heydecks: build a deck

heydecks is the deck layer you call instead of opening a slide editor. You write the content; heydecks persists a structured deck, applies the user's brand, and returns a live link, a PDF, and a native, editable PowerPoint. The words are yours; the render, brand, and exports are heydecks'.

For how to structure a good deck (pitch, sales, board update, and so on), use the companion skill heydecks-deck-design. This skill is the mechanics.

When to use

The user wants a finished, shareable deck, not just slide text: "make a deck / pitch / board update / sales deck", "turn these notes (or this URL) into slides", "export this to PowerPoint or PDF".

The flow

Always in this order:

1. Settle the brand and look first (see "Brand and look" below). Call list_brands. If which brand to use isn't obvious, ask the user. Decide an art_direction too, or ask for the vibe.
2. list_slide_templates in two cheap steps. Call it with no arguments for a compact pick-list (key, name, category, and a one-line whenToUse) of every slide type. Use the whenToUse lines to choose the slides that fit. Then call list_slide_templates({ keys: [...] }) to pull the exact field schema for only the slides you picked. Don't pull all 89 schemas at once; never guess field names, types, or limits. (list_slide_types adds this workspace's custom blocks, referenced as custom:<id>.)
3. create_deck with a clear title, plus brand_id and art_direction from step 1. It returns a deck id.
4. add_slides with replace: true to set the whole deck in one call. Each slide is { type, content }, where content is an object whose keys are the field keys you fetched in step 2.
5. publish_deck. It returns the live URL, the PDF, and the PPTX. Hand all three to the user.

For edits afterward use update_slide, append_slide, reorder_slides, or delete_slide instead of rebuilding the whole deck.

What a slide looks like

{
  "type": "bigNumber",
  "content": { "value": "42%", "label": "Revenue growth, YoY", "support": "Up from 31% last quarter" }
}

The exact keys (value, label, ...) and their limits come from list_slide_templates. Match them exactly. If a field has allowed values, use one of them. If it has a max length, stay under it; tight copy renders better than truncated copy.

Pick the right slide type

Choose the most specific fit, never the most generic. Every slide in list_slide_templates carries a whenToUse line, read it and pick the slide it points to. A working map (call list_slide_templates for the full set, the whenToUse lines, and exact fields):

• One number: bigNumber. A few KPIs: kpi or stats. KPIs with trend/status: metricDashboard.
• Money: financials (P&L), revenueBreakdown, unitEconomics (CAC/LTV), waterfall (a bridge), dataTable (a real table). Market size: marketSizing. Plans: pricing.
• Steps / time: process (sequence), userFlow (a path), roadmap / timeline / milestonePlan (dated), gantt, kanban.
• Comparison: compare (two things), comparisonMatrix (many on criteria), decisionMatrix (weighted, with a winner), proConCard, beforeAfter, mythVsReality.
• Strategy: swot, okr, valueProp, businessModelCanvas.
• Structure: architecture, integrations, orgChart, dependencyMap, raci.
• Frame the deck: open with title and agenda, close with cta or thanksClose.

Vary the types. A deck that is ten of the same layout reads as a wall of text.

Brand and look

A deck's appearance is two layers: the brand (colours, fonts, logo) and the Art Direction (the visual personality on top). Settle both before you build.

Brand (be interactive, don't guess):

• Call list_brands. It returns each brand plus its current Art Direction (style.preset, style.background).
• If there are several brands, or it isn't obvious which fits, ask the user which brand to use, or whether to make a new one. Don't silently pick.
• New brand from a website: extract_brand_from_url returns a complete brand kit from the live site, colours, fonts, tone, AND an inferred Art Direction (style.preset and style.background). Save it with create_brand, then update_brand passing the returned colors, typography, and the inferred style.preset as art_direction (and style.background as background). (Extraction costs 50 credits.)
• Pass the chosen brand_id to create_deck (or set_active_brand to make it the default).

Art Direction (give the deck a look):

• One bundle sets the type pairing, the shape/card treatment, and the canvas background, all over the brand's own colours. Set it per-deck with art_direction on create_deck/update_deck (leaves the brand untouched), or as a brand default with art_direction on create_brand/update_brand.
• The directions: clean, swiss, corporate, soft, horizon, editorial, bold, luminous, aurora, spotlight, blueprint, studio.
• Match it to the audience: spotlight/luminous/aurora for modern or premium product and AI decks; swiss/corporate/blueprint for finance, data, and enterprise; editorial for narrative and thought leadership; soft/horizon for friendly consumer; bold/studio for launches and brand decks. When unsure, ask for the vibe.
• Backgrounds (a direction picks one; override just the canvas via update_brand background): flat, mesh, aurora, glow, wash, rays, grid, dots. Keep it subtle and on-brand.

Copy rules

• You write all of it. heydecks does not generate content over MCP.
• Honor every field's label and length limit. Lead each slide with the takeaway, not background.
• Use the user's real numbers and specifics. Do not invent metrics they did not give you.
• No em dashes. Use commas, colons, or periods.

Cost, so you do not surprise the user

A published deck costs 100 credits, the same over MCP, the REST API, or the dashboard. AI images cost 80, a brand extraction 50, an AI edit 10. Reading, manual edits, and PDF and PPTX exports are free. Build the deck well in one pass; do not republish on a loop.

If something fails

• Bad or missing field: re-read list_slide_templates and fix the content object to match the field keys and allowed values exactly.
• Not sure a brand exists: call list_brands before assuming.
• The user wants a tweak after publishing: use update_slide and re-publish_deck, do not rebuild from scratch.