Google Slides

---
name: google-slides
description: "Google Slides API integration with managed OAuth. Create presentations, add slides, insert content, and manage slide formatting. Use this skill when users want to interact with Google Slides. For other third party apps, use the api-gateway skill (https://clawhub.ai/byungkyu/api-gateway)."
---

# Google Slides

Access the Google Slides API with managed OAuth authentication. Create and manage presentations, add slides, insert text and images, and control formatting.

## Quick Start

```bash
# Create a new presentation
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'title': 'My Presentation'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

## Base URL

```
https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/{native-api-path}
```

Replace `{native-api-path}` with the actual Google Slides API endpoint path. The gateway proxies requests to `slides.googleapis.com` and automatically injects your OAuth token.

## Authentication

All requests require the Maton API key in the Authorization header:

```
Authorization: Bearer $MATON_API_KEY
```

**Environment Variable:** Set your API key as `MATON_API_KEY`:

```bash
export MATON_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
```

### Getting Your API Key

1. Sign in or create an account at [maton.ai](https://maton.ai)
2. Go to [maton.ai/settings](https://maton.ai/settings)
3. Copy your API key

## Connection Management

Manage your Google OAuth connections at `https://ctrl.maton.ai`.

### List Connections

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections?app=google-slides&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

### Create Connection

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'app': 'google-slides'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

### Get Connection

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

**Response:**
```json
{
  "connection": {
    "connection_id": "21fd90f9-5935-43cd-b6c8-bde9d915ca80",
    "status": "ACTIVE",
    "creation_time": "2025-12-08T07:20:53.488460Z",
    "last_updated_time": "2026-01-31T20:03:32.593153Z",
    "url": "https://connect.maton.ai/?session_token=...",
    "app": "google-slides",
    "metadata": {}
  }
}
```

Open the returned `url` in a browser to complete OAuth authorization.

### Delete Connection

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}', method='DELETE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

### Specifying Connection

If you have multiple Google Slides connections, specify which one to use with the `Maton-Connection` header:

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'title': 'My Presentation'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
req.add_header('Maton-Connection', '21fd90f9-5935-43cd-b6c8-bde9d915ca80')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

If omitted, the gateway uses the default (oldest) active connection.

## API Reference

### Presentations

#### Create Presentation

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "My Presentation"
}
```

#### Get Presentation

```bash
GET /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}
```

### Pages (Slides)

#### Get Page

```bash
GET /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageId}
```

#### Get Page Thumbnail

```bash
GET /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageId}/thumbnail
```

With custom size:

```bash
GET /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageId}/thumbnail?thumbnailProperties.mimeType=PNG&thumbnailProperties.thumbnailSize=LARGE
```

### Batch Update

The batchUpdate endpoint is used for most modifications. It accepts an array of requests that are applied atomically.

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [...]
}
```

#### Create Slide

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "createSlide": {
        "objectId": "slide_001",
        "slideLayoutReference": {
          "predefinedLayout": "TITLE_AND_BODY"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

Available predefined layouts:
- `BLANK`
- `TITLE`
- `TITLE_AND_BODY`
- `TITLE_AND_TWO_COLUMNS`
- `TITLE_ONLY`
- `SECTION_HEADER`
- `ONE_COLUMN_TEXT`
- `MAIN_POINT`
- `BIG_NUMBER`

#### Insert Text

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "insertText": {
        "objectId": "{shapeId}",
        "text": "Hello, World!",
        "insertionIndex": 0
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Delete Text

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "deleteText": {
        "objectId": "{shapeId}",
        "textRange": {
          "type": "ALL"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Create Shape

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "createShape": {
        "objectId": "shape_001",
        "shapeType": "TEXT_BOX",
        "elementProperties": {
          "pageObjectId": "{slideId}",
          "size": {
            "width": {"magnitude": 300, "unit": "PT"},
            "height": {"magnitude": 100, "unit": "PT"}
          },
          "transform": {
            "scaleX": 1,
            "scaleY": 1,
            "translateX": 100,
            "translateY": 100,
            "unit": "PT"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Create Image

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "createImage": {
        "objectId": "image_001",
        "url": "https://example.com/image.png",
        "elementProperties": {
          "pageObjectId": "{slideId}",
          "size": {
            "width": {"magnitude": 200, "unit": "PT"},
            "height": {"magnitude": 200, "unit": "PT"}
          },
          "transform": {
            "scaleX": 1,
            "scaleY": 1,
            "translateX": 200,
            "translateY": 200,
            "unit": "PT"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Delete Object

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "deleteObject": {
        "objectId": "{objectId}"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Update Text Style

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "updateTextStyle": {
        "objectId": "{shapeId}",
        "textRange": {
          "type": "ALL"
        },
        "style": {
          "bold": true,
          "fontSize": {"magnitude": 24, "unit": "PT"},
          "foregroundColor": {
            "opaqueColor": {
              "rgbColor": {"red": 0.2, "green": 0.4, "blue": 0.8}
            }
          }
        },
        "fields": "bold,fontSize,foregroundColor"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

#### Replace All Text

```bash
POST /google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "replaceAllText": {
        "containsText": {
          "text": "{{placeholder}}",
          "matchCase": true
        },
        "replaceText": "Actual Value"
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

## Code Examples

### JavaScript

```javascript
// Create a presentation
const response = await fetch(
  'https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ title: 'My Presentation' })
  }
);

const presentation = await response.json();
const presentationId = presentation.presentationId;

// Add a slide
await fetch(
  `https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations/${presentationId}:batchUpdate`,
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      requests: [
        {
          createSlide: {
            slideLayoutReference: { predefinedLayout: 'TITLE_AND_BODY' }
          }
        }
      ]
    })
  }
);
```

### Python

```python
import os
import requests

headers = {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}'
}

# Create a presentation
response = requests.post(
    'https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations',
    headers=headers,
    json={'title': 'My Presentation'}
)
presentation = response.json()
presentation_id = presentation['presentationId']

# Add a slide
requests.post(
    f'https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations/{presentation_id}:batchUpdate',
    headers=headers,
    json={
        'requests': [
            {
                'createSlide': {
                    'slideLayoutReference': {'predefinedLayout': 'TITLE_AND_BODY'}
                }
            }
        ]
    }
)
```

## Notes

- Object IDs must be unique within a presentation
- Use batchUpdate for all modifications (adding slides, text, shapes, etc.)
- Multiple requests in a batchUpdate are applied atomically
- Sizes and positions use PT (points) as the unit (72 points = 1 inch)
- Use `replaceAllText` for template-based presentation generation
- IMPORTANT: When using curl commands, use `curl -g` when URLs contain brackets to disable glob parsing
- IMPORTANT: When piping curl output to `jq` or other commands, environment variables like `$MATON_API_KEY` may not expand correctly in some shell environments. You may get "Invalid API key" errors when piping.

## Error Handling

| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| 400 | Missing Google Slides connection |
| 401 | Invalid or missing Maton API key |
| 404 | Presentation not found |
| 429 | Rate limited (10 req/sec per account) |
| 4xx/5xx | Passthrough error from Google Slides API |

### Troubleshooting: API Key Issues

1. Check that the `MATON_API_KEY` environment variable is set:

```bash
echo $MATON_API_KEY
```

2. Verify the API key is valid by listing connections:

```bash
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF
```

### Troubleshooting: Invalid App Name

1. Ensure your URL path starts with `google-slides`. For example:

- Correct: `https://gateway.maton.ai/google-slides/v1/presentations`
- Incorrect: `https://gateway.maton.ai/slides/v1/presentations`

## Resources

- [Slides API Overview](https://developers.google.com/slides/api/reference/rest)
- [Presentations](https://developers.google.com/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations)
- [Pages](https://developers.google.com/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations.pages)
- [BatchUpdate Requests](https://developers.google.com/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
- [Page Layouts](https://developers.google.com/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/create#predefinedlayout)
- [Maton Community](https://discord.com/invite/dBfFAcefs2)
- [Maton Support](mailto:support@maton.ai)