How to Use OpenAI dots with 2Slides to Make Presentations (2026)

Quick answer (≤60 words): Add 2Slides to ChatGPT as a developer-mode MCP app (Settings → Security and login → Developer mode, then chatgpt.com/plugins → "+", URL https://2slides.com/api/mcp?apikey=YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY, No Authentication). That works in regular chats. OpenAI hasn't documented whether a dot can use developer-mode apps, so run the 2-minute test below; if it fails, use the REST API fallback.

OpenAI launched dots on September 29, 2026: an always-on agent, powered by GPT-6 Astra, that "lives in the cloud and has its own computer and browser." A dot can research, prepare documents and keep working while your laptop is off. OpenAI doesn't document dots producing template-based, editable PowerPoint files, which is the job 2Slides handles.

dots are two days old, and some of the documentation hasn't caught up. This guide keeps what OpenAI has confirmed separate from what is still unknown, and gives you a setup that works either way.

What's confirmed vs. not yet documented (as of September 30, 2026)

In practice: Step 1 below works in any regular ChatGPT chat today. Whether your dot can use it is what Step 2 checks. Step 3 covers what to do if it can't.

Why connect a dot to 2Slides?

• The dot handles the ongoing work: collecting sources, drafting the storyline, following up, and running on a schedule.
• 2Slides handles the file. It produces a real, editable .pptx from 1,500+ themes (Fast PPT), or image-designed slides (Nano Banana) with optional AI voice narration.

The dot does the thinking and 2Slides does the rendering, and you get back a download link.

What you need first

1. A dot. OpenAI lists availability as Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500 (for users over 18, outside the EEA, UK and Switzerland), with Business Premium rolling out worldwide. You create your dot in the ChatGPT desktop app or a desktop browser, not mobile web.
2. ChatGPT developer mode. OpenAI says it's available to Pro, Plus, Business, Enterprise and Education accounts on the web. Workspace admins may restrict it.
3. A 2Slides API key from 2slides.com/api. Keys look like sk-2slides-.... New accounts get 500 free credits, enough for 50 Fast PPT pages at 10 credits per page.

Step 1: Add 2Slides as a developer-mode MCP app

This follows OpenAI's documented path for connecting an MCP server to ChatGPT.

Turn on developer mode

1. In ChatGPT (web), open Settings.
2. Select Security and login.
3. Turn on Developer mode.

Create the app

1. Go to chatgpt.com/plugins.
2. Select the plus (+) button.
3. Enter a name (2Slides) and a description, for example: Generate editable PowerPoint decks and designed slides with 2Slides.
4. Under Connection, enter the MCP server URL, including the /mcp path:

1. For authentication, choose No Authentication. 2Slides doesn't offer OAuth, so the key goes in the URL.
2. Create the connection and review the tools ChatGPT discovers. You should see the seven 2Slides tools listed in the table further down.

According to OpenAI, apps you create this way show under Drafts in app settings. To use one in a normal chat, start a new conversation and add the connection from the tools menu.

Security note: A URL that contains your API key is a secret. Don't share screenshots of the connection screen, and don't paste the URL into shared chats. If the key leaks, rotate it at 2slides.com/api. OpenAI also labels developer mode "elevated risk" because of prompt injection and model mistakes on write actions, so connect only servers you trust.

Quick sanity check in a regular chat: add the 2Slides connection from the tools menu and ask:

If ChatGPT calls themes_search and returns theme IDs, the connection is working.

Step 2: Test whether your dot uses it (2 minutes)

Now message your dot. Use a prompt that forces a clear yes or no, so it can't quietly browse the web and make something up:

What to look for:

• It works: the dot reports theme IDs and says it used the 2Slides tool. To confirm, open your dot's profile in the desktop app, select Activity, and open the task. OpenAI says Activity shows a task's "progress, files, and results." You want to see a 2Slides tool call there, not a browsing session.
• It doesn't work: the dot says it has no 2Slides tool, asks you to connect an app, or tries to open a website. That means developer-mode apps aren't available to your dot on your account, at least for now. Go to Step 3.

If it works, give your dot a real job:

The dot should call themes_search, then slides_generate (Fast PPT), and return a downloadUrl. 2Slides download links expire after 1 hour, so ask the dot to hand the link over immediately, or to save the file somewhere persistent if you have a storage plugin connected.

Step 3: Fallbacks if your dot can't use the app

Fallback A: Run the deck job in a regular ChatGPT chat

Developer-mode apps are documented for normal ChatGPT conversations. Let the dot do the research and drafting, then:

1. Ask your dot to write the final slide outline as plain text.
2. Open a new ChatGPT chat and add 2Slides from the tools menu.
3. Paste the outline and say: Generate this as a PowerPoint with 2Slides using a minimal theme.

It's one manual hop, but every step in it is documented.

Fallback B: Have the dot's cloud computer call the 2Slides REST API

OpenAI says your dot's cloud computer is for "research, documents, data analysis, or software work." 2Slides publishes machine-readable API docs at 2slides.com/api.md, written for agents. You can ask the dot to work from them:

This approach is a workaround, not something OpenAI documents for 2Slides. It relies on the cloud computer being able to make outbound HTTPS requests, which you should confirm in Activity the first time. It also means your API key sits in the dot's conversation or files, so use a key you're willing to rotate at 2slides.com/api afterward. dots' private sign-in form is designed for website logins, not API keys.

Bonus: a scheduled weekly deck

Dots support saved schedules, which you can review in your dot's profile under Scheduled. OpenAI's guidance is to state what to check, when (with time zone and end date), which changes deserve a notification, and where to deliver the results, and then to ask the dot to confirm. A deck version might look like this:

This works best if Step 2 passed. If it didn't, schedule the research and outline part with your dot, then run Fallback A yourself on Monday morning. To stop the recurring task, disable or delete it in Scheduled. Pausing the dot doesn't cancel schedules.

The 2Slides tool surface

Fast PPT gives you editable .pptx files. Nano Banana gives you designed slides and supports narration. Async jobs typically take 1–3 minutes.

Troubleshooting

• No Developer mode toggle. It's web-only and plan-dependent, and workspace admins can turn it off. Check Settings → Security and login on chatgpt.com.
• Connection fails on create. Make sure the URL ends in /api/mcp and the ?apikey= value is your full sk-2slides-... key, and that you chose No Authentication.
• Tools list looks stale. Open the app at chatgpt.com/plugins, select Refresh, then start a new conversation.
• Dot says it has no 2Slides tool. This is the undocumented case described above. Use Fallback A or B, and repeat the Step 2 test after future ChatGPT updates.
• Link doesn't open. downloadUrl expires after 1 hour. Regenerate the deck or poll jobs_get for a fresh result.
• Out of credits. Top up at 2slides.com/pricing. Credits are pay-as-you-go and never expire.

Frequently asked questions

Can OpenAI dots make PowerPoint presentations?

A dot can research and draft slide content, but on its own it doesn't render an editable .pptx from a professional theme. Connect 2Slides and the dot, or a regular ChatGPT chat, can call slides_generate and return a PowerPoint download link.

Can a dot use ChatGPT developer-mode MCP apps?

OpenAI hasn't documented this as of September 30, 2026. Dots can use "supported plugins installed and enabled for your account," but the docs don't say whether developer-mode drafts count. The Step 2 prompt tells you in two minutes whether it works on your account.

Which authentication should I choose for 2Slides in ChatGPT?

No Authentication, with your key in the URL: https://2slides.com/api/mcp?apikey=YOUR_2SLIDES_API_KEY. 2Slides doesn't support OAuth. Treat that URL as a password.

Do I need a Pro plan?

For dots, yes: OpenAI lists Pro 100, Pro 200 and Pro 500, with Business Premium rolling out. Developer mode on its own is available on Plus and several other plans, so Plus users can still use Step 1 in regular chats.

How much does a deck cost?

Fast PPT costs 10 credits per page, so a 10-slide deck is 100 credits. New accounts get 500 free credits. Nano Banana designed slides cost 100 credits per page at 1K/2K.

Can my dot build a deck on a schedule?

Dots support saved schedules (reviewed under Scheduled). If your dot can use the 2Slides app, it can generate the deck on each run. Because download links expire in an hour, tell it to send the link as soon as the deck is ready.

The takeaway

Connecting 2Slides to ChatGPT takes about two minutes and works in regular chats. Whether your OpenAI dot can use that connection isn't documented yet, so test it with the Step 2 prompt, check Activity, and use the chat or REST fallback if it can't.

For the wider picture, see our hub on personal AI agents that make presentations, the general use any AI agent with the 2Slides MCP server guide, and sibling guides for Manus, Meta Muse and OpenAI Codex. Comparing options inside ChatGPT? Read 2Slides vs ChatGPT presentations.

Get your key at 2slides.com/api?tab=mcp. We'll update this guide as soon as OpenAI documents developer-mode app support for dots.

Sources:

• OpenAI — Introducing dots
• ChatGPT Learn — dots
• ChatGPT Learn — dots: computers and apps
• ChatGPT Learn — dots: tasks and memory
• OpenAI — Developer mode guide
• OpenAI — Connect an MCP server to ChatGPT
• 2Slides API and MCP server
• 2Slides machine-readable API docs