PowerPoint Generation from Markdown Guide for Claude Code

Purpose

This guide instructs Claude Code on how to generate PowerPoint presentations from markdown files using the powerpoint-creator npm package, ensuring the latest version is always used.

Package Version Management

Always Use Latest Version

# Check current latest version
npm view powerpoint-creator version

# Preferred: Use npx with @latest tag (no installation needed)
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx

# Alternative: Install globally with @latest
npm install -g powerpoint-creator@latest
powerpoint-creator -m input.md -o output.pptx

Version Verification Commands

# Check if package exists and get info
npm view powerpoint-creator

# Get specific version installed globally
npm list -g powerpoint-creator

# Get latest version available
npm view powerpoint-creator@latest version

Claude Code Workflow

When a user requests PowerPoint generation from markdown:

Verify Package Availability
```
npm view powerpoint-creator version
```
Prepare Markdown File
- If content is provided as text, save to .md file
- If file exists, verify it's properly formatted markdown

Generate PowerPoint

# Always use @latest to ensure current version
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m document.md -o presentation.pptx

Verify Output

# Check file was created
ls -la presentation.pptx

Markdown Structure for Optimal Slides

Slide Type Mappings

# Title Slide
This becomes the main title slide

## Section Slide
Each H2 creates a new slide

### Subsection
H3 creates subsections within slides

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2
  - Nested bullet
  - Another nested item

**Bold text** for emphasis
*Italic text* for secondary points

![Image description](image.png)
Creates an image slide

| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Data 1   | Data 2   | Data 3   |
Creates a table slide

Best Practices for Slide Content

Title Slides: One H1 at document start
Content Slides: Each H2 begins new slide
Bullet Points: Maximum 6-7 per slide
Text Length: Keep concise, ~10-15 words per bullet
Hierarchy: Use consistent heading levels
Images: Place on separate lines with descriptive alt text
Tables: Keep to 3-5 columns, 5-7 rows maximum

Common Use Cases

Executive Summary

# Create markdown with key points
cat > executive-summary.md << 'EOF'
# Q3 2024 Business Review

## Key Achievements
- Revenue increased 23% YoY
- Launched 3 new products
- Expanded to 2 new markets

## Financial Highlights
- Total Revenue: $4.2M
- Gross Margin: 68%
- Operating Profit: $1.1M

## Next Quarter Goals
- Launch enterprise tier
- Hire 5 engineers
- Achieve SOC2 compliance
EOF

# Generate presentation
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m executive-summary.md -o q3-review.pptx

Technical Documentation

# Convert technical docs to presentation
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m architecture-guide.md -o architecture-slides.pptx -v

Training Materials

# Create training deck from markdown outline
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m training-outline.md -o training-deck.pptx

Error Handling

Common Issues and Solutions

Package Not Found

# Verify npm registry is accessible
npm ping

# Check package name is correct
npm search powerpoint-creator

Conversion Fails
- Validate markdown syntax
- Check for special characters in headings
- Ensure file encoding is UTF-8
- Verify output directory exists and is writable

Output Not Created

# Run with verbose flag for debugging
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx -v

Version Conflicts

# Clear npm cache if needed
npm cache clean --force

# Uninstall old versions
npm uninstall -g powerpoint-creator

# Reinstall latest
npm install -g powerpoint-creator@latest

Validation Steps

After generating a PowerPoint:

Confirm File Exists

test -f presentation.pptx && echo "✅ File created" || echo "❌ File not found"

Check File Size
```
ls -lh presentation.pptx
```
Report to User
- Confirm successful generation
- Provide file path
- Note number of slides created (if verbose output available)

Command Reference

Essential Commands

# Check latest version
npm view powerpoint-creator version

# Basic conversion
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx

# With verbose output
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx -v

# With custom template (if available)
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx -t template.pptx

# Generate PDF as well (if supported)
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m input.md -o output.pptx --pdf

Pro Tips for Claude Code

Always use npx with @latest - Ensures current version without installation overhead
Validate markdown first - Check structure before attempting conversion
Use verbose flag - Helps diagnose issues during generation
Keep backups - Don't overwrite existing .pptx files without confirmation
Test small first - For large documents, test with subset first
Check npm status - If issues arise, verify npm registry is accessible

Supported Features

Based on current package capabilities:

Markdown to PowerPoint conversion
Multiple slide layouts (title, text, bullet, image, table)
Basic text formatting (bold, italic)
Image embedding
Table generation
Hierarchical content structure
Command-line interface
Verbose output mode

Quick Start Example

# User provides markdown content
echo "# My Presentation

## Introduction
- Welcome to the presentation
- Today we'll cover three topics
- Questions at the end

## Main Points
- First important point
- Second key insight
- Third critical element

## Conclusion
- Summary of key points
- Next steps
- Thank you" > quick-presentation.md

# Generate PowerPoint
npx powerpoint-creator@latest -m quick-presentation.md -o quick-presentation.pptx

# Confirm creation
echo "✅ PowerPoint presentation created: quick-presentation.pptx"

Note for Claude Code: This guide should be referenced whenever a user requests PowerPoint generation from markdown content. Always prioritize using the latest version via npx powerpoint-creator@latest to ensure compatibility and access to newest features.