How to Use Grok Bot with the 2Slides MCP Server (2026 Guide)

Q: Can I install the 2Slides Agent Skill in Grok Bot?

Uploading SKILL.md isn't documented, but the Bot can git clone the 2Slides skill repo into /workspace and run its Python scripts with SLIDES2SLIDESAPI_KEY set for the session. The connector is still the safer option, because all your Bots share one computer.

Quick answer (≤60 words): Grok Bot only attaches remote MCP servers, and 2Slides has one. Ask your Bot: "Add a custom MCP server called 2slides at https://2slides.com/api/mcp", then give it the header Authorization: Bearer YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY. Attach it with @, ask for a deck, then save the process as a skill and schedule it as a routine.

Grok Bot is xAI's team of always-on agents. It launched in beta on August 11, 2026 and runs on Cursor's infrastructure. Each Bot has "a persistent cloud computer with a browser, filesystem, and terminal", and it can keep working on a schedule after you close the app. Pair it with 2Slides and your Bot can research a topic, write the story, and deliver an editable .pptx, and it can repeat that every Monday without being asked again.

This guide covers the two ways to connect them, as of September 30, 2026: a custom remote MCP connector (recommended), and running the 2Slides skill scripts in the Bot's own terminal. It also explains how to turn either one into a reusable skill and a scheduled routine.

First: Grok Bot is not the Grok chatbot

People mix these up all the time, and the setup is completely different.

	Grok Bot (this guide)	Grok chatbot (grok.com, X)
What it is	Always-on agents with their own cloud computer	Chat assistant
Where it runs	Grok Bot apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, on Cursor infrastructure	grok.com, the X apps, xAI API
Access	Included with paid individual Cursor plans and Cursor Teams; you can link a SuperGrok subscription	X Premium+ / SuperGrok / API
MCP servers and skills	Yes, "the same MCP servers, plugins, and skills as Cursor"	Different connector system
Schedules	Routines (time or event-based)	Not covered here

If you want the Grok chatbot workflow (Grok writes the outline and 2Slides builds the deck), read How to use Grok to make slides instead.

Why give Grok Bot the 2Slides server?

Grok Bot can browse, click through websites and run code. But producing a clean, on-brand, editable PowerPoint is a job for a specialized generator. With 2Slides attached:

Grok Bot gathers the sources (Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, the web), decides the structure and writes the copy.
2Slides renders the file: a theme-based Fast PPT from 1,500+ templates at 10 credits per page, or image-designed Nano Banana slides with optional AI narration.

New 2Slides accounts get 500 free credits, which covers 50 Fast PPT pages.

What you need first

Grok Bot access through a paid individual Cursor plan or Cursor Teams (a linked SuperGrok subscription adds a usage grant). Usage is metered weekly.
A 2Slides API key from 2slides.com/api. Keys start with sk-2slides-.
That's all. Everything runs on the Bot's cloud computer, so you don't install anything on your laptop.

Why remote HTTP, and not stdio or localhost

A Cursor staff member explained on the Cursor community forum (August 13, 2026) that Grok Bot supports "remote HTTP/SSE MCP and catalog connectors", but "does not attach MCP servers that run on your own machine, whether that's stdio or something listening on localhost", because the Bot works from a cloud computer that can't reach your laptop.

So skip npx 2slides-mcp and any localhost URL. Use the hosted 2Slides endpoint:

https://2slides.com/api/mcp

It is a Streamable HTTP MCP server that authenticates with Authorization: Bearer <key>.

Method 1: Add 2Slides as a custom remote connector (recommended)

Official connectors are installed from Marketplace (sidebar → Marketplace → Add). 2Slides isn't a catalog plugin, so you add it as a custom server. The quickest way is to ask your Bot in chat.

Step 1: Ask the Bot to add the server. Say "custom" so it doesn't go looking for a Marketplace plugin:

Add a custom MCP server called 2slides at https://2slides.com/api/mcp.
This is a custom server, not a Marketplace plugin.

Step 2: Give it the auth header. When the Bot asks for credentials (or right away), tell it the header name and value:

The server needs an HTTP header.
Header name: Authorization
Header value: Bearer YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY
Store it as a header on the 2slides server entry.

The Bot saves this as a header on the server entry, so you don't need to repeat it in later chats.

Step 3: Confirm it's installed. The official docs list your saved plugins and skills under Marketplace → Your plugins → Manage plugins and skills. Look for the 2slides entry there. The Composio guide lists added servers under Settings → Plugins → Yours.

Step 4: Attach it. In chat, type @ and select 2slides to attach the connector to a task. Installed connectors are account-wide, so every one of your Bots can use them.

Where this comes from: Marketplace, @ attach and account-wide connectors are in xAI's official Grok Bot docs. Custom remote connectors are confirmed by Cursor staff. The exact chat wording ("Add a custom MCP server called... at...") and "the bot stores it as a header on the server entry" come from a third-party guide (Composio, September 3, 2026), not from xAI's docs. If your Bot handles the request differently, ask it to add a custom connector for that URL and header.

A note on pasting the key

xAI's docs advise against pasting passwords into chat. For sensitive steps, they suggest you take control of the computer yourself. Adding a connector by chat means the key appears in that conversation once. To keep this safe:

Use a dedicated 2Slides key for Grok Bot only.
Rotate it at 2slides.com/api if you share the conversation or suspect a leak.
Prefer the header form. The key-in-URL form (https://2slides.com/api/mcp?apikey=YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY) also works on the 2Slides side, but it puts the secret in the URL itself.

Verify the connection

@2slides Search for 3 "minimal" presentation themes and list their names
and themeIds. Don't generate anything yet.

This calls the free themes_search tool. If you get theme names and IDs back, the connector works. If the Bot opens 2slides.com in its browser instead, the connector isn't attached (see Troubleshooting).

Generate your first deck

@2slides Read the "Q3 update" doc in my Google Drive and build an 8-slide
executive summary. Find a clean corporate theme first, then generate it
with slides_generate (Fast PPT, sync). Download the .pptx into
/workspace/decks right away and send me the file and a 3-line summary.

The Bot calls themes_search, then slides_generate, and gets back a downloadUrl. 2Slides download links expire after 1 hour, so have the Bot save the file to /workspace (the shared, persistent folder) or upload it to Drive right away. In our production test, a 3-page Fast PPT came back in about 22 seconds. Nano Banana and narration jobs are async and take 1 to 3 minutes, and the Bot should poll jobs_get every 20 to 30 seconds.

Method 2: Run the 2Slides skill in the Bot's terminal

Uploading a SKILL.md file isn't documented for Grok Bot. But the Bot has a real terminal and a persistent /workspace, so it can run the official 2Slides Agent Skill scripts directly. Treat this as a workaround, not an official install path. It's useful when you want to see exactly what code runs.

In your terminal:
git clone https://github.com/2slides/slides-generation-2slides-skills /workspace/2slides-skill
pip install requests
Read /workspace/2slides-skill/SKILL.md and follow it.
For this session only, export SLIDES_2SLIDES_API_KEY (I'll provide it).
   Don't write it to any file in /workspace.
Run: python /workspace/2slides-skill/scripts/search_themes.py --query minimal --limit 3

Then generate:

python /workspace/2slides-skill/scripts/generate_slides.py \
  --content "<your outline>" --theme-id "<themeId>"

With --theme-id, the slide count follows your outline and the template. The --page flag only applies to reference-image mode (--reference-image), where it defaults to 1, so pass --page 0 there to let 2Slides decide. The scripts call https://2slides.com/api/v1 and need Python 3 with requests.

Security: all of your Bots share one cloud computer. xAI's docs warn: "Do not place a credential or file on it if another Bot on your account should not be able to access it." Keep the key in a session environment variable, not in a file, or use Method 1, where the key lives on the connector entry.

Save it as a skill, then schedule it as a routine

Once a run turns out the way you want, lock it in. These phrasings follow xAI's official docs.

1. Save the skill:

Save the process we just used as a skill called "Weekly 2Slides Deck".
Include the source (the "Weekly Metrics" doc in Google Drive), the 2Slides
themeId <your themeId>, the 6-slide structure (wins, metrics, risks, next
steps), the rule to download the .pptx to /workspace/decks immediately,
and the rule to ask me before generating more than 20 pages.

Private skills form "one library shared by all your Bots". Check under Marketplace → Your plugins → Manage plugins and skills → Private skills, and reference the skill in chat with /.

2. Schedule a routine:

Every Monday at 9:00 AM New York time, run the "Weekly 2Slides Deck"
skill. If the source doc wasn't updated since last Monday, don't
generate. Tell me instead.

Routines can also start from events: the docs say Cursor account integrations "can start a routine from an event, such as a Slack message or a GitHub notification". Keep the matching rules narrow so the routine doesn't fire too often.

Tip: build the skill on Method 1 (the connector). A routine then never needs the key in its instructions, and nothing sensitive sits on the shared computer.

The 2Slides MCP tool surface

Tool	What it does	Credits
`themes_search`	Find a `themeId` (1,500+ templates)	Free
`slides_generate`	Theme-based editable PowerPoint (Fast PPT), sync or async	10 / page
`slides_create_pdf_slides`	Image-designed slides from text (Nano Banana)	100 / page (1K/2K), 200 (4K)
`slides_create_like_this`	Slides matching a reference image's style	100 / page (1K/2K), 200 (4K)
`slides_generate_narration`	AI voice narration for a Nano Banana job (not Fast PPT)	210 / page
`slides_download_slides_pages_voices`	ZIP of page images, audio and transcript	Free
`jobs_get`	Poll an async job	Free

What's confirmed vs. not yet documented

As of September 30, 2026:

Official (xAI docs): the cloud computer with browser, filesystem and terminal; /workspace; one shared computer per account; Marketplace connectors, @ and /; saving skills by chat; Teach a task; Private skills; scheduled and event routines; the credential warnings.
Official (Cursor staff, forum): remote HTTP/SSE custom connectors are supported, and local stdio or localhost servers are not.
Third-party (Composio guide): the exact "Add a custom MCP server called... at..." phrasing and header storage. Composio also says stdio commands can run on the Bot's cloud computer. That isn't needed for 2Slides and isn't in xAI's docs.
Not documented: uploading a SKILL.md package directly. Method 2 (git clone into /workspace) is our workaround.
Live-tested (2Slides): the MCP endpoint, header and key-in-URL auth, all seven tools, and the skill scripts.

Troubleshooting

The Bot tries to install a Marketplace plugin instead. Repeat the request with "custom MCP server" and the full HTTPS URL.
Connection or 401 errors. The header must be exactly Authorization with the value Bearer sk-2slides-... (note the space after "Bearer"). Ask the Bot to show the server entry's header name (not the value) and fix it.
You tried localhost or npx 2slides-mcp. Those point at your own machine, which Grok Bot can't reach. Use https://2slides.com/api/mcp.
The Bot browses the website instead of calling tools. Attach the connector with @2slides and say "use the 2slides tools".
Only one slide came back (Method 2). You probably used --reference-image mode, where --page defaults to 1. Pass --page 0 (auto) or an exact count.
Download link is dead. Links expire after 1 hour. Regenerate, and have the Bot save to /workspace immediately.
Insufficient credits. Top up at 2slides.com/pricing. Credits never expire.

Frequently asked questions

Does Grok Bot support custom MCP servers?

Yes, for remote servers. Grok Bot supports "the same MCP servers, plugins, and skills as Cursor", and Cursor staff confirm that remote HTTP/SSE endpoints can be added as custom connectors. Servers running on your own machine (stdio or localhost) are not attached.

How do I add 2Slides to Grok Bot?

Ask your Bot: "Add a custom MCP server called 2slides at https://2slides.com/api/mcp", then give it the header Authorization: Bearer YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY. Attach it in chat with @2slides.

Is Grok Bot the same as Grok on grok.com?

No. Grok Bot is a set of always-on agents with their own cloud computer, running on Cursor infrastructure. The Grok chatbot is xAI's chat assistant. For the chatbot, see How to use Grok to make slides.

Can Grok Bot make a PowerPoint every week automatically?

Yes. Run the deck once, ask the Bot to "Save the process we just used as a skill", then say "Every Monday at 9:00 AM, run the [skill name]". Routines can also start from events such as a Slack message or a GitHub notification.

Can I install the 2Slides Agent Skill in Grok Bot?

Uploading SKILL.md isn't documented, but the Bot can git clone the 2Slides skill repo into /workspace and run its Python scripts with SLIDES_2SLIDES_API_KEY set for the session. The connector is still the safer option, because all your Bots share one computer.

How much does it cost?

On the 2Slides side, Fast PPT costs 10 credits per page and Nano Banana 100 per page (200 at 4K). New accounts get 500 free credits, and credits start at $5 for 2,000 and never expire. Grok Bot usage is metered weekly under your Cursor plan.

The takeaway

Grok Bot works from the cloud, so give it a cloud endpoint: add https://2slides.com/api/mcp as a custom connector with an Authorization: Bearer header. Run one good deck, save it as a skill, schedule it as a routine, and your Monday deck is handled.

Comparing agents? Start with the personal AI agents for presentations hub, or see the guides for Manus 2.0, OpenAI dots, Meta Muse and OpenClaw. Deciding between tools and playbooks? Read Agent Skills vs MCP servers for presentations.

Get your key at 2slides.com/api?tab=mcp. New accounts start with 500 free credits.

Sources: