presentation-automation
Presentation Automation: python-pptx, Google Slides API, automated slide generation from data and templates
Profile →npx skills add cosmicstack-labs/mercury-agent-skills --skill presentation-automation --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
What it does
The skill directs an agent to automate slide creation by combining data with predefined templates (PowerPoint or Google Slides) to generate presentations. It enforces a separation between data handling and presentation, aims for idempotent results, and recommends validation before generation. It targets data-driven, template-based slide generation and CI/CD integration for automated workflows. It covers capabilities for creating slides from templates, populating placeholders, generating charts (bar, line, pie), building tables from data frames, converting CSV data into slides, and inserting images.
How it works
It instructs to:
- Use templates as the source of truth for slides rather than constructing slides from scratch; populate the template with data.
- Separate data extraction/transformation from presentation logic (CSV/JSON/API → Data transformation → Slide population).
- Ensure idempotency: same input yields same output by deterministic logic and versioning templates alongside code.
- Validate inputs, templates, and output formats prior to generation.
- Provide concrete Python examples and code blocks for: basic slide creation with python-pptx, inspecting and populating template layouts/placeholders, creating charts (bar, line, pie) with styling, populating tables from DataFrames, generating slides from CSV data, and inserting images.
- Include utilities for CSV to presentation pipelines, converting DataFrames to slides, and inserting images with specified positions.
When to use it
Use when you need automated generation of presentations from data sources in a templated, repeatable manner, including recurring reports (Level 3) and client-facing/board presentations (Level 4) per the maturity model. Apply in CI/CD pipelines or scheduled runs to produce consistent, data-driven decks.
What it can touch
The skill references tools and libraries for generating slides, including:
- python-pptx (for PowerPoint slide creation and manipulation)
- Pillow (for image handling)
- pandas, numpy, openpyxl (data processing)
- It also shows usage with Google Slides API via templates, though concrete API calls are not enumerated in the excerpts provided.
Caveats
The material emphasizes template-based generation and validation but does not claim guaranteed success for all data inputs or template configurations. It guides on deterministic behavior and template-version control, but no explicit licensing or usage constraints beyond the MIT license noted in the metadata. It also stresses avoiding building slides from scratch and to validate placeholders and data before generation.
# Presentation Automation Automate slide generation from data sources, build programmatic presentations, and integrate slide creation into CI/CD pipelines. ## Core Principles ### 1. Templates Are the Foundation Never build slides from scratch in code. Create a well-designed template (.potx or Google Slides master), then populate it programmatically. Templates enforce consistency; code fills in the blanks. ### 2. Separate Data from Presentation Keep data extraction, transformation, and presentation logic in distinct layers. CSV/JSON/API → Data transformation → Slide population. This makes both testing and maintenance easier. ### 3. Idempotency Matters The same input data should always produce the same output slides. Use deterministic logic, avoid random placement, and version your templates alongside your code. ### 4. Validate Before Generating Validate input data, template placeholders, and output formats before generating slides. A broken slide at 11:59 PM before the board meeting is a career-limiting bug. --- ## Presentation Automation Maturity Model | Level | Approach | Data Integration | Error Handling | Maintainability | |-------|----------|-----------------|----------------|-
- Core Principles
- 1. Templates Are the Foundation
- 2. Separate Data from Presentation
- 3. Idempotency Matters
- 4. Validate Before Generating
- Presentation Automation Maturity Model
- python-pptx Fundamentals
- Installation and Setup
- Basic Slide Creation
- Working with Slide Layouts and Placeholders
- Chart Generation
- Creating Bar Charts
- Creating Pie Charts
- Table Population from Data
Install python-pptx pip install python-pptx For working with images pip install Pillow For data processing pip install pandas numpy openpyxl Verify installation python -c "import pptx; print(pptx.__version__)" Install the Google API client pip install google-auth google-auth-oauthlib google-auth-httplib2
What does the presentation-automation skill do?
Presentation Automation: python-pptx, Google Slides API, automated slide generation from data and templates
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add cosmicstack-labs/mercury-agent-skills --skill presentation-automation --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From cosmicstack-labs/mercury-agent-skills, a repository with 364 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.