Generate an Outline

POST https://api.slidespeak.co/api/v1/presentation/outline

Generates a new presentation outline or edits an existing one using AI. Provide a topic prompt, previously uploaded document UUIDs, or both. To edit an existing outline, pass the current outline along with editing instructions in prompt. The endpoint returns a task_id; poll /task_status/{task_id} until SUCCESS to retrieve the generated outline. The returned outline can then be passed to /presentation/generate to create a full presentation.

Outline Workflow

Use this endpoint as the first step of a two-step workflow for maximum control:

1. Generate or edit an outline here.
2. Review and optionally modify the returned outline.
3. Pass the final outline to /presentation/generate via the outline parameter.

This lets you preview and refine the structure before generating the full presentation.

Headers

---

Content-Type: string

application/json

X-API-Key: string

The API key to use for the request.

<YOUR_API_KEY>

Body Parameters

---

prompt: string OPTIONAL

The topic to generate an outline about, or editing instructions when outline is also provided.

Caution

Required when outline is provided. In that case, prompt is interpreted as instructions for how to edit the existing outline.

document_uuids: list[string] OPTIONAL

The UUIDs of the uploaded documents to use as context for the outline. The UUID can be obtained by uploading a document using the Upload a Document endpoint.

outline: list[object] OPTIONAL

An existing outline to edit. When provided, prompt is required and is used as editing instructions.

Each item in the list is an outline slide object:

title: string

The title of the slide.

description: string

A description of the slide content.

appearance: string

A detailed description of how the slide should look, including layout structure, image placement, chart types, and visual elements.

language: string OPTIONAL (default: 'ORIGINAL')

The language to use in the outline.

Example: French

tone: 'default' | 'casual' | 'professional' | 'funny' | 'educational' | 'sales_pitch' OPTIONAL (default: 'default')

The tone to use for the outline content.

length: number OPTIONAL

The number of outline slides to generate.

Caution

If omitted, the system will automatically determine the optimal number of slides (up to 200). Must be greater than 0 if provided.

Credit Cost

Outline generation costs 1 credit per 5 outline slides (rounded up). For example, generating 12 outline slides costs 3 credits.

Code Examples

---

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.slidespeak.co/api/v1/presentation/outline" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "Key moments in the French Revolution",
    "length": 6,
    "language": "ORIGINAL",
    "tone": "default"
  }'

JavaScript

fetch('https://api.slidespeak.co/api/v1/presentation/outline', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "prompt": "Key moments in the French Revolution",
    "length": 6,
    "language": "ORIGINAL",
    "tone": "default"
  }),
})
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => {
    console.log('Response:', data);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error('Error:', error);
  });

Python

import requests

url = "https://api.slidespeak.co/api/v1/presentation/outline"
headers = {
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
payload = {
  "prompt": "Key moments in the French Revolution",
  "length": 6,
  "language": "ORIGINAL",
  "tone": "default"
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
print(response.json())

PHP

<?php
require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use GuzzleHttp\Client;

$client = new Client();

$response = $client->post('https://api.slidespeak.co/api/v1/presentation/outline', [
    'headers' => [
        'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
        'X-API-Key' => 'YOUR_API_KEY'
    ],
    'json' => [
        'prompt' => 'Key moments in the French Revolution',
        'length' => 6,
        'language' => 'ORIGINAL',
        'tone' => 'default'
    ]
]);

$body = $response->getBody();
$data = json_decode($body, true);

print_r($data);

Example body (generate)

---

{
    "prompt": "Key moments in the French Revolution",
    "length": 6,
    "language": "ORIGINAL",
    "tone": "default"
}

Example body (edit)

---

{
    "prompt": "Add a slide about the Reign of Terror and make it more educational",
    "outline": [
        {
            "title": "Key Moments in the French Revolution",
            "description": "This is a cover slide. The slide presents the presentation title and a concise subtitle indicating the focus on major events from 1789 to 1799, setting the stage for the timeline of the French Revolution.",
            "appearance": "Centered large title at top with a smaller subtitle below. Full-bleed background image of a revolutionary crowd or the French tricolor flag (stock image). Bottom-right small caption with presenter name and date. No other content on the slide to keep it clean and compelling."
        },
        {
            "title": "Background: Financial Crisis and the Estates-General (1789)",
            "description": "This slide explains how chronic debt, costly wars, and an unfair tax system plunged France into financial crisis and led King Louis XVI to call the Estates-General in 1789, creating the conditions for political upheaval.",
            "appearance": "Left column: concise paragraph summarizing the fiscal crisis and why the Estates-General was called. Right column: bar chart labeled 'Annual Royal Deficit (pre-1789)' showing rising deficits across three sample years. Top-right corner small stock image of a palace or assembly hall (stock image)."
        }
    ],
    "tone": "educational"
}

Response

---

200

{
    "task_id": "a1b2c3d4-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab"
}

Example Task Result

---

{
    "task_id": "a1b2c3d4-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab",
    "task_status": "SUCCESS",
    "task_result": {
        "slides": [
            {
                "title": "Key Moments in the French Revolution",
                "description": "This is a cover slide. The slide presents the presentation title and a concise subtitle indicating the focus on major events from 1789 to 1799, setting the stage for the timeline of the French Revolution.",
                "appearance": "Centered large title at top with a smaller subtitle below. Full-bleed background image of a revolutionary crowd or the French tricolor flag (stock image). Bottom-right small caption with presenter name and date. No other content on the slide to keep it clean and compelling."
            },
            {
                "title": "Background: Financial Crisis and the Estates-General (1789)",
                "description": "This slide explains how chronic debt, costly wars, and an unfair tax system plunged France into financial crisis and led King Louis XVI to call the Estates-General in 1789, creating the conditions for political upheaval.",
                "appearance": "Left column: concise paragraph summarizing the fiscal crisis and why the Estates-General was called. Right column: bar chart labeled 'Annual Royal Deficit (pre-1789)' showing rising deficits across three sample years. Top-right corner small stock image of a palace or assembly hall (stock image)."
            },
            {
                "title": "The Tennis Court Oath: Unity and Resolve (June 1789)",
                "description": "This slide describes how members of the Third Estate, locked out of the Estates-General, gathered at a tennis court and swore not to separate until they had drafted a constitution, marking a pivotal assertion of popular political authority.",
                "appearance": "Top third: wide stock image of the Tennis Court Oath scene (stock image). Middle third: single sentence summarizing the pledge and its political significance. Bottom third: two-column callout boxes—left box titled 'Who' with a note on the National Assembly members, right box titled 'Why it mattered' with a note on constitutional legitimacy."
            }
        ],
        "request_id": "a1b2c3d4-5678-90ab-cdef-1234567890ab"
    }
}