowerPoint MCP Extraction

Changed

• Split presentation workflow guidance out of the former shared office-documents skill into a PowerPoint-specific skill
• Replaced library-first guidance with MCP-oriented presentation workflows
• Updated activation triggers around presentations, slide decks, .pptx, and PowerPoint MCP use cases

Added

• Added PowerPoint-specific references and local automation support
• Added coverage for slide management, text, templates, images, and presentation extraction workflows

Fixed

• Reduced ambiguity between generic office-document handling and PowerPoint-specific presentation tasks

PowerPoint Presentation Examples

Example 1: Creating a Business Presentation

// Step 1: Activate required tools
activate_presentation_creation_and_management();
activate_text_placeholder_management();
activate_content_management_tools();

// Step 2: Create presentation
mcp_ppt_create_presentation({
  filename: "q3_business_review.pptx",
  title: "Q3 2025 Business Review"
});

// Step 3: Create title slide
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 0,
  placeholder_index: 0,
  text: "Q3 2025 Business Review"
});
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 0,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  text: "Finance Division · October 2025"
});

// Step 4: Add agenda slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "q3_business_review.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 1,
  placeholder_index: 0,
  text: "Agenda"
});
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 1,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Financial Performance Overview",
    "Key Metrics and KPIs",
    "Regional Analysis",
    "Strategic Initiatives",
    "Q4 Outlook"
  ]
});

// Step 5: Add content slide with metrics
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "q3_business_review.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 2,
  placeholder_index: 0,
  text: "Key Financial Metrics"
});
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 2,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Revenue: $1.8M (+20% YoY)",
    "Gross Margin: 45% (+3pp)",
    "Operating Income: $540K",
    "Net Income: $405K",
    "EPS: $0.45"
  ]
});

// Step 6: Save presentation
mcp_ppt_save_presentation({ filename: "q3_business_review.pptx" });

Example 2: Creating a Data-Heavy Presentation with Charts

// Create presentation with multiple chart slides
activate_presentation_creation_and_management();
activate_text_placeholder_management();
activate_content_management_tools();

mcp_ppt_create_presentation({
  filename: "data_analysis.pptx",
  title: "Q3 Data Analysis"
});

// Title slide
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 0, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Q3 Data Analysis" });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 0, placeholder_index: 1, text: "Analytics Team" });

// Revenue chart slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "data_analysis.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 1, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Revenue Trends" });
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 1,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Strong growth in APAC region",
    "Americas showing steady improvement",
    "EMEA exceeding targets"
  ]
});
mcp_ppt_manage_image({
  slide_index: 1,
  operation: "add",
  image_path: "./charts/revenue_by_region.png",
  left: 1.0,
  top: 2.5,
  width: 8.0,
  height: 4.0
});
mcp_ppt_manage_text({
  slide_index: 1,
  operation: "add",
  text: "Source: Internal BI System",
  font_size: 9,
  italic: true,
  left: 7.0,
  top: 6.8,
  width: 2.0,
  height: 0.3,
  alignment: "right"
});

// Customer acquisition chart slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "data_analysis.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 2, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Customer Acquisition" });
mcp_ppt_manage_image({
  slide_index: 2,
  operation: "add",
  image_path: "./charts/customer_funnel.png",
  left: 1.0,
  top: 1.5,
  width: 8.0,
  height: 4.5
});

mcp_ppt_save_presentation({ filename: "data_analysis.pptx" });

Example 3: Template-Based Presentation with Branding

// Create presentation from template
activate_presentation_creation_and_management();
activate_text_placeholder_management();
activate_template_application_tools();
activate_content_management_tools();

// Create from template
mcp_ppt_create_presentation({
  filename: "monthly_update.pptx",
  title: "Monthly Status Update"
});

// Apply brand template
mcp_ppt_apply_template({
  filename: "monthly_update.pptx",
  template_name: "BrandTemplate.pptx",
  apply_to_all: true
});

// Title slide
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 0,
  placeholder_index: 0,
  text: "November 2025 Status Update"
});
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 0,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  text: "Engineering Department"
});

// Progress slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "monthly_update.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 1, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Project Progress" });
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 1,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Platform Migration: 85% complete",
    "API Gateway: Deployed to production",
    "Dashboard Redesign: In QA",
    "Mobile App Beta: Launched"
  ]
});

// Blockers slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "monthly_update.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 2, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Key Blockers" });
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 2,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Database migration pending security review",
    "API rate limiting needs performance testing",
    "Third-party authentication provider delay"
  ]
});

// Next steps slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "monthly_update.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 3, placeholder_index: 0, text: "Next Steps" });
mcp_ppt_add_bullet_points_to_placeholder({
  slide_index: 3,
  placeholder_index: 1,
  bullet_points: [
    "Complete platform migration by Nov 15",
    "Performance testing on API Gateway",
    "Finalize dashboard UI components",
    "Prepare mobile app public beta"
  ]
});

mcp_ppt_save_presentation({ filename: "monthly_update.pptx" });

Example 4: Presentation with Mixed Formatting

// Create presentation with mixed text formatting
activate_presentation_creation_and_management();
activate_text_placeholder_management();

mcp_ppt_create_presentation({
  filename: "kpi_dashboard.pptx",
  title: "KPI Dashboard"
});

// Title slide with styled subtitle
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({
  slide_index: 0,
  placeholder_index: 0,
  text: "Q3 KPI Performance"
});

// Add free text box with mixed formatting
mcp_ppt_manage_text({
  slide_index: 0,
  operation: "add",
  text_runs: [
    { text: "Prepared by: ", bold: false, font_size: 14 },
    { text: "Finance Team", bold: true, font_size: 14, color: [31, 78, 120] }
  ],
  left: 2.0,
  top: 4.0,
  width: 6.0,
  height: 0.5,
  alignment: "center"
});

// KPI highlights slide
mcp_ppt_add_slide({ filename: "kpi_dashboard.pptx", layout_index: 2 });
mcp_ppt_populate_placeholder({ slide_index: 1, placeholder_index: 0, text: "KPI Highlights" });

// Add KPI callouts with mixed formatting
mcp_ppt_manage_text({
  slide_index: 1,
  operation: "add",
  text_runs: [
    { text: "Revenue: ", bold: true, font_size: 18, color: [31, 78, 120] },
    { text: "$1.8M ", bold: true, font_size: 18 },
    { text: "(", font_size: 18 },
    { text: "+20%", bold: true, font_size: 18, color: [0, 128, 0] },
    { text: ")", font_size: 18 }
  ],
  left: 1.0,
  top: 2.0,
  width: 3.0,
  height: 0.5
});

mcp_ppt_manage_text({
  slide_index: 1,
  operation: "add",
  text_runs: [
    { text: "Margin: ", bold: true, font_size: 18, color: [31, 78, 120] },
    { text: "45% ", bold: true, font_size: 18 },
    { text: "(", font_size: 18 },
    { text: "+3pp", bold: true, font_size: 18, color: [0, 128, 0] },
    { text: ")", font_size: 18 }
  ],
  left: 1.0,
  top: 2.8,
  width: 3.0,
  height: 0.5
});

mcp_ppt_save_presentation({ filename: "kpi_dashboard.pptx" });