Guide · Agent skill
How to use the PowerPoint Deck Builder agent skill (pptx)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The pptx skill gives an AI agent the ability to open, read, create and edit PowerPoint (.pptx) files. It is part of the builtin skills in the HKUDS/DeepTutor project and is licensed under Apache-2.0. This guide is for people who have never used an agent skill before; by the end you will know how to install it, ask for a deck in plain language, and check the result.
PowerPoint Deck BuilderHKUDS/DeepTutor · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Confirm the environment. Make sure the agent can run Python in a shell and that python-pptx is available. Install LibreOffice only if you need PDF or image export.
- 3Describe the task. Ask in plain language, for example to build a deck from an outline or extract speaker notes, and attach the .pptx file if one exists.
- 4Review the result. Open the saved .pptx and check text, layout and overflow yourself, since the skill says rendered slides can still contain bugs.
- 5Export if needed. Ask for a PDF or image export. If LibreOffice is missing, the agent will report that and skip the step.
- 6Iterate. Request specific changes such as a new chart value or replaced image, then re-export so the PDF matches the edited file.
What is an agent skill and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent reads when a task matches the skill's description. This skill covers PowerPoint work: reading decks, building slides from an outline, editing existing slides, and optionally exporting slides to PDF or images.
- Extract slide text and speaker notes from an existing deck
- Build a first-draft deck from an outline or notes
- Change text, tables, charts and images in existing slides
- Replace placeholders across many slides in a branded template
- Optionally export slides to PDF or images
Install the pptx skill
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. You can place the folder in one of two locations: your personal skills directory at ~/.claude/skills/, or a project-specific .claude/skills/ folder inside the project you are working in.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into .claude/skills/ in your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Check the requirements before you start
The skill depends on running Python code in a sandbox shell. It assumes the python-pptx library is already installed in the agent's environment; the skill does not install it. PDF and image export also needs LibreOffice (soffice) and, for images, pdftoppm. If these tools are missing, the agent will say so and skip the export step.
- Python with the python-pptx library (stated as preinstalled)
- A sandbox shell environment that can run Python
- LibreOffice (soffice) only for PDF or image export
- The agent must be able to execute code; without it the skill cannot work
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill is meant to activate when a .pptx or .ppt file is an input or output, or when you mention a deck, slides or a presentation. Describe what you want and include the file or outline.
- Make a 10-slide deck from this outline: [paste outline]
- Extract all the speaker notes from quarterly_review.pptx into a text file
- Replace {{CLIENT}} and {{DATE}} in every slide of template.pptx
- Change the chart on slide 4 to show the new Q3 figures
- Export the finished deck to PDF so I can review it
Example: build a deck from an outline
The agent creates a presentation, adds slides with a title and bullet layout, and saves the file as out.pptx. For a title slide with a bulleted content slide, the core pattern looks like this. The agent writes code like this itself; you do not need to run it yourself.
Layouts are chosen by index, and the skill tells the agent to list layouts first because indices vary between templates. It also says to set bullet text through placeholders rather than typing bullet characters by hand.
from pptx import Presentation
prs = Presentation()
s = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[0])
s.shapes.title.text = "My Deck"
s.placeholders[1].text = "Subtitle"
s = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[1])
s.shapes.title.text = "Agenda"
tf = s.placeholders[1].text_frame
tf.text = "First point"
p = tf.add_paragraph()
p.text = "Second"
p.level = 0
prs.save("out.pptx")Use the skill for templates and existing decks
To read a deck, the agent loops over slides and prints text frames, table cells and speaker notes. To fill a template, it edits text at the run level so that existing bold and font formatting is kept. Rewriting an entire text frame collapses it to one run and drops inline formatting, so the skill avoids that approach.
If a template has more placeholder slots than your data, the agent removes the extra shapes rather than leaving empty boxes.
- Read: text, tables and speaker notes from every slide
- Fill templates: replace tokens such as {{NAME}} run by run
- Remove unused placeholders instead of leaving them blank
Review the output and export it
The skill asks the agent to check layouts, font sizes and margins, and to assume there may be overlap or overflow. If an image-reading tool is mounted, the agent can inspect rendered slides. If not, it should say that visual inspection was unavailable rather than claim it reviewed the slides.
To export, the agent converts the deck with LibreOffice and turns the PDF into JPEG images using pdftoppm. Re-run export after any edit, because the PDF does not update on its own.
- Confirm the agent reports whether visual inspection happened
- Ask for a re-export after each change
- Legacy .ppt files must be converted to .pptx first; python-pptx cannot open them directly
What people use it for
- Turning meeting notes or an outline into a first-draft slide deck
- Pulling speaker notes out of an existing presentation for review or translation
- Filling a branded template with data across many slides
- Updating a chart or table in a deck without rebuilding it by hand
- Producing PDF or JPEG previews of a deck for sharing
Frequently asked questions
Is the pptx agent skill free?
The skill is licensed under Apache-2.0, as stated for the HKUDS/DeepTutor project. This page does not list prices, so check the project's licence terms for details on use.
How do I install the pptx skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What does the pptx skill require?
It requires Python with the python-pptx library, which the skill says is preinstalled, and a sandbox shell that can run Python. LibreOffice (soffice) is only needed for PDF or image export.
Can the skill open old .ppt files?
Not directly. Legacy .ppt is a different binary format that python-pptx cannot open, so it must be converted to .pptx first, which the skill does only if soffice is available.
Does the pptx skill use the internet?
The source states that the skill uses no network. It does run scripts, so review the code the agent writes before running it on sensitive files.
Why does my exported PDF not match my latest edits?
The PDF is created from the .pptx at the time of conversion. The skill says to re-run conversion after every edit, so ask the agent to export again.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you want an agent to draft decks from outlines, extract text and notes, or fill templates in bulk, and you are willing to review the output yourself. Pick a different tool if you need pixel-perfect design without review, or if your environment cannot run Python code.
Download the skill