Claude Slides is the presentation builder Anthropic added to Claude on 16 September 2026. You ask for a deck in any conversation, Claude drafts the slides from your notes, files or connected apps, and you edit them directly or by asking for changes. When the deck is ready you can present it without leaving Claude, share it by link, or export it to PowerPoint or PDF. It's in beta on the paid plans.
The catch is that Claude now has four ways to make slides, and most pages ranking for this search predate the newest one. Some still say Claude can't touch a Google Slides deck, which Anthropic's own help center, as updated on 25 September, now contradicts. This guide sorts out the four routes, then walks through a first deck, prompts to paste and the beta limits that matter before you present anything real.
The Key Takeaways
- What it is: a deck Claude drafts inside your conversation, which you edit slide by slide, present from Claude and export to PowerPoint or PDF.
- Who gets it: Pro ($20 a month), Max, Team and Enterprise, in beta. Anthropic's pricing page leaves Free out, and Enterprise owners have to switch it on.
- Free still makes decks: every plan, Free included, can ask Claude for a finished .pptx file to download. You just don't get the live editor.
- Google Slides works now: Anthropic's help center (updated 25 September) says Claude can create and edit Google Slides files in a pane beside the chat, in beta. It can't add charts there yet.
- It isn't free to run: building a deck counts toward your plan's usage limits, like everything else you do in Claude.
What Is Claude Slides?
Claude Slides is one of three templates Anthropic launched for "work you'll put in front of others." Its help center describes Slides as presentations "built from your notes, reports, or the work already in your chat." You can edit any slide directly, present without leaving Claude and export to PowerPoint or PDF. Every deck you make is saved to the Artifacts tab in the Claude sidebar, so you can come back to it from any conversation.
It arrived as part of a larger change. On 16 September Anthropic began merging Claude Cowork and ordinary chat into one Claude, shipped Claude Docs and Claude Slides the same day, and moved Claude Design into conversations. Our Claude Docs guide covers the document side, and the Claude Cowork guide explains what the merge moved. The official Claude account pitched the three as one workflow:
You can also now make decks, docs, and designs in your conversation.
— Claude (@claudeai) September 16, 2026
Draft the one-pager in Claude Docs, turn it into a deck with Claude Slides, and mock up a matching visual in Claude Design, all from one place.
Anthropic's own launch example is a weekly report. You ask Claude what moved in the pipeline last week, have it write the report the usual way, and ask it to "put the highlights in five slides for the leadership meeting." Because both come out of the same conversation, the slides match the report, and you can schedule the whole job to run again every Monday.
Claude Slides Is Not the Same as a PowerPoint File
Claude could make PowerPoint files long before Slides existed. On any plan, including Free, you can ask for a presentation and Claude writes code in a sandbox and hands you a .pptx to download, up to 30MB. Anthropic's example request for this is "Turn this analysis into a 10-slide deck I can present on Monday." That file is finished when you get it. If you want a change, you ask again and get a new file.
A Slides deck stays open. You click into a slide and fix a line, select an element and move it, or leave Claude a comment on a slide. It updates in place, and you export only when it's done.
Who Can Use Claude Slides?
It's in beta on every paid plan. Here's the plan-by-plan picture from Anthropic's help center and the Claude pricing page:
| Plan | Price | Claude Slides | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Not included (.pptx files only) | n/a |
| Pro | $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually | Beta | On |
| Max | From $100 a month | Beta | On |
| Team | $25 per standard seat monthly, or $20 billed annually | Beta | On |
| Enterprise | $20 per seat billed annually, plus usage at API rates | Beta | Off until an owner enables it |
Anthropic isn't fully consistent on Free. The pricing page, the launch post and the help center's plan-by-plan table all leave Free out. The help center calls the Design, Slides and Docs templates "in beta on paid plans only." One line in Anthropic's release notes for 16 September says they're on every plan, including Free. We've followed the majority. If you're on Free, the quickest check is whether Slides appears under Output in your own message box. And don't read the launch post's "Team and Free plans will follow soon" as a promise about Slides, because that line is about the merged Claude app. Every tier is broken down in our Claude pricing guide.
Why You Might Not See It Yet
Two things can hide it. First, the merged Claude is rolling out in stages, so two people on the same plan can get it weeks apart. Anthropic's tell: if your message box still shows separate Chat and Cowork options, your account hasn't moved over yet. Second, templates need Cloud code execution and file creation switched on in Settings > Capabilities, or in Organization settings > Capabilities on Team and Enterprise. On Enterprise, an owner turns Slides on under Organization settings > Artifacts. Organizations using customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK), zero data retention or a HIPAA-ready setup can't use it yet.
How to Make Slides With Claude, Step by Step
These are the steps as Anthropic documents them, on the web or the desktop app.
- Start the deck. Ask for a presentation in plain words in any conversation, or select Output in the message box and choose Slides. You can also open the Artifacts tab and start from the Slides template.
- Give it something to build from. Attach the report, notes or spreadsheet, or name the file in a connected app. Say who the audience is and how many slides you want.
- Answer its questions. If something is unclear, Claude asks before it builds. By default it also asks your permission before it takes an action.
- Edit the draft. Type straight onto a slide, select an element and move it, ask for changes in the chat, or leave Claude a comment on a specific slide.
- Present or share it. Present straight from Claude, or click Share and send the link.
- Export it. Click Export and choose PowerPoint or PDF.
What Claude Can Build a Deck From
The draft is only as good as what Claude can see. It can use files you upload, your projects and memory, your skills, and apps you've connected, such as Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft 365 or Slack. That's the difference between a deck built on last quarter's real numbers and one with plausible placeholders. Name the source in your request, the way Anthropic's weekly-report example names last week's pipeline.
Brand Colors and Design Systems
Decks can use a design system: colors, fonts and components you capture once, which Claude then applies to every new deck and design. You set one up through Claude Design, which our Claude Design guide for the Mac walks through. On Team and Enterprise plans, the organization's default design system is preselected when someone starts a new deck.
Claude Slides in Claude Code and on Mobile
Anthropic's developer account says Slides also works inside Claude Code, pitched at decks built from the code you're working on:
Claude Design, Claude Slides and Claude Docs also work inside Claude Code now.
— ClaudeDevs (@ClaudeDevs) September 16, 2026
Ask for a design review deck or a UI mockup and point it at the actual files and RFCs in the repo. Edit it yourself or keep going in the conversation, and share the link when it's ready.
On the iPhone and Android apps you can ask for a deck and view it in the Artifacts tab. Editing it, starting from a template and changing who can see it all need the web or desktop app.
Copy-Paste Prompts for Claude Slides
Anthropic's advice for any task is to name the outcome, the format and the inputs Claude should work from. These four prompts follow that pattern. Swap the brackets and paste.
Make a [10]-slide deck for [our leadership meeting] from [file name]. One idea per slide, a headline that states the takeaway, and no more than three bullets per slide. Put the numbers in charts, not text, and add a comment on any slide where you had to guess.
Turn the report we just wrote into five slides for [audience]. Keep the same numbers as the report, lead with what slipped, and finish with a slide of owners and next steps.
Build a [15]-minute pitch deck for [product] aimed at [customer type]: problem, solution, how it works, pricing, proof, and a closing ask. Write speaker notes for every slide.
Review this deck as a skeptical [CFO]. Leave a comment on every slide where the claim is weak or the chart is misleading, then suggest a tighter order for the slides.
The comment instruction in the first prompt earns its place. It moves Claude's guesses out of the slide text and into the margin, where you'll see them before your audience does.
Can Claude Make or Edit Google Slides?
Yes, in beta, and this is newer than most pages ranking for the question. Anthropic's Google Workspace connectors page, updated on 25 September, says Claude can create Google Slides files and edit them live in a pane beside the chat, while you work in the same file. It runs through a separate Google Slides connector, not through the Slides template.
- Click the plus sign in the chat, hover over Connectors and turn on the Google Slides connector.
- Paste a link to an existing Google Slides deck, or ask for a new one by name, such as "make a Google Slides deck from these notes."
- The file opens in a pane next to the conversation. Keep editing while Claude works, or click Open in Google to open it in your browser.
Three details decide whether this works for you. Name Google Slides in the request, because asking for a deck without naming Google creates a local file instead. Don't count on charts: Claude can't add them to Google Slides yet, and its Slides edits may not appear live in the pane. And check your browser. The pane works in Chrome on the web and in the desktop app with its built-in browser turned on, so anywhere else, open the file in Google.
A deck made with the Slides template doesn't export to Google Slides. Its export list is PowerPoint and PDF. The only Claude surface with a direct Google Slides export is standalone Claude Design at claude.ai/design. If you've already built the deck in Claude, export it to PowerPoint and open that file in Google Slides.
Four Ways to Make Slides With Claude: Which One to Use
The Slides template is the newest route, not the only one. Here's how the four compare, from Anthropic's help pages:
| Route | Where you work | Plans | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Slides | Inside Claude | Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise (beta) | An editable deck you can present, share by link and export to PowerPoint or PDF | A first draft from notes, reports or connected apps |
| .pptx file creation | Inside Claude | Every plan, including Free | A finished PowerPoint file to download or save to Google Drive | A quick deck on the Free plan |
| Google Slides connector | A pane beside the chat | Google Workspace connectors are on every plan (beta) | A native Google Slides file, edited live | Teams that live in Google Workspace |
| Claude for PowerPoint | Inside PowerPoint | Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise | Slides built on your own template and slide master | Company templates and existing decks |
The PowerPoint add-in is the one people mix up with Slides. It's installed from Microsoft AppSource as "Claude for Microsoft 365" and runs in PowerPoint on the web, on Windows and on the Mac, but not on the iPad. It reads your deck's slide master, fonts and colors and keeps new slides on-brand. Setup is covered in our guide to using AI in PowerPoint.
The rule of thumb: start in Slides when you have raw material and no deck. Switch to the add-in when the deck already exists, or when it has to sit in a corporate template from slide one.
Sharing and Exporting a Claude Slides Deck
Every deck starts private. How far you can share it depends on your plan, according to Anthropic's help center:
| Question | Pro and Max | Team and Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Who can you share with? | Anyone with the link | Specific people or your whole organization |
| Anyone with the link? | Yes | Only if an owner has turned on external sharing |
| Email invitations? | Yes, in beta | Yes, in beta. Outside invitations are on by default on Team and off on Enterprise |
| Does the viewer need a Claude account? | Yes | Yes |
People you share with can view, comment on or edit the deck, depending on the access you give them.
The rule that matters most: everyone needs a Claude account to open a shared deck, even with the link. For a client or a conference organizer, export to PowerPoint or PDF and send the file instead.
Claude Slides Limits to Know Before You Present
Slides is a beta, and a few of its gaps decide whether it can carry a presentation that matters:
| Limit | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| It uses your plan's allowance | Decks draw on the same limits as your chats. A deck built from several files uses more than a normal message. |
| Viewers need a Claude account | Export a file for anyone outside Claude. |
| No Google Slides export | Go through a PowerPoint file, or use the Google Slides connector from the start. |
| Mobile is view-only | Editing and sharing need the web or desktop app. |
| Some organizations are excluded | CMEK, zero data retention and HIPAA-ready setups don't get it yet. |
The allowance point is easy to underestimate on Pro, where a few big decks draw on the same session and weekly limits as your chats. Our explainer on how Claude's usage limits work covers the session and weekly caps.
Make Slides, and Much More, With Fello AI
Claude Slides has two catches built in: it needs a paid Claude plan, and everyone you share a deck with needs a Claude account too. If what you actually want is a finished presentation you can send to anyone, from the Mac or iPhone you're already on, Fello AI does that job, and a lot more around it.
A Real PowerPoint File From One Message
Fello AI's PowerPoint skill turns a prompt into a complete deck: titles, bullet points, speaker notes and images, plus charts and tables when your data calls for them. You get a standard .pptx file, so it opens in PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides, which also solves the Google Slides export that Claude Slides doesn't have. Already have a deck? Upload the .pptx and ask for changes, or drop in the report, PDF or spreadsheet the deck should be built from.
Pick the Model for Each Job
Claude only runs Claude. Fello AI puts Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Kimi and Qwen in one app, so you can draft the storyline with Claude, ask another model to check the numbers, and keep whichever version reads better. When two models agree on a figure, you can put it on a slide with more confidence.
Everything Around the Deck
A presentation rarely travels alone. The same chat can produce the Word memo that goes with it, the Excel file behind the charts and a PDF handout. Search pulls current figures from the web with sources, and image generation makes a custom visual for the title slide. The Podcast skill even turns the finished report into audio you can listen to on the way to the meeting.
Fello AI runs natively on the Mac, iPhone and iPad. There's a free tier, and the full version costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, with a 4.7-star rating from more than 27,000 reviews. That's less than half the price of Claude Pro, with Claude included.
Is Claude Slides Worth Using?
Yes, for first drafts. Its real strength is where the deck starts: the report you just wrote, the files in your Drive and the numbers in your connected apps, all in one conversation. For a recurring deck like a weekly update, that turns an evening of copying charts into a review job.
It isn't yet the place to finish a deck that has to match a company template or go to people without a Claude login. For those, export to PowerPoint and polish it there, ideally with the add-in. Try it on next week's recurring deck first, using the steps in Anthropic's artifacts help page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Slides free?
Not according to Anthropic's pricing page and help center, which list Slides for Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise only, although one line in its release notes says Free too. Free users can always ask Claude for a downloadable PowerPoint file, which is a separate feature without live editing or sharing.
How do I open Claude Slides?
Ask for a presentation in any conversation, select Output in the message box and choose Slides, or start from the Slides template in the Artifacts tab. If you see none of these, your account may not have the new Claude experience yet.
Can Claude edit Google Slides?
Yes, in beta. Turn on the Google Slides connector, then paste a Slides link or ask for a Google Slides deck by name. Claude edits it in a pane beside the chat, but it can't add charts to Google Slides yet.
Can I export Claude Slides to PowerPoint?
Yes. Click Export and choose PowerPoint or PDF. There's no direct Google Slides export, so open the PowerPoint file in Google Slides if you need it there.
What's the difference between Claude Slides and Claude for PowerPoint?
Slides builds the deck inside Claude and exports a file at the end. Claude for PowerPoint is an add-in that works inside PowerPoint, on your own template, slide by slide. Use Slides for a first draft and the add-in for decks that must follow a company template.