mcp-google-slides

# <img src="./assets/a1-logo.svg" alt="A1" width="40"> Google Slides MCP

**English** | [Русский](./README.ru.md)

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**A1 Google Slides MCP** lets an AI app build and edit Google Slides presentations in plain language. Draft a deck, add and rearrange slides, write and style text, place shapes, images and tables, keep speaker notes, review comments and export the result as PDF or PPTX.

It uses the Google Slides API with your Google account. Everything inside a deck is addressed by explicit object ids, and it makes the limits of the Slides API explicit instead of implying that every presentation task is possible.

- **32 tools.** Inspect decks and pages, edit slides, text, shapes, images and tables, manage speaker notes and comments, render thumbnails and export files.
- **Connects from the conversation.** Say "connect Google Slides": the server walks you through the OAuth client, catches Google's redirect on `127.0.0.1` with PKCE and keeps the tokens itself — no config files, no restart.
- **Edits are atomic.** Changes ride the API's `batchUpdate`: one invalid request voids the whole batch, so a deck is never left half-edited.
- **Your Drive stays out of reach.** Comments, export and local-image upload use the Drive API strictly for the one presentation file — there are no tools to list, share, rename or delete Drive files.
- **Minimal Google scopes.** It needs `presentations`; Drive scopes are required only for local images, comments and export.

Start with a read-only question:

> Show me the slides in the quarterly report deck and what's on each of them.

[Connect the server](#quick-start) · [Explore use cases](#what-you-can-ask-it-to-do) · [Open technical documentation](#technical-documentation)

---

## See it work in a minute

> **You:** List the slides of the Q3 review deck and what's on each one.
>
> **Assistant:** Shows a compact inventory: every slide's position, layout and elements with their visible text. Nothing changes.
>
> **You:** Prepare a new slide after the agenda titled “Roadmap”, with the key dates in the body.
>
> **Assistant:** Shows the target deck, the layout and the proposed text, then asks for confirmation before adding it.
>
> **You:** Confirm.
>
> **Assistant:** Adds the slide and fills its placeholders. It does not touch the other slides.

## Contents

- [Quick start](#quick-start)
- [What you can ask it to do](#what-you-can-ask-it-to-do)
- [How a presentation changes](#how-a-presentation-changes)
- [What can change](#what-can-change)
- [Getting access](#getting-access)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [Data, limits and background work](#data-limits-and-background-work)
- [Technical documentation](#technical-documentation)
- [Support](#support)

## Quick start

You need Node.js 20+ and a Google account. Credentials are not required at install time — the server connects from the conversation.

1. Add the server to your AI app.
2. Say "connect Google Slides": the assistant walks you through [creating the OAuth client and approving access](#getting-access) without editing config files.
3. Ask the read-only question above.

<details open>
<summary><strong>Codex</strong></summary>

<br>

**In the app:** open **Settings → MCP servers**, select **Add server**, choose **STDIO**, enter the command `npx -y @a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest` and environment variables `GOOGLE_SLIDES_CLIENT_ID`, `GOOGLE_SLIDES_CLIENT_SECRET`, `GOOGLE_SLIDES_REFRESH_TOKEN`, then select **Save** and **Restart**.

**From the command line:**

```bash
codex mcp add google-slides \
  -- npx -y @a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest
```

```bash
codex mcp list
```

[Codex MCP documentation](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/extend/mcp?surface=cli)

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Code</strong></summary>

<br>

```bash
claude mcp add \
  --transport stdio --scope user google-slides \
  -- npx -y @a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest
```

```bash
claude mcp list
```

[Claude Code MCP documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp)

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Desktop</strong></summary>

<br>

The current official path is **Settings → Extensions**. For a custom desktop extension, open **Advanced settings → Extension Developer → Install Extension…**, select a `.mcpb` file and follow the prompts.

This repository currently publishes an npm stdio package and does not contain a `.mcpb` bundle. For Claude Desktop builds that still support local configuration, use the following JSON stdio configuration as a fallback:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-slides": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest"]
    }
  }
}
```

In those builds, save it to `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS or `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` on Windows.

[Claude Desktop MCP documentation](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10949351-getting-started-with-local-mcp-servers-on-claude-desktop)

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Cursor</strong></summary>

<br>

Add this to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` on macOS/Linux or `%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json` on Windows:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-slides": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest"]
    }
  }
}
```

[Cursor MCP documentation](https://cursor.com/docs/mcp)

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>VS Code</strong></summary>

<br>

Run **MCP: Open User Configuration** and add:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "google-slides": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@a1-x-tech/mcp-google-slides@latest"]
    }
  }
}
```

Check it with **MCP: List Servers**.

[VS Code MCP documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agent-customization/mcp-servers)

</details>

## What you can ask it to do

### Inspect a deck

- List the slides of this presentation and what's on each one.
- Read the speaker notes for slide 5.
- Render a thumbnail of the title slide.

### Build and rearrange slides

- Create a presentation for the Q3 review.
- Add a “Roadmap” slide after the agenda, duplicate the template slide, move the summary to the end.
- Insert an image from a URL or a local file, add a 4×3 table, create a text box or a rounded rectangle with its caption.

### Write and polish text

- Put this text into the title placeholder and make the deadline bold and red.
- Replace “Q2” with “Q3” across the whole deck.
- Rewrite the speaker notes of slide 3 to be shorter.

### Review and hand off

- List the open comment threads and reply to the first one, resolving it.
- Delete the draft slide we no longer need.
- Export the deck as PDF or PPTX for someone without Google access.

## How a presentation changes

1. `create_presentation` creates a **deck** with one title slide; only the title is honored at creation.
2. Everything inside a deck — slides, shapes, images, tables — is addressed by **object ids**. `list_slides` is the compact inventory to start from before any edit.
3. Edits go through the API's atomic `batchUpdate`: one invalid request voids the whole batch, so nothing is half-applied.
4. Tool inputs are in points; the API stores EMU (1 pt = 12700 EMU). The server converts both ways.

The Slides API cannot delete, rename or share the presentation file — those are Drive file operations outside this server's scope. It cannot import a theme (only instantiate layouts the deck already has) and cannot anchor a new comment to a specific slide. Export is capped at 10 MB, and thumbnail URLs expire after about 30 minutes.

## What can change

| Operation | What happens | Confirmation boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect a deck, page, notes or comments; render a thumbnail; export a file | Reads data, writes only local files | No change |
| Create a presentation | Adds a new deck to your Google account | Changes Google Slides |
| Add, duplicate or move slides; create shapes, images, tables | Adds or rearranges deck content | Changes a deck |
| Set or style text, replace an image, transform an element, edit speaker notes or table structure | Overwrites existing content | Changes a deck |
| Find & replace across the deck | Changes every match at once | Changes a deck broadly |
| Delete a slide, element or comment thread | Removes content with no undo through the API | Destructive |
| Raw `batchUpdate` or raw API request | Can call API methods without a dedicated tool | Potentially destructive |

The AI client controls confirmation prompts. The server marks reads, writes and destructive tools so the client can distinguish an inspection from a live change.

## Getting access

Google Slides requires OAuth 2.0; an API key is not enough. There are two ways in, and the first one needs no configuration files.

### Connect from the chat (recommended)

Say "connect Google Slides" and the assistant runs the flow with you:

1. `setup_instructions` prints the checklist: create or select a Google Cloud project, enable **Google Slides API**, configure the consent screen and create a **Desktop app** OAuth client.
2. Download that client's JSON ("Download JSON") and give the assistant its **path** — `set_client` stores it owner-only. The secret never goes through the conversation.
3. `start_login` returns a Google consent link. Open it **on this machine** and approve; the code comes back to a one-shot listener on `127.0.0.1` (PKCE), never through the chat.
4. `finish_login` exchanges the code and s