PowerPoint MCP Server

Create and edit PowerPoint presentations with Claude – locally, on any platform.

Why This Exists

I wanted a PowerPoint MCP server that works on any machine, even with corporate IT restrictions.

Other servers I tried had:

• External API calls – Blocked by firewalls, require API keys, depend on third-party services
• COM automation – Windows-only, requires PowerPoint to be open, steals focus while working
• Too many tools – 30+ tools for animations and features I never use, slow to run

This server is:

• 100% local – No external API calls, file operations happen locally through python-pptx
• Cross-platform – Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Non-intrusive – Runs in background without launching windows that steal focus
• Lightweight – Lean toolset for 95% of use case

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Python 3.8+ - Check with python3 --version

If not installed:

• macOS: brew install python
• Windows: install using winget isntall Python.Python.3.13 or install from the Microsoft store (search "Python 3.13")
• Linux: use your package manager

Install

1. Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/juanocampo400/powerpoint-mcp.git
cd powerpoint-mcp

2. Install dependencies:

macOS/Linux:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

Windows:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Add to Claude Code:

macOS:

chmod +x server.sh
claude mcp add powerpoint-mcp --scope user -- $PWD/server.sh

Windows (Git Bash):

claude mcp add powerpoint-mcp --scope user -- python $PWD/server.py

Linux:

claude mcp add powerpoint-mcp --scope user -- python3 "$PWD/server.py"

Icon support (optional):

• Windows: pip install cairosvg (works if pycairo installed, common with graphics/PDF tools)
• macOS: brew install cairo pango && pip3 install cairosvg
• Linux: Install Cairo for your distribution, then pip3 install cairosvg

Manual configuration & platform/icons notes

Why --scope user? Makes the server available globally. Without it, the server only works in the project directory.

Why server.sh on macOS? The wrapper script sets DYLD_FALLBACK_LIBRARY_PATH so Python can find the Homebrew-installed cairo library (required for icon support).

Why Phosphor icons? Fill-based SVGs (unlike Lucide's stroke-based SVGs) stay recolorable in PowerPoint. 1,000+ designs (vs Heroicons' ~300). MIT licensed.

Manual config – Edit ~/.claude.json:

macOS:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "powerpoint-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/Users/yourname/powerpoint-mcp/server.sh",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Windows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "powerpoint-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:/Users/yourname/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python312/python.exe",
      "args": ["C:/Users/yourname/powerpoint-mcp/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Make Your First Deck

Open Claude Code and say:

"Create a 5-slide presentation about [topic]"

Claude will create a .pptx file, feel free to specify file path too.

Getting Better Results

This works out of the box works. But for consistent output, here's a suggested progression:

Use a Template

Download an existing template or one from PowerPoint's library, save it to your working folder, and ask Claude to use it:

"Create a presentation about [topic] using the template in my folder"

Prepare the Template

For even better results, prep the template first or ask Claude to prep the template for you:

"Strip the existing text from this template and replace it with generic placeholder text to make it reusable"

Then make your own tweaks to layouts, icon placement, text box sizes. Use this prepared template going forward.

Create a Skill

Once you establish a workflow, package it into a Claude Code skill with your storytelling and branding guidelines. Claude will follow them automatically.

One tester noted: "I made a skill for building pitch decks with the PowerPoint MCP and one of my analytics MCPs and they're working together well...I uploaded a template to the skill and it went wayyy faster. Under 1 minute."

Notes

• Positions and sizes use inches
• Colors are hex codes (e.g., #FF0000 for red)
• 1,500+ Phosphor icons bundled
• One presentation open in memory at a time

Available Tools

Presentation & Slides

Tool	Description
manage_presentation	Open, create, save, save_as, close presentations
get_presentation_info	Get slide count, dimensions, overview
manage_slide	Add, delete, duplicate, move slides
get_slide_snapshot	Get detailed info about shapes on a slide

Content Creation

Tool	Description
add_textbox	Add text with formatting (font, size, color, alignment, bullets)
add_image	Insert images with fit modes (fill, fit, stretch)
add_shape	Add shapes (rectangle, oval, arrow, star, etc.)
add_table	Create tables with data
add_chart	Create charts (bar, column, line, pie, area)
insert_icon	Insert Phosphor SVG icons
list_icons	List available icons by category

Modifications

Tool	Description
modify_shape	Change position, size, color, text of shapes
delete_shape	Remove shapes by ID or name
find_and_replace	Find and replace text across slides (preserves formatting)
get_table_content	Get full table data (rows/columns)
modify_table_cell	Update individual table cells (preserves formatting)

Advanced

Tool	Description
evaluate_code	Execute arbitrary python-pptx code for edge cases (aka the "escape hatch")