/pptx-extract-template

Extract the design system (slide masters, layouts, colour themes, font themes, placeholder configurations) from a PowerPoint presentation and save it as a reusable template.

Usage

/pptx-extract-template <path-to-pptx>
/pptx-extract-template <path-to-pptx> --name "Template Name"
/pptx-extract-template <path-to-pptx> --previews

Examples

/pptx-extract-template ~/Downloads/BAAE Community Day Feb2026.pptx
/pptx-extract-template Attachments/SAP Architecture.pptx --name "SAP Branded" --previews
/pptx-extract-template quarterly-review.pptx --name "BA Quarterly Review"

Instructions

Phase 1: Locate the PowerPoint File

1. Parse the argument for a file path
2. If partial or just a filename, search in this order:
   • ~/Downloads/
   • Vault Attachments/ folder
   • Current directory
3. Verify the file exists and has a .pptx extension
4. If not found, ask user for the correct path

Phase 2: Dry-Run Analysis

Run the extraction script in dry-run mode to show what will be extracted:

python3 .claude/scripts/pptx_extract_template.py "<pptx-path>" --dry-run --verbose

Review the output and present a summary to the user:

• Number of slide masters and layouts
• Theme colours and fonts
• Notable layout names

Phase 3: Confirm Name and Tags

Use AskUserQuestion to confirm:

Question: "What should this template be called?"
Header: "Template"
Options:
  1. "<inferred name from filename>" (Recommended)
  2. "Custom name"

Then ask for tags:

Question: "Which tags apply to this template?"
Header: "Tags"
Options:
  1. "ba, corporate" (Recommended for BA presentations)
  2. "ba, engineering"
  3. "ba, community-day"
  4. "Custom tags"
multiSelect: true

Phase 4: Extract and Save

Run the full extraction:

python3 .claude/scripts/pptx_extract_template.py "<pptx-path>" --name "<name>" --tags <tag1> <tag2>

Add --previews if the user requested layout preview thumbnails (requires LibreOffice).

Phase 5: Verify

After extraction, verify the output:

1. Check .claude/templates/pptx/<slug>/template.json exists and is valid JSON
2. Check _catalogue.json has been updated
3. Confirm the source PPTX was copied

Phase 6: Report

Template extracted successfully!

  Name:     <name>
  Slug:     <slug>
  Layouts:  <count> unique layouts
  Theme:    <colour scheme name> (<major font> / <minor font>)
  Saved to: .claude/templates/pptx/<slug>/

Use this template with:
  /pptx-create "Title" --template <slug>

View all templates with:
  /pptx-templates

What Gets Extracted

Element	Description	Stored As
Slide Masters	Base design with backgrounds, logos	template.json
Slide Layouts	Named layouts with placeholder positions	layouts/*.json
Colour Theme	Brand colours (dk1, lt1, accent1-6, etc.)	theme/colours.json
Font Theme	Heading and body font families	theme/fonts.json
Placeholders	Type, position, size, default formatting per layout	layouts/*.json
Source PPTX	Original file for use as creation template	source.pptx

Error Handling

Error	Solution
File not found	Ask user for correct path
Not a PPTX file	Inform user, suggest conversion
python-pptx import error	pip3 install python-pptx
Corrupted PPTX	Suggest opening in PowerPoint first
Permission denied	Check file permissions

Template Storage

Templates are stored in .claude/templates/pptx/:

.claude/templates/pptx/
├── _catalogue.json           # Master index
├── <template-slug>/
│   ├── template.json         # Full metadata
│   ├── source.pptx           # Original PPTX (used for creation)
│   ├── layouts/              # Per-layout JSON files
│   │   ├── title-slide.json
│   │   ├── section-header.json
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── theme/
│   │   ├── colours.json
│   │   └── fonts.json
│   └── previews/             # Optional layout thumbnails
│       └── *.png

Integration with Other Skills

• /pptx-create — Use extracted templates to create new presentations
• /pptx-templates — Browse and manage the template library
• /pptx-to-page — Extract content (not design) from presentations

Dependencies

• python-pptx — PPTX parsing and introspection
• lxml — Theme XML extraction
• LibreOffice (optional) — Layout preview generation