2slides Presentation Generation

Generate professional presentations using the 2slides AI API. Supports content-based generation, style matching from reference images, and document summarization.

Setup Requirements

Users must have a 2slides API key:

1. Visit https://2slides.com/api to create an API key
2. Store the key in environment variable: SLIDES_2SLIDES_API_KEY

export SLIDES_2SLIDES_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

Workflow Decision Tree

Choose the appropriate approach based on the user's request:

User Request
│
├─ "Create slides from this content/text"
│  └─> Use Content-Based Generation (Section 1)
│
├─ "Create slides like this image"
│  └─> Use Reference Image Generation (Section 2)
│
├─ "Create slides from this document"
│  └─> Use Document Summarization (Section 3)
│
└─ "Search for themes" or "What themes are available?"
   └─> Use Theme Search (Section 4)

1. Content-Based Generation

Generate slides from user-provided text content.

When to Use

• User provides content directly in their message
• User says "create a presentation about X"
• User provides structured outline or bullet points

Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Content

Structure the content clearly for best results:

Title: [Main Topic]

Section 1: [Subtopic]
- Key point 1
- Key point 2
- Key point 3

Section 2: [Subtopic]
- Key point 1
- Key point 2

Step 2: Choose Theme (Required)

Search for an appropriate theme (themeId is required):

python scripts/search_themes.py --query "business"
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "professional"
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "creative"

Pick a theme ID from the results.

Step 3: Generate Slides

Use the generate_slides.py script with the theme ID:

# Basic generation (theme ID required)
python scripts/generate_slides.py --content "Your content here" --theme-id "theme123"

# In different language
python scripts/generate_slides.py --content "Your content" --theme-id "theme123" --language "Spanish"

# Async mode for longer presentations
python scripts/generate_slides.py --content "Your content" --theme-id "theme123" --mode async

Step 4: Handle Results

Sync mode response:

{
  "slideUrl": "https://2slides.com/slides/abc123",
  "pdfUrl": "https://2slides.com/slides/abc123/download",
  "status": "completed"
}

Provide both URLs to the user:

• slideUrl: Interactive online slides
• pdfUrl: Downloadable PDF version

Async mode response:

{
  "jobId": "job123",
  "status": "pending"
}

Poll for results:

python scripts/get_job_status.py --job-id "job123"

2. Reference Image Generation

Generate slides that match the style of a reference image.

When to Use

• User provides an image URL and says "create slides like this"
• User wants to match existing brand/design style
• User has a template image they want to emulate

Workflow

Step 1: Verify Image URL

Ensure the reference image is:

• Publicly accessible URL
• Valid image format (PNG, JPG, etc.)
• Represents the desired slide style

Step 2: Generate Slides

Use the generate_slides.py script with --reference-image:

python scripts/generate_slides.py \
  --content "Your presentation content" \
  --reference-image "https://example.com/template.jpg" \
  --language "Auto"

Optional parameters:

--aspect-ratio "16:9"           # width:height format (e.g., "16:9", "4:3")
--resolution "2K"               # "1K", "2K" (default), or "4K"
--page 5                        # Number of slides (0 for auto-detection, max 100)
--content-detail "concise"      # "concise" (brief) or "standard" (detailed)

Note: This uses Nano Banana Pro mode with credit costs:

• 1K/2K: 100 credits per page
• 4K: 200 credits per page

Step 3: Handle Results

This mode always runs synchronously and returns:

{
  "slideUrl": "https://2slides.com/workspace?jobId=...",
  "pdfUrl": "https://...pdf...",
  "status": "completed",
  "message": "Successfully generated N slides",
  "slidePageCount": N
}

Provide both URLs to the user:

• slideUrl: View slides in 2slides workspace
• pdfUrl: Direct PDF download (expires in 1 hour)

Processing time: ~30 seconds per page (30-60 seconds typical for 1-2 pages)

3. Document Summarization

Generate slides from document content.

When to Use

• User uploads a document (PDF, DOCX, TXT, etc.)
• User says "create slides from this document"
• User wants to summarize long content into presentation format

Workflow

Step 1: Read Document

Use appropriate tool to read the document content:

• PDF: Use PDF reading tools
• DOCX: Use DOCX reading tools
• TXT/MD: Use Read tool

Step 2: Extract Key Points

Analyze the document and extract:

• Main topics and themes
• Key points for each section
• Important data, quotes, or examples
• Logical flow and structure

Step 3: Structure Content

Format extracted information into presentation structure:

Title: [Document Main Topic]

Introduction
- Context
- Purpose
- Overview

[Section 1 from document]
- Key point 1
- Key point 2
- Supporting detail

[Section 2 from document]
- Key point 1
- Key point 2
- Supporting detail

Conclusion
- Summary
- Key takeaways
- Next steps

Step 4: Generate Slides

Use content-based generation workflow (Section 1). First search for a theme, then generate:

# Search for appropriate theme
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "business"

# Generate with theme ID
python scripts/generate_slides.py --content "[Structured content from step 3]" --theme-id "theme123"

Tips:

• Keep slides concise (3-5 points per slide)
• Focus on key insights, not full text
• Use document headings as slide titles
• Include important statistics or quotes
• Ask user if they want specific sections highlighted

4. Theme Search

Find appropriate themes for presentations.

When to Use

• Before generating slides with specific styling
• User asks "what themes are available?"
• User wants professional or branded appearance

Workflow

Search themes:

# Search for specific style (query is required)
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "business"
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "creative"
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "education"
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "professional"

# Get more results
python scripts/search_themes.py --query "modern" --limit 50

Theme selection:

1. Show user available themes with names and descriptions
2. Ask user to choose or let them use default
3. Use the theme ID in generation request

Using the MCP Server

If the 2slides MCP server is configured in Claude Desktop, use the integrated tools instead of scripts.

Two Configuration Modes:

1. Streamable HTTP Protocol (Recommended)
• Simplest setup, no local installation
• Configure: "url": "https://2slides.com/api/mcp?apikey=YOUR_API_KEY"

1. NPM Package (stdio)
• Uses local npm package
• Configure: "command": "npx", "args": ["2slides-mcp"]

Available MCP tools:

• slides_generate - Generate slides from content
• slides_create_like_this - Generate from reference image
• themes_search - Search themes
• jobs_get - Check job status

See mcp-integration.md for complete setup instructions and detailed tool documentation.

When to use MCP vs scripts:

• Use MCP in Claude Desktop when configured
• Use scripts in Claude Code CLI or when MCP not available

Advanced Features

Sync vs Async Mode

Sync Mode (default):

• Waits for generation to complete (30-60 seconds)
• Returns results immediately
• Best for quick presentations

Async Mode:

• Returns job ID immediately
• Poll for results with get_job_status.py
• Best for large presentations or batch processing

Language Support

Generate slides in multiple languages (use full language name):

--language "Auto"                # Automatic detection (default)
--language "English"             # English
--language "Simplified Chinese"  # 简体中文
--language "Traditional Chinese" # 繁體中文
--language "Spanish"             # Español
--language "French"              # Français
--language "German"              # Deutsch
--language "Japanese"            # 日本語
--language "Korean"              # 한국어

And more: Arabic, Portuguese, Indonesian, Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Turkish, Polish, Italian

Error Handling

Common issues:

1. Missing API key

```

Error: API key not found

Solution: Set SLIDES_2SLIDES_API_KEY environment variable

```

1. Rate limiting

```

Error: 429 Too Many Requests

Solution: Wait before retrying or check plan limits

```

1. Invalid content

```

Error: 400 Bad Request

Solution: Verify content format and parameters

```

Complete API Reference

For detailed API documentation, see api-reference.md

Includes:

• All endpoints and parameters
• Request/response formats
• Authentication details
• Rate limits and best practices
• Error codes and handling

Tips for Best Results

Content Structure:

• Use clear headings and subheadings
• Keep bullet points concise
• Limit to 3-5 points per section
• Include relevant examples or data

Theme Selection:

• Theme ID is required for standard generation
• Search with keywords matching presentation purpose
• Common searches: "business", "professional", "creative", "education", "modern"
• Each theme has unique styling and layout

Reference Images:

• Use high-quality images for best results
• Can use URL or base64 encoded image
• Public URL must be accessible
• Consider resolution setting (1K/2K/4K) based on quality needs
• Use page=0 for automatic slide count detection

Document Processing:

• Extract only key information
• Don't try to fit entire document in slides
• Focus on main insights and takeaways
• Ask user which sections to emphasize