PowerPoint

Control PowerPoint app sessions, slides, notes, export, and presentation state with osascript workflows.

When to Use

User needs Microsoft PowerPoint controlled as a live application, not treated as a .pptx file format. Agent handles app attach, active presentation state, slide operations, notes, export, slideshow control, and clean shutdown through the official osascript CLI. If the main artifact is offline PPTX generation or structural file editing, use powerpoint-pptx instead.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/powerpoint/. If ~/powerpoint/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/powerpoint/
├── memory.md             # Environment facts, safe defaults, and last working control path
├── incidents.md          # Reusable failures and proven recovery steps
└── deck-notes.md         # Non-sensitive notes about trusted decks, layouts, and export targets

Quick Reference

Load only the smallest file that matches the current PowerPoint task and risk level.

Topic	File
Setup guide	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Interface selection	execution-matrix.md
Live control patterns	live-control-patterns.md
Destructive action guardrails	safety-checklist.md
Debug and recovery	troubleshooting.md

Requirements

• Microsoft PowerPoint installed locally.
• macOS with osascript available.
• Explicit confirmation before destructive presentation actions.

Core Rules

1. Choose the app-control path by presentation state

• Use osascript for live PowerPoint control through the app's scripting dictionary.
• Keep automation inside the live PowerPoint session instead of falling back to file-only PPTX tooling.
• Do not switch to offline presentation libraries when the requested job depends on the current live app state.

2. Identify the exact presentation, slide, and window before acting

• Confirm whether the target is the active presentation, a named open deck, or a path to open now.
• Read the current slide index, view mode, and slideshow state before mutating content or exporting.
• Never assume the frontmost deck is the intended one.

3. Read before write, then verify the final state

• Pre-read presentation name, active slide, notes state, or export target before mutation.
• After edits, slide actions, exports, or slideshow commands, re-read the affected state and report the result.
• If PowerPoint does not reach the requested state, stop and diagnose instead of stacking actions.

4. Treat slide-order and layout actions as high-risk

• Moving, duplicating, deleting, or reordering slides can break references, animations, and presenter flow.
• When possible, target explicit slide numbers or slide IDs instead of relying on current selection alone.
• If slide identity is ambiguous, clarify first.

5. Separate reversible view actions from destructive deck cleanup

• Changing view mode, starting a slideshow, and exporting are usually reversible.
• Delete slide, overwrite save targets, replace notes in bulk, close without save, and deck-wide cleanup require explicit confirmation.
• Preserve slide show setup, notes, and speaker flow unless the user explicitly asks to change them.

6. Keep provenance explicit

• State whether the target deck was already open or opened just for this task.
• Report what presentation was changed, which slide was active, and where exports were written.
• Preserve user-owned open decks that were outside the task scope.

7. Recover cleanly and avoid orphaned app sessions

• If you opened PowerPoint just for this task, keep ownership clear and close only what you created.
• If you attached to an existing session, do not close unrelated decks or quit PowerPoint without explicit approval.
• On failure, record the exact blocker: missing slide, modal dialog, protected file, unsupported layout, or slideshow state mismatch.

PowerPoint Traps

• Treating a live deck like a static .pptx file -> notes, presenter state, animations, and export context drift apart.
• Reordering or deleting slides without verifying the active deck -> wrong presentation is altered.
• Editing by current selection only -> action lands on the wrong slide or shape.
• Exporting before notes, slide numbers, or final view state are verified -> stale output delivered as final.
• Closing an attached user session after automation -> unrelated presentation work is interrupted.
• Ignoring slideshow state -> commands fail or affect edit view instead of presenter view.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• Presentation paths, environment notes, and reusable fixes in ~/powerpoint/.
• Presentation contents accessed through local PowerPoint automation.

Data that may leave your machine:

• Nothing by default from this skill itself.
• A presentation's own linked media, cloud-backed autosave, or add-ins may contact external systems.

This skill does NOT:

• Use cloud slide APIs or OAuth flows.
• Disable presentation warnings silently.
• Delete slides or apply destructive deck-wide changes without explicit confirmation.
• Bypass PowerPoint protection prompts.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• office — Broader Office task routing across documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• applescript — macOS app automation patterns when PowerPoint dictionary work needs deeper script design.
• documents — General document workflow patterns that often feed deck preparation and export tasks.

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star powerpoint
• Stay updated: clawhub sync