Pptx Author

Build PowerPoint decks headless with python-pptx.

Produce a .pptx file on disk using python-pptx. Use when you need to deliver a deck as a file artifact, not drive a live PowerPoint session.

Adapted from Anthropic's pptx-author and pitch-deck skills in anthropics/financial-services ↗. The MCP / Office-JS branches of the originals are dropped — this assumes headless Python.

For the broader, already-shipped PowerPoint authoring skill (slides, speaker notes, embeds, media), see the built-in powerpoint skill. This skill is a lighter-weight pattern tuned for model-backed decks (pitch decks, IC memos, earnings notes) where every number must trace to a source workbook.

• Write to ./out/<name>.pptx. Create ./out/ if it does not exist.
• Return the relative path in your final message.

One idea per slide

Title states the takeaway; body supports it. A slide titled "Q3 Revenue" is weak; "Revenue growth accelerated to 14% Y/Y in Q3" is strong.

Every number traces to the model

If a figure on a slide came from ./out/model.xlsx, footnote the sheet and cell.

Revenue: $1,250M  (Source: model.xlsx, Inputs!C3)

Never transcribe numbers from memory or from a summary — open the workbook, read the named range, and bind the deck value to it programmatically when you can.

Use the firm template when one is mounted

If ./templates/firm-template.pptx exists, load it so the deck inherits branded colors, fonts, and master layouts.

from pptx import Presentation
from pathlib import Path

template = Path("./templates/firm-template.pptx")
prs = Presentation(str(template)) if template.exists() else Presentation()

Charts: PNG-from-model beats native pptx charts

When fidelity matters (the model's chart styling must match the deck exactly), render the chart to PNG from the source workbook and embed the image. Native pptx.chart charts are fragile and often don't match firm conventions.

from pptx.util import Inches
slide.shapes.add_picture("./out/charts/football_field.png",
                         Inches(1), Inches(2),
                         width=Inches(8))

No external sends

This skill writes a file. It never emails, uploads, or posts. Orchestration layers handle delivery.

Read named ranges or specific cells from your Excel model so deck numbers never drift.

from openpyxl import load_workbook

wb = load_workbook("./out/model.xlsx", data_only=True)
def nr(name):
    """Resolve a named range to its current computed value."""
    rng = wb.defined_names[name]
    sheet, coord = next(rng.destinations)
    return wb[sheet][coord].value

revenue_fy24 = nr("RevenueFY24")
implied_mid  = nr("ImpliedSharePriceBase")

Then build deck content using those values:

slide.shapes.title.text = f"Implied share price of ${implied_mid:.2f} (base case)"

Remember to recalculate the workbook before reading it — openpyxl only sees computed values if something has already calculated the sheet. Run the recalc helper in the excel-author skill first, or open/save through a real Excel session.

A typical banking pitch deck follows this structure. Not prescriptive, but useful as a starting skeleton:

1. Cover / title
2. Disclaimer
3. Table of contents
4. Situation overview
5. Company snapshot (the target)
6. Market / sector context
7. Valuation summary (football field) — the money slide
8. Trading comps detail
9. Precedent transactions detail
10. DCF summary
11. Illustrative LBO / sponsor case
12. Process considerations
13. Appendix

• Users in a live PowerPoint session with an Office MCP available — drive their live doc instead.
• Non-financial slideware (quarterly all-hands, marketing decks) — use the broader powerpoint skill.
• Decks with heavy animation, transitions, or speaker notes — use the broader powerpoint skill.

Conventions adapted from Anthropic's Claude for Financial Services plugin suite, Apache-2.0 licensed. Original: https://github.com/anthropics/financial-services/tree/main/plugins/agent-plugins/pitch-agent/skills/pptx-author