HTML/Markdown to PowerPoint Skill
Overview
This skill enables conversion from Markdown or HTML to professional PowerPoint presentations using Marp (Markdown Presentation Ecosystem). Create beautiful, consistent slides using simple Markdown syntax with CSS-based themes.
How to Use
- Provide Markdown content structured for slides
- Optionally specify a theme or custom styling
- I'll convert it to PowerPoint, PDF, or HTML slides
Example prompts:
- "Convert this markdown to a PowerPoint presentation"
- "Create slides from this outline using Marp"
- "Turn my notes into a presentation with the gaia theme"
- "Generate a PDF slide deck from this markdown"
Domain Knowledge
Marp Fundamentals
Marp uses a simple syntax where --- separates slides:
markdown--- marp: true theme: default --- # Slide 1 Title Content for first slide --- # Slide 2 Title Content for second slide
Command Line Usage
bash# Convert to PowerPoint marp slides.md -o presentation.pptx # Convert to PDF marp slides.md -o presentation.pdf # Convert to HTML marp slides.md -o presentation.html # With specific theme marp slides.md --theme gaia -o presentation.pptx
Slide Structure
Basic Slide
markdown--- marp: true --- # Title - Bullet point 1 - Bullet point 2 - Bullet point 3
Title Slide
markdown--- marp: true theme: gaia class: lead --- # Presentation Title ## Subtitle Author Name Date
Frontmatter Options
yaml--- marp: true theme: default # default, gaia, uncover size: 16:9 # 4:3, 16:9, or custom paginate: true # Show page numbers header: 'Company Name' # Header text footer: 'Confidential' # Footer text backgroundColor: #fff backgroundImage: url('bg.png') ---
Themes
Built-in Themes
markdown--- marp: true theme: default # Clean, minimal --- --- marp: true theme: gaia # Colorful, modern --- --- marp: true theme: uncover # Bold, presentation-focused ---
Theme Classes
markdown--- marp: true theme: gaia class: lead # Centered title slide --- --- marp: true theme: gaia class: invert # Inverted colors ---
Formatting
Text Styling
markdown# Heading 1 ## Heading 2 **Bold text** and *italic text* `inline code` > Blockquote for emphasis
Lists
markdown- Unordered item - Another item - Nested item 1. Ordered item 2. Second item 1. Nested numbered
Code Blocks
markdown# Code Example \`\`\`python def hello(): print("Hello, World!") \`\`\`
Tables
markdown| Feature | Status | |---------|--------| | Tables | ✅ | | Charts | ✅ | | Images | ✅ |
Images
Basic Image
markdown
Sized Image
markdown  
Background Image
markdown--- marp: true backgroundImage: url('background.jpg') --- # Slide with Background
Advanced Layout
Two Columns
markdown--- marp: true style: | .columns { display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr); gap: 1rem; } --- # Two Column Layout <div class="columns"> <div> ## Left Column - Point 1 - Point 2 </div> <div> ## Right Column - Point A - Point B </div> </div>
Split Background
markdown--- marp: true theme: gaia class: gaia --- <!-- _backgroundImage: linear-gradient(to right, #4a90a4, #4a90a4 50%, white 50%) --> <div class="columns"> <div style="color: white;"> # Dark Side </div> <div> # Light Side </div> </div>
Directives
Local Directives (per slide)
markdown--- marp: true --- <!-- _backgroundColor: #123 _color: white _paginate: false --> # Special Slide
Scoped Styles
markdown--- marp: true --- <style scoped> h1 { color: red; } </style> # This Title is Red
Python Integration
pythonimport subprocess import tempfile import os def markdown_to_pptx(md_content, output_path, theme='default'): """Convert Markdown to PowerPoint using Marp.""" # Add marp directive if not present if '---\nmarp: true' not in md_content: md_content = f"---\nmarp: true\ntheme: {theme}\n---\n\n" + md_content # Write to temp file with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode='w', suffix='.md', delete=False) as f: f.write(md_content) temp_path = f.name try: # Convert using marp subprocess.run([ 'marp', temp_path, '-o', output_path ], check=True) return output_path finally: os.unlink(temp_path) # Usage md = """ # Welcome Introduction slide --- # Agenda - Topic 1 - Topic 2 - Topic 3 """ markdown_to_pptx(md, 'presentation.pptx')
Node.js/marp-cli API
javascriptconst { marpCli } = require('@marp-team/marp-cli'); // Convert file marpCli(['slides.md', '-o', 'output.pptx']).then(exitCode => { console.log('Done:', exitCode); });
Best Practices
- One Idea Per Slide: Keep slides focused
- Use Visual Hierarchy: Consistent heading levels
- Limit Text: 6 bullets max per slide
- Include Images: Visual content enhances retention
- Test Output: Preview before final export
Common Patterns
Presentation Generator
pythondef create_presentation(title, sections, output_path, theme='gaia'): """Generate presentation from structured data.""" md_content = f"""--- marp: true theme: {theme} paginate: true --- <!-- _class: lead --> # {title} {sections.get('subtitle', '')} {sections.get('author', '')} """ for section in sections.get('slides', []): md_content += f"""--- # {section['title']} """ for point in section.get('points', []): md_content += f"- {point}\n" if section.get('notes'): md_content += f"\n<!-- Notes: {section['notes']} -->\n" md_content += """--- <!-- _class: lead --> # Thank You! Questions? """ return markdown_to_pptx(md_content, output_path, theme)
Batch Slide Generation
pythondef generate_report_slides(data_list, template, output_dir): """Generate multiple presentations from data.""" import os for data in data_list: content = template.format(**data) output_path = os.path.join(output_dir, f"{data['name']}_report.pptx") markdown_to_pptx(content, output_path)
Examples
Example 1: Tech Presentation
markdown--- marp: true theme: gaia class: lead paginate: true --- # API Documentation ## REST API Best Practices Engineering Team January 2024 --- # Agenda 1. Authentication 2. Endpoints Overview 3. Error Handling 4. Rate Limiting 5. Examples --- # Authentication All requests require an API key: ```http Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
- Keys expire after 90 days
- Store securely, never commit to git
- Rotate regularly
Endpoints Overview
| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GET | /users | List all users |
| POST | /users | Create user |
| GET | /users/:id | Get user details |
| PUT | /users/:id | Update user |
| DELETE | /users/:id | Delete user |
Error Handling
json{ "error": { "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR", "message": "Invalid email format", "details": ["email must be valid"] } }
Questions?
### Example 2: Business Pitch ```python def create_pitch_deck(company_data): """Generate investor pitch deck.""" md = f"""--- marp: true theme: uncover paginate: true --- <!-- _class: lead --> <!-- _backgroundColor: #2d3748 --> <!-- _color: white --> # {company_data['name']} {company_data['tagline']} --- # The Problem {company_data['problem_statement']} **Market Pain Points:** """ for pain in company_data['pain_points']: md += f"- {pain}\n" md += f""" --- # Our Solution {company_data['solution']} }) --- # Market Opportunity - **TAM:** {company_data['tam']} - **SAM:** {company_data['sam']} - **SOM:** {company_data['som']} --- # Traction | Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | Monthly Revenue | {company_data['mrr']} | | Customers | {company_data['customers']} | | Growth Rate | {company_data['growth']} | --- # The Ask **Seeking:** {company_data['funding_ask']} **Use of Funds:** - Product Development: 40% - Sales & Marketing: 35% - Operations: 25% --- <!-- _class: lead --> # Let's Build the Future Together {company_data['contact']} """ return md # Generate deck pitch_data = { 'name': 'TechStartup Inc', 'tagline': 'AI-Powered Document Processing', 'problem_statement': 'Businesses waste 20% of time on manual document work', 'pain_points': ['Manual data entry', 'Error-prone processes', 'Slow turnaround'], 'solution': 'Automated document processing with 99.5% accuracy', 'tam': '$50B', 'sam': '$10B', 'som': '$500M', 'mrr': '$100K', 'customers': '50', 'growth': '20% MoM', 'funding_ask': '$5M Series A', 'contact': 'founders@techstartup.com' } md_content = create_pitch_deck(pitch_data) markdown_to_pptx(md_content, 'pitch_deck.pptx', theme='uncover')
Limitations
- Complex animations not supported
- Some PowerPoint-specific features unavailable
- Custom fonts require CSS configuration
- Video embedding limited
- Speaker notes have basic support
Installation
bash# Using npm npm install -g @marp-team/marp-cli # Using Homebrew brew install marp-cli # Verify installation marp --version


