Microsoft PowerPoint Skill

Overview

Claude can create and edit Microsoft PowerPoint Online presentations, including adding slides, inserting content, applying themes, adding animations, and managing presentation flow.

Quick Install

curl -sSL https://canifi.com/skills/microsoft-powerpoint/install.sh | bash

Or manually:

cp -r skills/microsoft-powerpoint ~/.canifi/skills/

Setup

Configure via canifi-env:

# First, ensure canifi-env is installed:
# curl -sSL https://canifi.com/install.sh | bash

canifi-env set MICROSOFT_EMAIL "your-email@outlook.com"

Privacy & Authentication

Your credentials, your choice. Canifi LifeOS respects your privacy.

Option 1: Manual Browser Login (Recommended)

If you prefer not to share credentials with Claude Code:

1. Complete the Browser Automation Setup using CDP mode
2. Login to the service manually in the Playwright-controlled Chrome window
3. Claude will use your authenticated session without ever seeing your password

Option 2: Environment Variables

If you're comfortable sharing credentials, you can store them locally:

canifi-env set SERVICE_EMAIL "your-email"
canifi-env set SERVICE_PASSWORD "your-password"

Note: Credentials stored in canifi-env are only accessible locally on your machine and are never transmitted.

Capabilities

• Create new presentations from templates
• Add and arrange slides
• Insert text, images, and shapes
• Apply themes and designs
• Add transitions and animations
• Insert videos and audio
• Add speaker notes
• Create charts and SmartArt
• Export as PDF or video
• Present in slideshow mode
• Collaborate in real-time
• Use Designer suggestions

Usage Examples

Example 1: Create Presentation

User: "Create a PowerPoint about our product launch"
Claude: Creates presentation with title slide, agenda,
        product features, timeline, and call-to-action slides.
        Returns: "Created 6-slide presentation: [link]"

Example 2: Apply Theme

User: "Make the presentation look more corporate"
Claude: Opens Design tab, applies professional theme,
        adjusts colors to corporate palette.
        Confirms: "Corporate theme applied to all slides"

Example 3: Add Animation

User: "Add entrance animations to the key points"
Claude: Selects text elements, applies Fade In animation,
        sequences for presentation flow.
        Confirms: "Animations added to key points"

Example 4: Add Chart

User: "Insert a bar chart on slide 3 with our quarterly data"
Claude: Opens slide 3, inserts bar chart, enters data.
        Confirms: "Bar chart added to slide 3"

Authentication Flow

1. Claude navigates to powerpoint.office.com via Playwright MCP
2. Authenticates with MICROSOFT_EMAIL if needed
3. Handles 2FA if prompted (notifies user via iMessage)
4. Maintains session for presentation operations

Selectors Reference

// New presentation
'[aria-label="New blank presentation"]'

// Presentation name
'[aria-label="Presentation name"]'

// Slide thumbnails
'.slide-thumbnails'

// Current slide
'.slide-container'

// New slide button
'[aria-label="New slide"]'

// Insert tab
'[aria-label="Insert"]'

// Design tab
'[aria-label="Design"]'

// Animations tab
'[aria-label="Animations"]'

// Text box
'[aria-label="Text box"]'

// Shape button
'[aria-label="Shapes"]'

// Speaker notes
'[aria-label="Notes"]'

// Present button
'[aria-label="Present"]'

Error Handling

• Login Failed: Retry 3 times, notify user via iMessage
• Session Expired: Re-authenticate automatically
• Presentation Not Found: Search OneDrive, ask for clarification
• Image Insert Failed: Check URL/file, retry
• Theme Apply Failed: Retry, suggest alternatives
• Animation Failed: Retry, check element selection

Self-Improvement Instructions

When you learn a better way to accomplish a task with PowerPoint Online:

1. Document the improvement in your response
2. Suggest updating this skill file with the new approach
3. Include specific design tips for better presentations
4. Note differences from desktop PowerPoint

Notes

• PowerPoint Online auto-saves to OneDrive
• Designer provides AI-powered layout suggestions
• Real-time collaboration shows other users
• Transitions and animations supported
• Export to video limited in online version
• Maximum file size: varies by subscription
• Templates available from Start screen
• Presenter view available during slideshow