Prompts, files, URLs, Markdown, or JSON
Generate from a topic, source text, reference URLs, web search, slide-specific content, or uploaded PDF, Word, spreadsheet, PowerPoint, text, Markdown, HTML, and AsciiDoc files.
REST API for developers
AI presentation API for automated PowerPoint generation
Generate editable PPTX, PDF, and PNG decks from prompts, PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets, URLs, Markdown, JSON, or slide-specific content. Use branded templates, async jobs, webhooks, and secure embedding to automate PowerPoint through a REST API.
- Editable PPTX export
- PDF and PNG output
- Structured JSON and templates
- Cloud v3 or self-hosted v1
cURL
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.presenton.ai/api/v3/presentation/generate' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{
"content": "Create a quarterly business review for Acme",
"n_slides": 10,
"tone": "professional",
"language": "English",
"export_as": "pptx",
"include_title_slide": true
}'Direct answer
What is a presentation API?
A presentation API is a software interface for creating slide decks programmatically. Instead of manually building slides, an application sends source content, layout preferences, and export settings to an API. The API generates the presentation and makes an editable PowerPoint file or PDF available to the application.
Presenton adds AI-assisted narrative generation, document and URL grounding, web search, structured JSON rendering, reusable templates, branded designs, speaker notes, async jobs, webhooks, and slide-level controls. Developers can use the managed Cloud v3 API or deploy the open-source v1 API in their own environment.
Presentation generation API vs. the Web Presentation API
Presenton generates PowerPoint and PDF slide decks from content. It is different from the browser-standard Presentation API documented by MDN and the W3C, which connects web pages to projectors, smart TVs, and secondary displays. If your goal is to create a PPTX file, automate reports, or add presentation generation to a product, you need a slide-generation API such as Presenton—not the display API.
Read about the W3C browser API on MDNAPI capabilities
Build presentation generation into your application
Use one presentation generation layer for content creation, branding, slide structure, and export instead of stitching together separate LLM, templating, and PowerPoint-processing systems.
Editable PPTX, PDF, and PNG output
Export a real PowerPoint file for downstream editing, a PDF for fixed delivery, or PNG slide images through the Cloud v3 API.
Templates, Smart Designs, and brand control
Use Standard templates, Cloud Smart Designs, custom PPTX templates imported in Template Studio, layout schemas, fonts, themes, and reusable branded presentation systems.
Narrative and slide-level controls
Control outlines, slide count, instructions, language, tone, verbosity, content transformation, title and contents slides, Markdown emphasis, speaker notes, and individual slide layouts.
Sync, async, polling, and webhooks
Run synchronous or background generation, poll task status, and subscribe to signed completion or failure events for reliable production automation.
Embedding, editing, and deployment choices
Embed a temporary scoped editor, list and export decks, or deploy the open-source self-hosted API with presentation editing, slide editing, MCP, and configurable AI providers.
Complete feature list
Everything you can automate with the Presenton API
This inventory is based on the public Cloud v3 and self-hosted v1 OpenAPI specifications and the documented presentation-generation workflows. Product-specific differences are identified below.
Generate and ground presentations
- Prompt-to-PowerPoint generation from a topic or long-form source text
- File-grounded generation from PDF, Word, PowerPoint, spreadsheet, text, Markdown, HTML, and AsciiDoc files
- Reference URL input and optional live web search for current source material
- Presentation-level content or slide-specific content with optional layout selection
- Outline-only generation before committing to a complete deck
Control content and structure
- Slide count, custom instructions, language, font, and image source controls
- Professional, casual, funny, educational, sales-pitch, or default tone
- Concise, standard, or text-heavy verbosity
- Preserve, enhance, or condense source content
- Optional title slide, table of contents, Markdown emphasis, user context, and speaker notes
Design and brand every deck
- Standard templates for predictable, schema-backed slide layouts
- Smart Designs for adaptive composition in Presenton Cloud
- Custom PPTX templates imported through Template Studio and reused by API
- Template detail and example endpoints with live JSON schemas for each layout
- Structured JSON-to-PPTX workflows for agents and deterministic applications
Automate production delivery
- Synchronous generation for direct request-and-response workflows
- Asynchronous generation with task-status polling
- Webhook subscriptions for generation-completed and generation-failed events
- PPTX, PDF, or PNG export in Cloud; PPTX or PDF in self-hosted v1
- Presentation ID, file path, editable path, and credit usage in Cloud responses
Manage, edit, and embed presentations
- List generated presentations and export an existing deck
- Upload, list, and delete reusable image assets
- Generate temporary iframe URLs with read, edit, and export scopes
- Edit or derive presentations and edit individual slides with the self-hosted API
- Keep human review in the workflow through an editable presentation URL
Deploy and extend the API
- Managed Presenton Cloud API v3 with API Playground and copyable code
- Apache-2.0 open-source, self-hosted API v1 for private infrastructure
- MCP server support for AI agents and compatible automation clients
- Configurable text, image, and web-search providers when self-hosting
- REST access from cURL, Python, JavaScript, workflow tools, or any HTTPS client
Supported Cloud API inputs and output formats
Documents
PDF, DOCX, DOC, PPTX, PPT, TXT, Markdown, HTML, and AsciiDoc.
Data and sources
CSV, XLSX, XLS, structured JSON, reference URLs, and optional web search.
Exports
Editable PowerPoint PPTX, fixed-layout PDF, or one PNG image per slide. Self-hosted v1 exports PPTX or PDF.
Verified API coverage
Presenton Cloud v3 vs. self-hosted API v1
Cloud and self-hosted Presenton use different base URLs, endpoint paths, and request schemas. Treat them as separate integrations and choose the API whose feature set matches your application.
| Capability | Presenton Cloud API v3 | Self-hosted API v1 |
|---|---|---|
| Generate from prompts and files | Yes | Yes |
| Slide-specific content | Yes | Yes, through slides_markdown |
| Standard templates | List, inspect, and use by API | Use installed or imported templates |
| Smart Designs | List and use by API | Not available in documented v1 API |
| Structured JSON generation | Sync and async endpoints | Not available as a dedicated endpoint |
| Outline generation | Dedicated endpoint | Not available as a dedicated endpoint |
| Async jobs and webhooks | Task status plus webhooks | Status endpoint plus webhooks |
| Output formats | PPTX, PDF, PNG | PPTX, PDF |
| Iframe embed | Read, edit, and export scopes | Not available in documented v1 API |
| Presentation and slide editing | Use the Cloud editor URL | Edit, derive, and AI slide-edit endpoints |
| MCP and custom AI providers | Managed by Presenton | MCP plus configurable/local providers |
Cloud v3 specification
Review all Cloud API routes and schemas
Self-hosted v1 specificationReview all self-hosted routes and schemas
All 20 Cloud v3 endpoints+
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/generateGenerate a presentation synchronously
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/generate/asyncStart asynchronous generation
- GET
/api/v3/async-task/status/{id}Check an asynchronous task
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/outlines/generateGenerate a presentation outline
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/from-jsonRender structured JSON synchronously
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/from-json/asyncRender structured JSON asynchronously
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/exportExport an existing presentation
- GET
/api/v3/presentation/allList presentations
- POST
/api/v3/presentation/integrateCreate a scoped iframe integration
- POST
/api/v3/files/uploadUpload source documents
- POST
/api/v3/images/uploadUpload image assets
- GET
/api/v3/images/uploadedList uploaded images
- DELETE
/api/v3/images/{id}Delete an image
- GET
/api/v3/standard-template/allList Standard templates
- GET
/api/v3/standard-template/{template_id}Inspect a template and its schemas
- GET
/api/v3/standard-template/{template_id}/exampleGet a template JSON example
- GET
/api/v3/smart-design/allList Smart Designs
- GET
/api/v3/webhook/allList webhook subscriptions
- POST
/api/v3/webhook/subscribeSubscribe to generation events
- DELETE
/api/v3/webhook/unsubscribeRemove a webhook subscription
All 15 self-hosted v1 endpoints+
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/generateGenerate a presentation synchronously
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/generate/asyncStart asynchronous generation
- GET
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/status/{id}Check generation status
- GET
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/allList presentations
- GET
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/{id}Get a presentation
- DELETE
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/{id}Delete a presentation
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/editEdit a presentation
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/presentation/deriveCreate a derived presentation
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/slide/editEdit an individual slide with AI
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/files/uploadUpload source documents
- POST
/api/v1/ppt/images/uploadUpload image assets
- GET
/api/v1/ppt/images/uploadedList uploaded images
- DELETE
/api/v1/ppt/images/{id}Delete an image
- POST
/api/v1/webhook/subscribeSubscribe to generation events
- DELETE
/api/v1/webhook/unsubscribeRemove a webhook subscription
Web application integration
How to integrate a presentation API into your application
Call the presentation API from your backend, not directly from a public browser. The server keeps the API key private, validates the user's input, starts generation, and returns only the job status or finished file URL to the frontend.
Collect and validate presentation input
Your web app gathers a prompt, document, Markdown, structured data, slide count, language, and output preference. Validate file types, size limits, and required fields before sending anything to the generation service.
Send the request from a secure server
Your backend adds the Bearer API key and calls the Presenton REST endpoint. Keeping credentials server-side prevents visitors from extracting and misusing a production key from browser JavaScript.
Handle synchronous or asynchronous generation
For short jobs, return the completed result when it is ready. For longer jobs, store the job identifier and update the application through polling or a webhook-driven background process.
Deliver, store, or attach the deck
Return an authorized download to the user, save the PPTX or PDF to object storage, attach it to a CRM record, or deliver it to email, Slack, or another workflow destination.
Server-side API usage
Recommended for production. It protects credentials, supports job queues and retries, centralizes rate-limit handling, and lets you apply authorization rules before a presentation is generated.
Client-side prototyping
Use the API Playground to explore parameters and copy examples, but do not embed a secret production API key in frontend code. Move the working request into a protected backend route before launch.
From request to deck
How the PowerPoint generation API works
Start interactively, copy a working request, and then move the same configuration into your backend or automation platform.
- 01
Choose the input strategy
Send a prompt or source document when Presenton should build the narrative, or provide slide-specific content when your system already controls the outline.
- 02
Set presentation and design controls
Choose slide count, tone, verbosity, language, imagery, title and contents slides, a standard template, or a reusable design reference.
- 03
Generate through a REST request
Authenticate with an API key and submit JSON from Python, JavaScript, cURL, a workflow tool, or any server capable of making HTTPS requests.
- 04
Export and deliver the result
Export an editable PPTX for PowerPoint workflows or a PDF for fixed-format delivery, then store, send, or attach the output inside your application.
Common implementations
What developers build with a presentation API
Automated business reports
Turn analytics, CRM records, or database results into recurring board decks, QBRs, operational reviews, and management reports.
Sales and customer presentations
Generate account plans, proposals, pitch decks, and customer summaries from structured data while keeping approved layouts and messaging patterns.
Presentation features inside SaaS products
Add export-to-PowerPoint or generate-a-deck workflows to your own application without building a slide layout engine from the ground up.
Training and educational content
Convert curricula, documentation, research, and lesson material into structured presentations for instructors, enablement teams, and learners.
Agency and consulting deliverables
Produce repeatable client decks from briefs, findings, and data while preserving a firm or customer presentation template.
Workflow automation
Trigger deck generation from n8n, Zapier, scheduled jobs, forms, CRMs, and internal services through ordinary REST requests.
API design choices
More than a low-level PPTX library
A low-level presentation library gives developers direct control over every shape and coordinate. Presenton is designed for applications that want a higher-level presentation generation API with content, layout, template, and export decisions handled in one workflow.
| Capability | Low-level PPTX scripting | Presenton API |
|---|---|---|
| Content generation | Build separately | Prompt and document workflows |
| Slide layouts | Position elements manually | Template and design-driven |
| Brand reuse | Custom code per template | Reusable templates and design references |
| Output | Library-specific implementation | Editable PPTX or PDF export |
| Deployment | Maintain your own rendering stack | Managed cloud or self-hosted |
Cloud pricing and infrastructure
Presentation API pricing and deployment models
Presentation API costs depend on where the generation engine runs, how many decks and slides you create, and which AI or image models the workflow uses. Presenton supports a managed cloud path for fast integration and an open-source, self-hosted path for infrastructure control.
| Model | Best for | Cost considerations | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed cloud API | Fast launch, elastic workloads, minimal infrastructure | Plan and usage allowances; review the current pricing page | Presenton manages the generation service |
| Self-hosted open source | Private networks, custom models, infrastructure ownership | Compute, storage, model-provider, maintenance, and scaling costs | Your team deploys and operates the service |
| Enterprise deployment | High volume, security review, support, and custom requirements | Custom scope based on workload and deployment requirements | Designed jointly around organizational requirements |
Presentation API questions
Practical answers for developers evaluating PowerPoint generation, templates, integrations, and deployment.
What is a presentation API?
A presentation API lets software create and export slide decks programmatically. Your application sends content and presentation settings through an HTTP request, and the service returns a generated presentation or a job that can be exported to formats such as PPTX and PDF.
Can the Presenton API generate editable PowerPoint files?
Yes. Presenton supports PPTX export so the resulting slides can be opened and edited in Microsoft PowerPoint or compatible presentation software. PDF export is also available for workflows that need a fixed document.
Can I generate presentations from my own PowerPoint template?
Yes. Presenton supports reusable templates and design references. You can prepare the visual system in Presenton, then reference that approved design when generating future presentations through the API.
What content can I send to the presentation API?
You can start from a prompt, longer source text, Markdown, structured JSON, reference URLs, uploaded files, or content for individual slides. Cloud document uploads support PDF, TXT, MD, PPTX, PPT, DOCX, DOC, CSV, XLSX, XLS, HTML, HTM, ADOC, and ASCIIDOC files.
Can I convert PDF, Word, Excel, or CSV files to PowerPoint through the API?
Yes. Upload the source file first, then include the returned file reference in a generation request. Presenton can ground a new presentation in PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint files, CSV data, and Excel spreadsheets. Generated content should still be reviewed when source fidelity is critical.
Can the presentation API use reference URLs or web search?
Yes. Cloud generation accepts up to five explicit reference URLs and can detect URLs included in the prompt. Optional web search can bring current external information into the generation workflow when it is enabled.
Does Presenton support a structured JSON-to-PPTX API?
Yes. Cloud v3 provides synchronous and asynchronous structured JSON generation endpoints. Standard template endpoints expose layout schemas and examples so an application or AI agent can produce compatible slide JSON, including slide content and optional speaker notes, before Presenton renders the deck.
Can I embed the presentation editor in my application?
Yes. The Cloud integration endpoint creates a temporary frontend URL for an iframe. You can request presentation:read, presentation:edit, and presentation:export scopes. Create the URL on your server and treat it as a temporary credential; the documented default lifetime is 24 hours with a maximum of three days.
Does the API support asynchronous jobs and webhooks?
Yes. Cloud v3 and self-hosted v1 both support asynchronous generation. You can poll the relevant status endpoint or subscribe a webhook for completion and failure events, which is better suited to background jobs and high-latency workflows than holding a browser request open.
What is different between Presenton Cloud v3 and self-hosted v1?
Cloud v3 includes Standard templates, Smart Designs, structured JSON generation, outline generation, PNG output, and scoped iframe integration. Self-hosted v1 uses different routes and schemas and adds presentation derive, presentation edit, AI slide edit, MCP support, and configurable or local AI providers. Treat the two versions as separate integrations.
Can AI agents create presentations with Presenton?
Yes. An agent can retrieve a Standard template, inspect its JSON schemas and example payload, create validated slide JSON, and call the structured presentation endpoint. Self-hosted deployments can also expose Presenton through its MCP server to compatible AI clients.
Which programming languages can use the API?
Any language that can make HTTPS requests can use the REST API. The API Playground provides ready-to-adapt examples for cURL, JavaScript, and Python.
Can I self-host the presentation generation API?
Presenton is open source and supports self-hosted deployment. This is useful when you need to run the presentation workflow in your own environment, connect private model endpoints, or apply organization-specific infrastructure controls.
How should I test an API request before integrating it?
Use the interactive API Playground to configure a presentation, run a test, inspect the output, and copy the matching cURL, JavaScript, or Python request into your application.
How can a presentation API automate business report generation?
A reporting workflow can collect approved metrics from a database, CRM, spreadsheet, or analytics service, format the data into presentation input, and call Presenton on a schedule. The resulting PPTX or PDF can then be stored, reviewed, emailed, or attached to a customer or executive workflow.
How do I integrate a presentation API into a web application?
Send presentation requests through a protected backend route. The frontend submits the user's content and settings to your server; the server validates them, adds the private API key, calls Presenton, and returns a job status or authorized download when the deck is ready.
Should I call the presentation API from the client or the server?
Use server-side calls in production so API keys are not exposed in browser code. A backend also makes it easier to enforce access controls, queue long jobs, retry temporary failures, handle rate limits, and record request identifiers for troubleshooting.
What pricing models are available for a cloud presentation API?
Cloud presentation APIs commonly price by plan, usage allowance, generated presentation, or generated slide. Presenton also offers a self-hosted option, where your costs come from infrastructure, storage, and configured AI providers. Check the current pricing page or contact sales for exact managed-cloud and enterprise terms.
Is this the same as the W3C Presentation API for smart TVs?
No. The W3C Presentation API is a browser standard for showing web content on projectors, televisions, and secondary displays. Presenton is a presentation-generation API that creates editable PowerPoint and PDF slide decks from prompts, documents, Markdown, JSON, or slide-specific content.
Product information reviewed August 7, 2026. For endpoint-level details, use the current Presenton API documentation.
Test a presentation API request before you integrate
Configure a deck, generate a real result, and copy a working request in cURL, JavaScript, or Python from the interactive playground.
