> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flashdocs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 3 Ways To Create Slide Decks

> Explore the 3 ways you can create programmatically slide decks.

# FlashDocs API: Slide Deck Creation Methods

FlashDocs offers a comprehensive API for generating Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations using either our default slide sets or your own custom, uploaded slides. This ensures that your existing styles, fonts, and layouts remain *unchanged*—guaranteeing complete brand consistency.

***

## 1. Generate via Markdown

**Overview:**\
Create slides by providing markdown content for each slide.

**How It Works:**

* **Input:** Supply a list of markdown strings, where each string represents the content (and structure) of a single slide.
* **Processing:** FlashDocs uses a graph algorithm to parse each markdown string into a tree structure and then maps it to a matching slide layout.
* **Rendering:** The markdown (including text, lists, links, etc.) is rendered directly onto the slide using your chosen layouts—be it FlashDocs’s default set or your own custom, uploaded slides. The text is never changed, we insert the exact markdown provided.

**Key Benefit:**\
Maintain your brand's styles and fonts completely intact, as the slides retain their original design without any modifications.

<Card title="Markdown to Slide" icon="markdown" href="https://docs.flashdocs.com/markdown-walkthrough" cta="Learn how to generate custom, on-brand decks from any markdown input." />

***

## 2. Generate via Prompt

**Overview:**\
Generate a slide deck from a single, unstructured string prompt.

**How It Works:**

* **Input:** Provide a string in the `prompt` parameter of the generate slides endpoint. In addition to the instructions for how to generate the slides, you can concatenate markdown parsings of files to the prompt to provide more context.
* **Processing:** FlashDocs generates the deck based on your prompt. The content may be slightly rewritten to fit within the slide text boxes.
* **Outcome:** The system optimizes text placement, ensuring that even rewritten content is inserted into slides drawn from either our default set or your custom, brand-compliant templates.

**Key Benefit:**\
Enjoy automated layout optimization while your established styles, fonts, and branding remain *untouched*.

<Card title="Prompt to Deck" icon="file" href="https://docs.flashdocs.com/quickstart" cta="Learn how to generate custom, on-brand decks tailored to your prompt." />

***

## 3. Generate via Template with Tag Replacement

**Overview:**\
Leverage our API and pre-configured template documents to effortlessly create dynamic, consistently branded decks. With tag replacement, you can update text, images, tables, and charts while preserving your slide design.

<Card title="Template With Placeholder Insertion" icon="layer-group" href="https://docs.flashdocs.com/tag-replacement" cta="Learn how to use FlashDocs templates with parameterized placeholder insertions." />

**How It Works:**

1. **Configure Your Document:**\
   First, set up your FlashDocs template with clearly defined placeholders. This works best when you know ahead of time which placeholders (e.g., `[title main]`, `[paragraph]`) will appear in your deck. You can then specify the values for these placeholders via the `text_placeholder_manual_insertions` parameter. This parameter supports markdown, so you can include bullet points, headers, and rich formatting directly. For dynamically sized decks, you can use a library source document and specify slide IDs using the outline parameter.
2. **Generate Your Deck via the API:**\
   With your document configured, simply use our API to generate your deck. You have three options:

   * **Option A:** Manually specify the values for all placeholders.
   * **Option B:** Provide values for some placeholders and let FlashDocs generate the rest.
   * **Option C:** Let FlashDocs generate all placeholder values based on your prompt.

   FlashDocs uses the provided mappings—along with slide descriptions, placeholder instructions, and character limits—to replace your tags. Any placeholders that aren’t manually set are automatically filled by FlashDocs, ensuring no element is left behind.

**Outcome:**\
Every slide, whether it comes from our default designs or your custom, brand-specific templates, retains its original look and feel. Only the dynamic content is updated—preserving your fonts, layouts, and overall styling intact.

**Key Benefit:**\
Create consistently branded decks effortlessly while maintaining complete control over your dynamic content, all without altering your established design.

***

<Tip>
  Click [here](https://www.flashdocs.com/api/signup) to get an API key.
</Tip>