Use case
Use Claude to build a PowerPoint deck
How to get a real .pptx out of an agent session, when markdown slides are the wrong ask, and which skill to install.
· 6 min read
A deck is not a memo with bigger headings. If you need .pptx that opens in PowerPoint, install the PowerPoint skill and give a slide budget.
Brief the skill like a designer
Slide count, audience, whether speaker notes are allowed, and any colors that are banned. Then let the skill produce a file, not a markdown outline you paste by hand.
Wrong tool
Handouts people will print belong in PDF. Documents legal will edit belong in Word. Frontend Design is for product UI, not slide masters.
Related reading
Skills cited in this guide
creativity
PowerPoint Skill
Generate and edit PowerPoint (.pptx) decks with real slides, not markdown pretending to be a presentation.
productivity
PDF Skill
Read, fill, extract, and generate PDF documents from an agent session — forms, reports, and print-ready files rather than markdown-only output.
writing
Word Document Skill
Create and edit Microsoft Word (.docx) files with headings, tables, and tracked-change-friendly structure from an agent workflow.