Build an AI Presentation Agent: Complete Developer Guide

AI agents are transforming how software creates content. An AI presentation agent can generate, customize, and deliver professional slide decks as part of automated workflows — from CRM pipelines to internal reporting tools.

This guide walks you through building a production-ready presentation agent using the 2Slides API.

Architecture Overview

A presentation agent typically follows this flow:

User Request → Agent Logic → 2Slides API → Poll Job → Deliver Result
                  ↓
           Context Gathering
           (data, templates, brand assets)

Core Components

Input Handler — receives presentation requests (text, data, files)
Context Builder — enriches requests with templates, brand info, data
Generation Engine — calls 2Slides API to create slides
Status Monitor — polls job status until completion
Delivery Layer — returns download links, sends via email, posts to Slack

Getting Started

1. Get Your API Key

2. Install Dependencies

npm install node-fetch dotenv

3. Basic Agent Implementation

import fetch from 'node-fetch';

class PresentationAgent {
  constructor(apiKey) {
    this.apiKey = apiKey;
    this.baseUrl = 'https://2slides.com/api/v1';
  }

  async generateSlides({ topic, themeId, language = 'en', resolution = '2K' }) {
    // Step 1: Start generation
    const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}/slides/generate`, {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        userInput: topic,
        themeId,
        responseLanguage: language,
        resolution,
        mode: 'async'
      })
    });

    const job = await response.json();
    if (!response.ok) throw new Error(job.error || 'Generation failed');

    // Step 2: Poll until complete
    return await this.waitForCompletion(job.jobId);
  }

  async waitForCompletion(jobId, maxWait = 300000) {
    const start = Date.now();
    while (Date.now() - start < maxWait) {
      const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}/jobs/${jobId}`, {
        headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}` }
      });
      const status = await response.json();

      if (status.status === 'success') return status;
      if (status.status === 'failed') throw new Error('Generation failed');

      await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 3000));
    }
    throw new Error('Generation timed out');
  }

  async generateFromFile({ fileUrl, prompt, themeId }) {
    const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}/slides/create-pdf-slides`, {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        fileUrl,
        userInput: prompt,
        themeId,
        mode: 'async'
      })
    });

    const job = await response.json();
    return await this.waitForCompletion(job.jobId);
  }

  async generateWithDesign({ topic, referenceImageUrl, resolution = '2K' }) {
    const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}/slides/create-like-this`, {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        userInput: topic,
        designStyle: {
          global: { referenceImageUrl }
        },
        resolution,
        mode: 'async'
      })
    });

    const job = await response.json();
    return await this.waitForCompletion(job.jobId);
  }

  async addNarration({ jobId, mode = 'single', voice = 'Charon' }) {
    const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}/slides/generate-narration`, {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiKey}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ jobId, mode, voice, contentMode: 'concise' })
    });

    return await response.json();
  }
}

// Usage
const agent = new PresentationAgent('sk-2slides-xxx');

const result = await agent.generateSlides({
  topic: 'Q1 2026 Business Review',
  themeId: 'mckinsey-theme-id',
  resolution: '2K'
});

console.log('Download:', result.downloadUrl);

Python Implementation

import requests
import time

class PresentationAgent:
    def __init__(self, api_key):
        self.api_key = api_key
        self.base_url = 'https://2slides.com/api/v1'
        self.headers = {
            'Authorization': f'Bearer {api_key}',
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }

    def generate_slides(self, topic, theme_id=None, language='en', resolution='2K'):
        response = requests.post(
            f'{self.base_url}/slides/generate',
            headers=self.headers,
            json={
                'userInput': topic,
                'themeId': theme_id,
                'responseLanguage': language,
                'resolution': resolution,
                'mode': 'async'
            }
        )
        response.raise_for_status()
        job = response.json()
        return self._wait_for_completion(job['jobId'])

    def generate_from_file(self, file_url, prompt, theme_id=None):
        response = requests.post(
            f'{self.base_url}/slides/create-pdf-slides',
            headers=self.headers,
            json={
                'fileUrl': file_url,
                'userInput': prompt,
                'themeId': theme_id,
                'mode': 'async'
            }
        )
        response.raise_for_status()
        job = response.json()
        return self._wait_for_completion(job['jobId'])

    def _wait_for_completion(self, job_id, max_wait=300):
        start = time.time()
        while time.time() - start < max_wait:
            response = requests.get(
                f'{self.base_url}/jobs/{job_id}',
                headers=self.headers
            )
            status = response.json()
            if status['status'] == 'success':
                return status
            if status['status'] == 'failed':
                raise Exception('Generation failed')
            time.sleep(3)
        raise TimeoutError('Generation timed out')

# Usage
agent = PresentationAgent('sk-2slides-xxx')
result = agent.generate_slides('AI Trends 2026', resolution='4K')
print(f"Download: {result['downloadUrl']}")

Advanced Patterns

Pattern 1: Template-Based Generation

Pre-configure themes for different use cases:

const TEMPLATES = {
  'pitch-deck': { themeId: 'apple-id', resolution: '2K' },
  'quarterly-review': { themeId: 'mckinsey-id', resolution: '2K' },
  'training': { themeId: 'corporate-id', resolution: '1K' },
  'social-media': { themeId: 'saul-bass-id', resolution: '4K', aspectRatio: '1:1' },
};

async function generateByType(type, topic) {
  const config = TEMPLATES[type];
  return agent.generateSlides({ topic, ...config });
}

Pattern 2: Data Pipeline Integration

Connect to your data sources:

async function weeklyReport(dataSource) {
  // 1. Fetch latest data
  const data = await dataSource.getWeeklyMetrics();

  // 2. Format as presentation input
  const topic = `Weekly Report: Revenue $${data.revenue}, Users ${data.users}, Churn ${data.churn}%`;

  // 3. Generate slides
  const result = await agent.generateSlides({ topic, themeId: 'mckinsey-id' });

  // 4. Deliver
  await slackBot.postMessage('#team-updates', `Weekly report ready: ${result.downloadUrl}`);
}

Pattern 3: Multi-Format Output

Generate slides + narration + video in one pipeline:

async function fullPresentation(topic) {
  // 1. Generate slides
  const slides = await agent.generateSlides({ topic });

  // 2. Add voice narration
  await agent.addNarration({ jobId: slides.jobId, mode: 'multi', voice: 'Charon' });

  // 3. Download with audio
  const download = await fetch(`${agent.baseUrl}/slides/download-slides-pages-voices`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: agent.headers,
    body: JSON.stringify({ jobId: slides.jobId })
  });

  return download.json();
}

Production Considerations

Rate Limiting

Default: 60 requests/minute
Handle 429 responses with exponential backoff
Use async mode for batch operations

Error Handling

Wrap all API calls in try/catch
Implement retry logic for transient failures
Log job IDs for debugging

Cost Management

Track credit usage per generation
Set budget alerts in your 2Slides dashboard
Use lower resolutions for internal/draft content

Security

Store API keys in environment variables, never in code
Use server-side API calls only — never expose keys to clients
Implement request signing for webhook callbacks

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I build a SaaS product on top of 2Slides API?

Yes — the API is designed for production use. There are no restrictions on commercial applications.

What's the maximum concurrent generation limit?

The API handles concurrent requests via rate limiting. For high-volume needs, contact the 2Slides team for enterprise limits.

Is there a webhook for job completion?

Currently, use polling via the jobs endpoint. Webhook support is on the roadmap.

Build your presentation agent — get your API key at 2Slides and start generating slides programmatically.