> ## 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.
# Introduction
> FlashDocs provides a robust, easy-to-use API for generating Microsoft PowerPoints and Google Slides.
Why you should use FlashDocs: **\[1]** use your existing, completely custom branding/slide themes, **\[2]** generate all the content you need (text, images, tables, and charts), and **\[3]** provide content generation instructions with various levels of control (prompt / per slide instructions / markdown / placeholder to value mapping).
Click [here](https://www.flashdocs.com/api/signup) to get an API key.
# Key Features
*Single API call* to upload your slide template & formats. We automatically process all of your slide layouts so every slide generated through FlashDocs is on-brand. You can upload *any* slide deck template with any types of styles and all generated slides will follow the layouts.
* *No hand-labelling required* - single document upload API call. Our system automatically infers various placeholders and their generation instructions: text, image, logo, table, chart, etc.
FlashDocs provides a variety of ways you can define control the content generated - from unstructured prompts, to arbitrary markdown, and manually defined placeholder insertions.
* *Prompt* - provide an unstructured, string prompt with instructions on how to create your deck.
* *Per Slide Content Instruction* - In the outline parameter, you can provide unstructured string instructions for each slide in the deck. Ex: "*Discuss the importance of document generation for our product, highlighting these 3 areas: A, B, C.*"
* *Per Slide Layout Instruction* - In the outline parameter, you can provide unstructured string instructions for the slide layout. Ex: "*3 step timeline from left to right with central step being largest.*"
* *Markdown* - Provide full Markdown (including tables, images, nested lists, rich formatting, etc.) and FlashDocs will generate a slide in your custom layouts
* *Tag Replacement* - All objects in a slide (text, image, table, chart, etc.) can be replaced by providing a mapping from the object id (which you can see from a GET request) to the value you wish to insert.
View the API Reference to start generating slides!
# High Level Idea of How FlashDocs Works
**FlashDocs** transforms an ordinary presentation (like Google Slides or PowerPoint) into a **programmatic FlashDocs document** complete with placeholders (for text, images, charts, etc.) that can be dynamically filled. In other words, we preserve **brand styles, layouts, and design**, but replace the core content with placeholder elements. When it's time to create a new deck, FlashDocs automatically populates these placeholders with fresh, prompt-driven content—enabling programmatic deck creation.
## Documents: Templates vs. Libraries
A library is a **(large) collection of slide layouts**—think of it like your personal buffet of slides. When generating a deck from a library (via [Generate Deck Request](https://docs.flashdocs.com/api-reference/generate/generate-slides-via-task)), FlashDocs's recommendation system (using **embeddings and vision models**) identifies the **most relevant** slide(s) for your deck and then populates the placeholders with custom generated text and images based on your prompt.
A template is a set of slides with **some** content hard-coded (i.e., not in placeholders) so it **always remains the same**. This is handy for scenarios like sales decks: the core slides remain unchanged, but placeholders for a client's name, logo, or specific use cases get filled in automatically. The result is a consistently branded, partially dynamic deck.
### Creating a Custom Deck
FlashDocs scours your library, picks the slides that best fit your needs, and auto-generates text for those slides. You end up with a handpicked deck that feels tailor-made to your audience—without you lifting a finger for design.
### Creating a Deck from a Template
Every slide in the template is used (no picking and choosing), and FlashDocs automatically populates any placeholders according to your prompt. All non-placeholder content (like disclaimers, branding, or repeated text) remains exactly as it was in the original.
# Getting Started
Learn how to launch deck creations and configure your custom templates & libraries.
Create a beautiful deck customized to your prompt in a single API call.
Preview your changes before you push to make sure they're perfect