n8n + 2Slides: Automate Presentation Workflows for Free

n8n is the open-source, self-hosted alternative to Zapier — and it works perfectly with the 2Slides API. This guide shows you how to build automated presentation workflows without paying for a commercial automation platform.

Why n8n + 2Slides?

For teams already running n8n, adding 2Slides presentation automation is straightforward.

Setup

1. Install n8n (if not already)

# Docker (recommended)
docker run -it --rm --name n8n -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n

# Or npm
npm install n8n -g && n8n start

2. Create a New Workflow

In the n8n editor, create a new workflow with these nodes:

3. Add an HTTP Request Node

Configure the HTTP Request node to call 2Slides:

• Method: POST
• URL:
  https://2slides.com/api/v1/slides/generate
• Authentication: Generic Credential Type → Header Auth
  • Name:
    Authorization
  • Value:
    Bearer sk-2slides-your-api-key
• Body Content Type: JSON
• Body:

{
  "userInput": "{{ $json.topic }}",
  "themeId": "your-theme-id",
  "mode": "sync",
  "responseLanguage": "en",
  "resolution": "2K"
}

4. Add Trigger

Choose what starts the workflow:

Schedule Trigger — for recurring reports:

• Interval: Every 1 week
• Day: Monday
• Hour: 9

Webhook Trigger — for on-demand generation:

• Create a webhook URL
• Call it from your app or Slack

Gmail/Slack Trigger — for event-based:

• Monitor a channel or inbox for presentation requests

5. Add Delivery Node

Send the generated slides to your team:

• Slack Node: Post message with download URL
• Gmail Node: Send email with link
• Google Drive Node: Upload to shared folder

Example Workflows

Weekly Team Update

Schedule (Monday 9 AM)
  → HTTP Request (2Slides API: generate weekly report slides)
  → Slack (post download link to #team-updates)

Document-to-Slides on Upload

Google Drive Trigger (new file in folder)
  → HTTP Request (2Slides API: create-pdf-slides)
  → Wait (poll for job completion)
  → Gmail (send slides to uploader)

CRM Deal → Pitch Deck

HubSpot Trigger (deal stage = Proposal)
  → Get Deal Data (HubSpot API)
  → HTTP Request (2Slides API: generate pitch deck)
  → HubSpot (attach slides to deal)
  → Slack (notify sales rep)

Advanced: Async Generation with Polling

For longer generation jobs, use async mode with a polling loop:

HTTP Request (start job, mode: async)
  → Wait (5 seconds)
  → HTTP Request (check job status)
  → IF (status != 'success')
    → Loop back to Wait
  → ELSE
    → Process result (deliver slides)

Tips

1. Store your API key as n8n Credential — not hardcoded in nodes
2. Use expressions to dynamically build the presentation topic from trigger data
3. Add error handling — use the n8n Error Trigger node to catch failures
4. Monitor credit usage — add a check before generation to ensure sufficient credits

Frequently Asked Questions

Can n8n handle the async polling pattern?

Yes — use the Loop/Wait nodes to implement polling. n8n supports conditional loops natively.

Is n8n free for this use case?

Self-hosted n8n is completely free. n8n Cloud has a free tier with 5 active workflows.

Can I run n8n on my server alongside other tools?

Yes — n8n runs as a Docker container and coexists with any other services on your server.

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Automate slides for free — connect n8n to 2Slides API and build your first workflow in minutes.