How to use the PPTX Slide Specification agent skill

What the skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder of instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. This one is triggered when you are authoring or repairing a coordinate-explicit JSON specification for an editable PPTX deck.

The agent writes a layout tree in which text, shapes, lines, tables and images each have a final bounding box in inches. Nothing is left for a renderer to decide: no automatic text shrinking and no layout inference after the audit.

• Root JSON with a summary and a slides list
• Each slide has a stable id, a message-led title, a reading order and a complete layout_tree
• Each meaningful object has id, kind, role, classification, content, style, bbox and z_index
• A summary layout_policy with safe margin, content bottom, footer top and minimum gap

Install the pptx-slide-specification skill

Download the ZIP for this skill from our page and unzip it into one of two locations. For a personal install, use ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, use the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
• Project only: unzip into .claude/skills/ in your project root
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the skill

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language that matches the skill's purpose: writing or fixing a coordinate-explicit JSON spec for an editable deck. The skill is most useful when you name the output format and the constraints you care about.

Good requests mention the deliverable, such as a JSON spec, layout tree or PPTX blueprint, and any rules such as margins, font sizes or alt text.

• "Write a coordinate-explicit JSON spec for a 3-slide editable PPTX deck on our Q3 results, with alt text on every image."
• "Repair this layout_tree so no object sits below the footer rail and all body text is at least 9 pt."
• "Author the summary layout_policy for a deck and record source_ref for each sourced claim."

Know what the skill does not produce

The skill produces a specification, not a .pptx file. The skill's own text says a task-local builder starts from a blank slide layout and maps the bboxes with Inches(...). The files do not supply that builder, so you or the agent must write it.

The build contract also requires explicit wrapping, disabled auto-size, text insets, anchors, alignment, fonts, colours, line settings, image aspect ratio and hidden-slide state. The builder should reject zero or negative geometry before adding an object.

• Python with python-pptx is needed; the skill implies it through the Inches(...) contract but does not name the library
• Auto-fitting text and renderer-side adjustments are forbidden by design
• The skill itself runs no scripts and uses no network access

Follow the layout rules

The authoring rules keep the output auditable. Normal content stays inside the safe margin and above the footer rail, and only background layout_design objects may be full bleed. Use native text, shape, line, table and image objects rather than flattened visuals.

Text rules are strict. Content text stays at 9 pt or greater, and you should shorten, resize or split dense content before reducing type. Meaningful images need alt text, and sourced claims need a source_ref.

• Use stable, readable ids, absolute groups and positive inch dimensions
• Keep content inside the safe margin and above the footer rail
• Keep content text at 9 pt or greater
• Give meaningful images alt text and record source_ref for sourced claims
• Use shared grids, consistent gaps, explicit colour and font size, and intentional z-order

Check the reference example

The skill ships references/layout-contract.md with a compact schema. Its example uses a safe margin of 0.5 inches, content bottom at 6.7 inches, footer top at 6.85 inches and minimum gap of 0.12 inches, on a 13.333 by 7.5 inch slide. Ask the agent to follow that file when you need the exact shape of the JSON.