Gbot Frontend Slides

Create zero-dependency, animation-rich HTML presentations that run entirely in the browser.

Document Boundary

This file is the runtime instruction contract for the agent.

• SKILL.md defines how the agent should execute the work
• README.md is the human-facing overview, installation guide, and maintenance entry point

Keep these roles separate:

• put workflow, hard rules, and execution decisions in SKILL.md
• put installation, capability overview, file map, and operator-facing guidance in README.md
• do not duplicate large explanatory sections in both files unless they are necessary in both contexts

Core Principles

1. Zero Dependencies — Single HTML files with inline CSS/JS. No npm, no build tools.
2. Show, Don't Tell — Generate visual previews, not abstract choices. People discover what they want by seeing it.
3. Distinctive Design — No generic "AI slop." Every presentation must feel custom-crafted.
4. Viewport Fitting (NON-NEGOTIABLE) — Every slide MUST fit exactly within 100vh. No scrolling within slides, ever. Content overflows? Split into multiple slides.

Explicit House Preset Exception

If the user explicitly asks for a fixed house preset that is based on an existing deck system, preserve that preset's stage model exactly.

For example, the card-based preset uses:

• fixed 1920x1080 stage
• whole-stage contain scaling into the viewport
• one-slide-at-a-time presentation, not scroll slides

Even with this exception, the invariant remains: no slide may overflow or require internal scrolling.

Design Aesthetics

You tend to converge toward generic, "on distribution" outputs. In frontend design, this creates what users call the "AI slop" aesthetic. Avoid this: make creative, distinctive frontends that surprise and delight.

Focus on:

• Typography: Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Avoid generic fonts like Arial and Inter; opt instead for distinctive choices that elevate the frontend's aesthetics.
• Color & Theme: Commit to a cohesive aesthetic. Use CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes. Draw from IDE themes and cultural aesthetics for inspiration.
• Motion: Use animations for effects and micro-interactions. Prioritize CSS-only solutions for HTML. Use Motion library for React when available. Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals (animation-delay) creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions.
• Backgrounds: Create atmosphere and depth rather than defaulting to solid colors. Layer CSS gradients, use geometric patterns, or add contextual effects that match the overall aesthetic.

Avoid generic AI-generated aesthetics:

• Overused default stacks used without intent
• Cliched color schemes (particularly purple gradients on white backgrounds)
• Predictable layouts and component patterns
• Cookie-cutter design that lacks context-specific character

Interpret creatively and make unexpected choices that feel genuinely designed for the context. Vary between light and dark themes, different fonts, different aesthetics. You still tend to converge on common choices (Space Grotesk, for example) across generations. Avoid this: it is critical that you think outside the box!

Font Loading Strategy

Presentations generated by this skill should treat font delivery as an explicit deployment choice, not an afterthought.

Supported modes:

• Simple-web mode — default. Prefer a simple, robust stack similar to this 32kw page: one sans stack for the main layer, one serif stack only when needed for emphasis, and one system mono stack for meta labels. Avoid external font dependencies unless the user explicitly wants them.
• China-friendly CDN mode — optional. Use when the user explicitly wants a hosted Chinese font stack, or when a preset already depends on a specific China-friendly CDN font family.
• Google mode — optional. Keep the standard Google Fonts loading pattern available for users whose audience is primarily outside mainland China or who explicitly want the Google-hosted setup.

Decision rule:

• default to simple-web mode unless the user explicitly asks for CDN-hosted or Google-hosted fonts
• keep Google mode documented and available; do not remove it from the skill
• if a preset defines a preferred font stack, preserve the stack but simplify delivery when reliability matters
• when you change font delivery mode, do not silently change the whole visual language unless the user asks for it

Viewport Fitting Rules

These invariants apply to EVERY slide in EVERY presentation:

• Every .slide must have height: 100vh; height: 100dvh; overflow: hidden;
• ALL font sizes and spacing must use clamp(min, preferred, max) — never fixed px/rem
• Content containers need max-height constraints
• Images: max-height: min(50vh, 400px)
• Breakpoints required for heights: 700px, 600px, 500px
• Include prefers-reduced-motion support
• Never negate CSS functions directly (-clamp(), -min(), -max() are silently ignored) — use calc(-1 * clamp(...)) instead

When generating, read viewport-base.css and include its full contents in every presentation.

Content Density Limits Per Slide

Content exceeds limits? Split into multiple slides. Never cram, never scroll.

Phase 0: Detect Mode

Determine what the user wants:

• Mode A: New Presentation — Create from scratch. Go to Phase 1.
• Mode B: PPT Conversion — Convert a .pptx file. Go to Phase 4.
• Mode C: Enhancement — Improve an existing HTML presentation. Read it, understand it, enhance. Follow Mode C modification rules below.

Mode C: Modification Rules

When enhancing existing presentations, viewport fitting is the biggest risk:

1. Before adding content: Count existing elements, check against density limits
2. Adding images: Must have max-height: min(50vh, 400px). If slide already has max content, split into two slides
3. Adding text: Max 4-6 bullets per slide. Exceeds limits? Split into continuation slides
4. After ANY modification, verify: .slide has overflow: hidden, new elements use clamp(), images have viewport-relative max-height, content fits at 1280x720
5. Proactively reorganize: If modifications will cause overflow, automatically split content and inform the user. Don't wait to be asked

When adding images to existing slides: Move image to new slide or reduce other content first. Never add images without checking if existing content already fills the viewport.

Phase 1: Content Discovery (New Presentations)

Ask ALL questions in a single AskUserQuestion call so the user fills everything out at once:

Question 1 — Purpose (header: "Purpose"): What is this presentation for? Options: Pitch deck / Teaching-Tutorial / Conference talk / Internal presentation

Question 2 — Length (header: "Length"): Approximately how many slides? Options: Short 5-10 / Medium 10-20 / Long 20+

Question 3 — Content (header: "Content"): Do you have content ready? Options: All content ready / Rough notes / Topic only

Question 4 — Inline Editing (header: "Editing"): Do you need to edit text directly in the browser after generation? Options:

• "Yes (Recommended)" — Can edit text in-browser, auto-save to localStorage, export file
• "No" — Presentation only, keeps file smaller

Remember the user's editing choice — it determines whether edit-related code is included in Phase 3.

If user has content, ask them to share it.

Step 1.2: Image Evaluation (if images provided)

If user selected "No images" → skip to Phase 2.

If user provides an image folder:

1. Scan — List all image files (.png, .jpg, .svg, .webp, etc.)
2. View each image — Use the Read tool (Claude is multimodal)
3. Evaluate — For each: what it shows, USABLE or NOT USABLE (with reason), what concept it represents, dominant colors
4. Co-design the outline — Curated images inform slide structure alongside text. This is NOT "plan slides then add images" — design around both from the start (e.g., 3 screenshots → 3 feature slides, 1 logo → title/closing slide)
5. Confirm via AskUserQuestion (header: "Outline"): "Does this slide outline and image selection look right?" Options: Looks good / Adjust images / Adjust outline

Logo in previews: If a usable logo was identified, embed it (base64) into each style preview in Phase 2 — the user sees their brand styled three different ways.

Phase 2: Style Discovery

This is the "show, don't tell" phase. Most people can't articulate design preferences in words.

Step 2.0: Style Path

Ask how they want to choose (header: "Style"):

• "Show me options" (recommended) — Generate 3 previews based on mood
• "I know what I want" — Pick from preset list directly

If the user explicitly requests a fixed / house preset, skip preview generation and use that preset directly.

If direct selection: Show preset picker and skip to Phase 3. Available presets are defined in STYLE_PRESETS.md.

Fixed House Presets

If the user asks to reproduce an established deck style instead of exploring options, load the preset directly.

Included house preset:

• card-based — fixed engineering explainer style with card-driven information architecture, suitable for the current SKILLS technology deck system

When this preset is selected, read:

• presets/card-based/README.md
• presets/card-based/tokens.md
• presets/card-based/layout-rules.md
• presets/card-based/slide-archetypes.md

Step 2.1: Mood Selection (Guided Discovery)

Ask (header: "Vibe", multiSelect: true, max 2): What feeling should the audience have? Options:

• Impressed/Confident — Professional, trustworthy
• Excited/Energized — Innovative, bold
• Calm/Focused — Clear, thoughtful
• Inspired/Moved — Emotional, memorable

Step 2.2: Generate 3 Style Previews

Based on mood, generate 3 distinct single-slide HTML previews showing typography, colors, animation, and overall aesthetic. Read STYLE_PRESETS.md for available presets and their specifications.

Save previews to .claude-design/slide-previews/ (style-a.html, style-b.html, style-c.html). Each should be self-contained, ~50-100 lines, showing one animated title slide.

Open each preview automatically for the user.

Step 2.3: User Picks

Ask (header: "Style"): Which style preview do you prefer? Options: Style A: [Name] / Style B: [Name] / Style C: [Name] / Mix elements

If "Mix elements", ask for specifics.

Phase 3: Generate Presentation

Generate the full presentation using content from Phase 1 (text, or text + curated images) and style from Phase 2.

If images were provided, the slide outline already incorporates them from Step 1.2. If not, CSS-generated visuals (gradients, shapes, patterns) provide visual interest — this is a fully supported first-class path.

Before generating, read these supporting files:

• html-template.md — HTML architecture and JS features
• viewport-base.css — Mandatory CSS (include in full)
• animation-patterns.md — Animation reference for the chosen feeling

If a house preset was selected, also read its preset files and prefer them over the generic preset guidance where they conflict.

Text Fidelity Rule

When the user provides a normalized source file such as a page-detail document, treat that file as the single source of truth for all slide text.

Hard requirements:

• do not paraphrase, rewrite, summarize, expand, soften, or merge source text on your own
• titles, subtitles, labels, bullets, summaries, and code-like tokens must come directly from the source file
• if text does not fit, solve it with layout decisions first:
  • split into more slides
  • switch to a denser allowed archetype
  • tighten spacing or title sizing according to preset rules
• do not "fix" wording for fluency unless the user explicitly asks for copy editing

Execution rule:

• before generating each slide, map every visible text node to a specific field in the source file
• after generating, do one verification pass to ensure all visible text is traceable back to the source file and no extra copy was invented

Key requirements:

• Single self-contained HTML file, all CSS/JS inline
• Include the FULL contents of viewport-base.css in the <style> block
• Default to the simple-web font mode unless the user asks otherwise
• Add detailed comments explaining each section
• Every section needs a clear /* === SECTION NAME === */ comment block

Phase 4: PPT Conversion

When converting PowerPoint files:

1. Extract content — Run python scripts/extract-pptx.py <input.pptx> <output_dir> (install python-pptx if needed: pip install python-pptx)
2. Confirm with user — Present extracted slide titles, content summaries, and image counts
3. Style selection — Proceed to Phase 2 for style discovery
4. Generate HTML — Convert to chosen style, preserving all text, images (from assets/), slide order, and speaker notes (as HTML comments)

Phase 5: Delivery

1. Clean up — Delete .claude-design/slide-previews/ if it exists
2. Open — Use open [filename].html to launch in browser
3. Summarize — Tell the user:
   • File location, style name, slide count
   • Navigation: Arrow keys, Space, scroll/swipe, click nav dots
   • How to customize: :root CSS variables for colors, font link for typography, .reveal class for animations
   • If inline editing was enabled: Hover top-left corner or press E to enter edit mode, click any text to edit, Ctrl+S to save

Phase 6: Share & Export (Optional)

After delivery, ask the user: "Would you like to share this presentation? I can deploy it to a live URL (works on any device including phones) or export it as a PDF."

Options:

• Deploy to URL — Shareable link that works on any device
• Export to PDF — Universal file for email, Slack, print
• Both
• No thanks

If the user declines, stop here. If they choose one or both, proceed below.

6A: Deploy to a Live URL (Vercel)

This deploys the presentation to Vercel — a free hosting platform. The link works on any device (phones, tablets, laptops) and stays live until the user takes it down.

If the user has never deployed before, guide them step by step:

1. Check if Vercel CLI is installed — Run npx vercel --version. If not found, install Node.js first (brew install node on macOS, or download from https://nodejs.org).

2. Check if user is logged in — Run npx vercel whoami.

   • If NOT logged in, explain: "Vercel is a free hosting service. You need an account to deploy. Let me walk you through it:"
     • Step 1: Ask user to go to https://vercel.com/signup in their browser
     • Step 2: They can sign up with GitHub, Google, email — whatever is easiest
     • Step 3: Once signed up, run vercel login and follow the prompts (it opens a browser window to authorize)
     • Step 4: Confirm login with vercel whoami
   • Wait for the user to confirm they're logged in before proceeding.

3. Deploy — Run the deploy script:

   bash scripts/deploy.sh <path-to-presentation>
   

   The script accepts either a folder (with index.html) or a single HTML file.

4. Share the URL — Tell the user:

   • The live URL (from the script output)
   • That it works on any device — they can text it, Slack it, email it
   • To take it down later: visit https://vercel.com/dashboard and delete the project
   • The Vercel free tier is generous — they won't be charged

⚠ Deployment gotchas:

• Local images/videos must travel with the HTML. The deploy script auto-detects files referenced via src="..." in the HTML and bundles them. But if the presentation references files via CSS background-image or unusual paths, those may be missed. Before deploying, verify: open the deployed URL and check that all images load. If any are broken, the safest fix is to put the HTML and all its assets into a single folder and deploy the folder instead of a standalone HTML file.
• Prefer folder deployments when the presentation has many assets. If the presentation lives in a folder with images alongside it (e.g., my-deck/index.html + my-deck/logo.png), deploy the folder directly: bash scripts/deploy.sh ./my-deck/. This is more reliable than deploying a single HTML file because the entire folder contents are uploaded as-is.
• Filenames with spaces work but can cause issues. The script handles spaces in filenames, but Vercel URLs encode spaces as %20. If possible, avoid spaces in image filenames. If the user's images have spaces, the script handles it — but if images still break, renaming files to use hyphens instead of spaces is the fix.
• Redeploying updates the same URL. Running the deploy script again on the same presentation overwrites the previous deployment. The URL stays the same — no need to share a new link.

6B: Export to PDF

This captures each slide as a screenshot and combines them into a PDF. Perfect for email attachments, embedding in documents, or printing.

Note: Animations and interactivity are not preserved — the PDF is a static snapshot. This is normal and expected; mention it to the user so they're not surprised.

1. Run the export script:

   bash scripts/export-pdf.sh <path-to-html> [output.pdf]
   

   If no output path is given, the PDF is saved next to the HTML file.

2. What happens behind the scenes (explain briefly to the user):

   • A headless browser opens the presentation at 1920×1080 (standard widescreen)
   • It screenshots each slide one by one
   • All screenshots are combined into a single PDF
   • The script needs Playwright (a browser automation tool) — it will install automatically if missing

3. If Playwright installation fails:

   • The most common issue is Chromium not downloading. Run: npx playwright install chromium
   • If that fails too, it may be a network/firewall issue. Ask the user to try on a different network.

4. Deliver the PDF — The script auto-opens it. Tell the user:

   • The file location and size
   • That it works everywhere — email, Slack, Notion, Google Docs, print
   • Animations are replaced by their final visual state (still looks great, just static)

⚠ PDF export gotchas:

• First run is slow. The script installs Playwright and downloads a Chromium browser (~150MB) into a temp directory. This happens once per run. Warn the user it may take 30-60 seconds the first time — subsequent exports within the same session are faster.
• Slides must use class="slide". The export script finds slides by querying .slide elements. If the presentation uses a different class name, the script will report "0 slides found" and fail. All presentations generated by this skill use .slide, so this only matters for externally-created HTML.
• Local images must be loadable via HTTP. The script starts a local server and loads the HTML through it (so Google Fonts and relative image paths work). If images use absolute filesystem paths (e.g., src="/Users/name/photo.png") instead of relative paths (e.g., src="photo.png"), they won't load. Generated presentations always use relative paths, but converted or user-provided decks might not — check and fix if needed.
• Local images appear in the PDF as long as they are in the same directory as (or relative to) the HTML file. The export script serves the HTML's parent directory over HTTP, so relative paths like src="photo.png" resolve correctly — including filenames with spaces. If images still don't appear, check: (1) the image files actually exist at the referenced path, (2) the paths are relative, not absolute filesystem paths like /Users/name/photo.png.
• Large presentations produce large PDFs. Each slide is captured as a full 1920×1080 PNG screenshot. An 18-slide deck can produce a ~20MB PDF. If the PDF exceeds 10MB, ask the user: "The PDF is [size]. Would you like me to compress it? It'll look slightly less sharp but the file will be much smaller." If yes, re-run the export with the --compact flag:

  bash scripts/export-pdf.sh <path-to-html> [output.pdf] --compact
  

  This renders at 1280×720 instead of 1920×1080, typically cutting file size by 50-70% with minimal visual difference.

Supporting Files