Headless PowerPoint Author
Generate a deliverable PPTX file in managed-agent sessions without an open Office application.
The skill clearly limits its stated effect to writing ./out/<name>.pptx and says it never emails or uploads files; it also directs users to a review-checkpoint path when Cowork tools are available. Deductions apply because it requires no user confirmation, does not address sensitive-data handling, does not pin or verify the python-pptx dependency, and provides no failure recovery or rollback procedure.
The output path, template fallback, default layouts, and basic python-pptx example make the happy path understandable. Deductions apply because dependency installation, input validation, exception handling, output verification, and diagnostic failure feedback are absent; with static review and no key-path tests, the score is capped below 10.
The target is clearly the headless managed-agent/CMA environment without an open Office application, and the non-fit condition is stated. Deductions apply because input boundaries, unsupported template or chart cases, Chinese-language support, and mainland-China network fit are not specified.
The document uses a useful structure with metadata, an output contract, build guidance, conventions, and a non-use condition; the repository supplies an Apache-2.0 license and official publisher provenance. Deductions apply because the skill itself lacks versioning, changelog, maintenance ownership, update path, installation notes, FAQs, and known limitations.
It directly specifies generation of a .pptx artifact, directory creation, template selection, chart handling, and returning a relative path, covering the core production task. Deductions apply because there is no verified representative output, quality-control procedure, or failure workflow, and substantial content work remains with the caller; static review caps the score below 7.
The source is auditable, and the example, output contract, and repository-level plugin-validation and secret-scan workflows provide limited supporting evidence. Deductions apply because CI does not exercise the skill's pptx-generation path and there are no dedicated tests, third-party execution records, or corroborating evidence; static review caps the score at 5 or below.
- Use an isolated environment with a pinned python-pptx version and verify that the generated file opens successfully.
- Handling requirements for sensitive financial data, logs, and temporary-file cleanup are unspecified; add data-governance and human-review procedures before production use.
- Explicit errors and recovery strategies are missing for absent templates, invalid inputs, write failures, and chart-rendering failures.
What it does & when to use it
pptx-author creates PowerPoint decks as files on disk for headless Managed Agent or CMA sessions instead of driving a live PowerPoint document. It writes the result to ./out/<name>.pptx and returns the relative path in the final response. The workflow uses a short Python script and python-pptx to create or edit the deck. It is suited to file-producing orchestration, and it does not send or upload files.
Creates ./out/ when needed; writes and runs a Python script through Bash; uses python-pptx to create presentations and add slides, text, tables, or charts; reads ./templates/firm-template.pptx when a firm template is available; saves the deck as ./out/<name>.pptx; and returns the relative output path in the final message.
- A financial-services team needs a client presentation file from a Managed Agent session with no Office app open.
- A managed agent has prepared valuation or model data and must package the results as a PowerPoint file artifact.
- A team has mounted a firm template under ./templates/ and wants the generated deck to follow it.
- An automation workflow needs to produce PPTX files instead of editing a user's currently open PowerPoint document.
Pros & cons
- Defines a precise output location and return-path contract for orchestration.
- Uses python-pptx and supports either a blank presentation or a mounted firm template.
- Works in headless environments without an open Office application.
- Clearly limits scope to writing a file rather than sending or uploading it.
- Requires Python, python-pptx, Bash, and local filesystem access.
- The source provides no test suite or concrete platform-validation evidence.
- It is not the live-document alternative based on mcp__office__powerpoint_* tools.
- PNG chart rendering and model-linked figures depend on inputs supplied by the surrounding workflow.
How to install
In Cowork, open Settings → Plugins → Add plugin, paste https://github.com/anthropics/financial-services, and select Meeting Prep Agent. Alternatively, upload a zip containing plugins/agent-plugins/meeting-prep-agent/. The source does not document a separate installation command for pptx-author.
How to use
In a headless Managed Agent or CMA session, request a PowerPoint file and specify that pptx-author should be used. The skill should write ./out/<name>.pptx and return that relative path in the final response. The source does not define a fixed trigger phrase.
Compared to similar skills
Unlike the repository's implied live-Office pitch-deck workflow, pptx-author produces a PPTX file on disk for headless sessions; the source does not provide comparisons with other products.