pptx-reference-deck-analysisby Seth Hobson

PPTX Reference Deck Analysis Skill.

A Claude Code and Codex skill for PPT and slide decks: analyzes a reference PPTX for theme, typography, layout rhythm, and diagnostics.

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wshobson/agents · plugins/pptx-deck-creation/skills/pptx-reference-deck-analysis/SKILL.mdSKILL.md

--- name: pptx-reference-deck-analysis description: Use when analyzing a reference PPTX for read-only structure, theme, typography, layout rhythm, diagnostics, derived template catalogs, or safe OOXML package inspection. --- ## Contract ## Rules ## OOXML package inspection

Front matter and section headings read from the upstream file on 2026-09-14 · 2,755 characters in full

01 What it does

What the pptx-reference-deck-analysis Skill Does in Claude Code and Codex

Summary, workflow and outputs, all read from the skill's SKILL.md.

From the SKILL.mdRead 2026-09-14 · not a recorded run

In the Skill's Own Terms

Inspects a reference PPTX as design evidence and deliberately never copies, clones or mutates it. A small task-local python-pptx script performs required extraction on demand, covering compact prompt context (slide count and size, shape counts, brand signals, layout rhythm), full extraction with read-only layout_tree evidence, folder diagnostics, style-master analysis and a derived template catalog with zero-based source indices.

Bundled OOXML utilities handle raw themes, relationships, notes, comments, animations, media, masters and layouts, and the scripts inspect.py, validate_package.py and unpack.py give a JSON report, package validation and optional raw-package extraction. Every inspected part and parsing exception is logged in an analysis manifest, and extracted assets stay out of new decks without license evidence.

What it produces

Compact prompt context: slide count and size, text summaries, shape counts, styles, brand signals, template use and layout rhythm.
Full extraction of summary, slides and read-only layout_tree evidence.
Style-master analysis covering colors, fonts, size distribution, master/layout use and flow patterns.
A derived template catalog with zero-based source indices, layout roles, usable regions, placeholders, visual structures and constraints.

See the example prompt ↗

How It Works

01
Write a task-local Extractor
Required extraction is implemented on demand with a small python-pptx script rather than a fixed pipeline, so only the information the new deck needs is captured.
02
Run the Compact Inspection
scripts/inspect.py takes the deck path and returns one JSON report covering slide order, text, theme tokens, relationships, notes, comments, animations and media.
03
Escalate to the OOXML Utilities
The bundled utilities are the fallback path for raw themes, relationships, notes, comments, animations, media, masters and layouts that high-level extraction cannot see.
04
Anchor Relationships to the .rels Owner
Relationship targets are resolved relative to the part that owns the .rels file, and slide order is never inferred from file names.

02 Find your fit

When to Use the pptx-reference-deck-analysis Skill

Use the pptx-reference-deck-analysis skill in Claude Code or Codex when the job is PPT and slide decks of this kind. Fit and limits below are taken from the skill's own file.

Good Fit

You want a reference deck read as design evidence for a new deck rather than duplicated into it.
You are running diagnostics across a folder of decks and want one result per deck plus a manifest.
You need the bundled reference documents on output shapes and documentation-only patterns.

Know the Boundaries

Anything that clones or mutates the source deck instead of only reading it.

What to Provide

The reference deck pathThe bundled scripts take the .pptx as their first argument; it is the only required input.
An output directory for raw package evidenceunpack.py writes extracted parts into a directory you supply, and is run only when raw-package evidence is necessary.
defusedxml from requirements.txtInstalled before any bundled OOXML utility is used.

03 Inside the skill

Rules the pptx-reference-deck-analysis Skill Gives Claude Code and Codex

6 concrete instructions, defaults and limits the SKILL.md sets for the agent — the part of the file that changes the result.

Keep the Source read-only
The reference deck is never edited, and every coordinate in the new target slides is authored independently instead of inherited.
Log What Was Inspected
Every inspected part and every parsing exception must be recorded in the analysis manifest.
No Reuse Without License Evidence
Extracted content, fonts, images and proprietary assets may not appear in a generated deck without explicit permission and license evidence.
Run from a Trusted Workspace
The scripts reject path traversal, symlinks, oversized members and archive bombs, so they assume a trusted working directory.
Parse XML with Defusedxml
Untrusted XML must go through defusedxml with entity expansion, DTD loading and network access all left off.
Treat Theme Colors as Tokens
A theme color stays a token until it is fully resolved against the color scheme.

04 Put it to work

Install pptx-reference-deck-analysis in Claude Code or Codex

One npx skills add command, then a first task in your agent and a checklist for the result.

Add pptx-reference-deck-analysis to Claude Code, Codex or Your Agent

Run in your project; the installer asks which agent to add it to.

Terminal

npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill pptx-reference-deck-analysis

Generic skills CLI form for plugins/pptx-deck-creation/skills/pptx-reference-deck-analysis/SKILL.md; the repository may document its own path.

Give the Skill a First PPT and Slide Decks Task

Written in the skill's own terms; replace the bracketed parts with your material.

Starter prompt

I have a reference deck at [path/to/reference.pptx]. Inspect it as design evidence and give me the compact prompt context, a style-master analysis of colors, fonts and flow patterns, and a derived template catalog with layout roles, usable regions and placeholders. Validate the package and record inspected parts and parsing exceptions in the manifest, keeping the source read-only.

Source: written from the SKILL.md in the skill's own terms.

Check the First Result

What the SKILL.md itself says a correct result looks like:

Run validate_package.py with --output and read the report for malformed XML, broken internal relationships, content-type gaps, duplicate layout links and orphaned parts.

In OpenDesign import pptx-reference-deck-analysis from its SKILL.md link: Plugins → Add → Skill → Import from link, then pick it in the top bar.

Download OpenDesign Read the quickstart

05 Open source, traceable

Source, License and Verification

Where this page's facts come from, and when they were last checked.

Author: Seth Hobson
Repository: github.com/wshobson/agents Branch main
Skill file: plugins/pptx-deck-creation/skills/pptx-reference-deck-analysis/SKILL.md Content checksum recorded at verification; commit 4236bb9
License: MIT From LICENSE.
Repository stars: 39,635 GitHub snapshot taken 2026-09-14 for the whole wshobson/agents repository, which contains 18 skills in this catalog. Not a rating or usage count for pptx-reference-deck-analysis.
Verified by OpenDesign: 2026-09-14 Source file, path, license text and star count were checked. Not bundled in OpenDesign main (checked 2026-08-28); a live run has not been recorded on this page.

Inside the SKILL.md

ContractThe five extraction outputs: prompt context, full extraction, folder diagnostics, style-master analysis, template catalog.
RulesRead-only source, independently authored coordinates, manifest logging, license evidence before reuse.
OOXML package inspectionInstall defusedxml, then run inspect.py, validate_package.py and unpack.py; resolve .rels targets.
SafetyTrusted workspace, rejected traversal and archive bombs, defusedxml parsing, theme colors as tokens.

The Skill's Own Description

“Use when analyzing a reference PPTX for read-only structure, theme, typography, layout rhythm, diagnostics, derived template catalogs, or safe OOXML package inspection.”

Front-matter description from SKILL.md. The full file is about 2,755 characters. Read the full file on GitHub.

06 Before you install

Questions About the pptx-reference-deck-analysis Skill

Answers come from the SKILL.md as read on 2026-09-14, not from a recorded run.

Will analyzing my reference deck change the file?

No. The skill never modifies a supplied deck and never blindly copies package parts into a new deck; the source stays read-only and the new slides are authored independently.

PPTX Reference Deck Analysis

Run pptx-reference-deck-analysis on a Real PPT and Slide Decks Task.

Download OpenDesign, import pptx-reference-deck-analysis from its SKILL.md link, paste the prompt above, and read the plan before the result.

Download OpenDesign Browse all skills