---
title: How to Create a Slide Deck Template
description: A slide deck template is a repeatable presentation with placeholders for content you will pull in from other sources. It specifies the colors, formatting, and layout you want in the presentation.
---

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# How to Create a Slide Deck Template

## A template is a repeatable presentation with placeholders for content you will pull in from other sources. It specifies the colors, formatting, and layout you want in the presentation.

### Automated Method:

### 1. Start the New Project Wizard

Navigate to **Projects > New Project** to launch the guided setup.

- **Project Type:** Select "Presentation."
- **Project Basics:** Enter a name and description for your new reporting project.

### 2. Upload Your Existing Deck

In the **Select Template** step, upload your PowerPoint (.pptx) or Google Slides file.

### 3. Use Auto-Templatization

Since your previous report likely contains static data rather than placeholders, the wizard will detect the lack of pragmas and offer to auto-templatize the file.

1. **Select Content Types:** Choose which elements you want the AI to convert into placeholders. Options include: 
     - Charts & Images
     - Metrics & Numbers
     - Dates
     - Names & Entities
     - Logos
2. **AI Processing:** The AI will analyze each slide and identify content to replace.
3. **Review Replacements:** You will see a summary of the changes (e.g., "Chart → `{{chart:sales}}`" or "2024 →`{{fn:year}}`").
4. **Confirm:** Click **"Use This Template"** to accept the AI-generated version.

### Manual Method:

If you prefer to maintain manual control, you can skip the auto-templatization and manually add **Pragmas** (e.g., `{{kpi:metric_name}}` or `{{chart:chart_name}}`) directly into the PowerPoint or Google Slides file before uploading it to the project.

### **Tips for creating placeholders:**

- **Charts**: Create a shape on the slide to hold the chart, then double-click inside the shape and type in the placeholder, like `{{chart: name}}`.
- **Images:** Create a shape on the slide to hold the image. Note you can use any shape, not just a rectangle and auto-crop the image to the shape. Double-click inside the shape and type in the placeholder, like `{{image: name}}`

- **Data tables**: Just like charts and images, create a shape on the slide to hold the table, then double-click inside the shape and type in the placeholder, like `{{data: table_name}}`

- **Text, numbers, KPIs**: Create a text placeholder with the font, size, and color that you want in the output. 

![](https://helpcenter.slideform.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202024-09-11%20at%2011-17-08%E2%80%AFAM-png.png?width=450&height=255&name=Screenshot%202024-09-11%20at%2011-17-08%E2%80%AFAM-png.png)

**Note:** Avoid spaces at the beginning or end of the pragma, such as `{{ chart:name }}`

 

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