PPTX Chart Workflow

If the user only wants chart design and no PowerPoint output, use chart-guides instead. If the user only wants PPTX inspection/editing with no data-visual workflow, use powerpoint-pptx instead.

Core Orchestration Rule

This skill coordinates the order of work:

1. classify the PPTX task
2. normalize the briefing
3. inspect any existing deck/template before editing
4. use chart-guides for chart logic and visual design when charts are needed
5. use powerpoint-pptx for template-aware deck integration, editing, and QA
6. run final content + visual QA at the deck level

Do not skip deck inspection when a source .pptx exists. Do not design charts directly inside the PPTX step when chart-guides applies. Do not treat template filling as a generic copy-paste job; placeholders, slide masters, and layout constraints matter.

Task Classification

Classify the request into one of these flows before acting:

A. Create a new data-driven deck

Use when the user wants a fresh PowerPoint presentation generated from a topic, dataset, or analysis.

B. Edit an existing deck

Use when a .pptx already exists and the user wants changes, additions, or cleanup.

C. Replace or improve charts in an existing presentation

Use when the deck exists but the visuals are weak, cluttered, misleading, or outdated.

D. Fill a PowerPoint template with existing data/content

Use when the user provides a template deck and expects it to be populated with real metrics, charts, summaries, images, or narrative blocks while preserving template fidelity.

E. Create an executive presentation from existing data

Use when the deck must support a decision, leadership review, client update, or concise business narrative.

Required Briefing Fields

Extract or request these fields before doing substantial work. Infer only when the context is strong.

Always collect if possible

• topic / subject of the deck
• end goal or decision the presentation must support
• target audience
• whether the task is create, edit, replace visuals, or fill template
• source data and metric definitions
• required output (.pptx, notes, summary, chart spec)

If a source deck or template exists

• file path / target deck
• whether it is a reusable template or a live presentation
• slides/sections to update if known
• template fidelity constraints
• whether notes/comments/placeholders must be preserved

If charts are involved

• chart intent: comparison, trend, composition, ranking, distribution, profile
• time grain / category grain
• metric semantics
• number of chart slides or approximate chart count
• density constraints per slide

Presentation-level constraints

• slide count or budget
• aspect ratio (16:9, 4:3, or template-defined)
• style/tone (executive, technical, commercial, institutional)
• language
• branding or theme constraints

Template-Fill Workflow

When the user asks to fill a PowerPoint template with existing data, follow this exact logic:

1. inspect the template before planning replacements
2. inventory reusable layouts, placeholders, recurring slide patterns, notes, and any sample content
3. map incoming content/data to the actual destination slides or placeholder families
4. identify which slides require charts versus text/image/table content
5. for chart slides, use chart-guides to define the visuals according to the available space and presentation purpose
6. use powerpoint-pptx to populate the real template without breaking its theme, master/layout logic, or placeholder targeting
7. run QA for leftover sample text, placeholder junk, clipping, bad chart fit, theme mismatch, and broken narrative flow

Treat template population as a first-class workflow, not a side case. Do not assume placeholder indexes from one template apply to another. Do not force data into a visually wrong layout just because the template contains a matching box.

Flow Selection Rules

Flow A — New deck from data

• plan the slide narrative around the presentation objective
• identify which slides need charts
• use chart-guides to define chart forms
• use powerpoint-pptx to build/integrate the deck

Flow B — Existing deck edit

• inspect the deck first
• identify reusable slides/layouts/placeholders
• decide whether each requested change is text-only, layout-sensitive, or chart-sensitive
• call chart-guides only for the chart-sensitive parts
• use powerpoint-pptx for all deck edits and final validation

Flow C — Replace weak charts

• inspect current charts for readability and semantic quality
• redesign each chart family with chart-guides
• reinsert with powerpoint-pptx
• re-check slide density and narrative coherence

Flow D — Fill template with existing data

• inspect template structure first
• map data to slide roles and placeholders
• use chart-guides only where visuals are actually needed
• use powerpoint-pptx to perform template-faithful population
• validate against leftover template artifacts and bad content fit

Flow E — Executive deck

• reduce density aggressively
• keep visuals high-signal and presentation-safe
• use chart-guides for compact chart design
• use powerpoint-pptx for final slide hierarchy and polish

Handoff Rules

To chart-guides

Use chart-guides when the deck needs:

• bar charts
• line charts
• scatter plots
• radar charts
• KPI comparison visuals
• dashboard-like summary slides
• any decision about axes, labels, scales, color hierarchy, or chart family

chart-guides owns:

• chart type selection
• axis logic
• label strategy
• spacing logic
• color hierarchy
• visual simplification for readability

To powerpoint-pptx

Use powerpoint-pptx for:

• deck inspection
• layout and placeholder mapping
• template fidelity
• notes/comments awareness
• inserting charts into real slides
• final visual QA inside the deck
• template population with real content/data

powerpoint-pptx owns:

• integration into the actual .pptx
• slide-level layout decisions
• master/layout/theme compatibility
• preservation of template logic
• deck rendering sanity checks

Short Prompt Expansion

If the user gives a short request, expand it internally before acting.

Examples:

“make a PPTX with these metrics”

Interpret as:

• create a PowerPoint deck
• determine what charts are needed from the metrics
• use chart-guides for the visuals
• use powerpoint-pptx for the actual deck and QA

“fill this PPT template with our quarterly data”

Interpret as:

• inspect the template
• map quarterly data to target slides/placeholders
• design chart slides with chart-guides when needed
• populate the template via powerpoint-pptx
• validate for leftover sample content and layout breakage

“fix the graphs in this presentation”

Interpret as:

• inspect the existing deck
• identify weak chart slides
• redesign with chart-guides
• reinsert and validate with powerpoint-pptx

Canonical Request Patterns

Treat prompts in these families as strong matches for this skill:

• create a .pptx presentation from these data and include the necessary charts
• edit this PowerPoint and update the graphs using the new metrics
• fill this PPT/PPTX template with the data/content I already have
• rebuild the chart slides in this presentation but keep the template intact
• create an executive PowerPoint deck from these KPIs and deliver the final .pptx

Preferred Working Skeleton

Normalize the task into this structure whenever possible:

• task type: [new deck / edit deck / replace charts / fill template / executive deck]
• topic: [subject]
• objective: [decision/message]
• audience: [who will see it]
• source deck/template: [path or none]
• data: [dataset/metrics]
• chart needs: [chart roles]
• slide constraints: [count, aspect ratio, density, branding]
• outputs: [final .pptx, notes, summary, chart spec]

Final QA Checklist

Before considering the task done, ensure:

• no leftover template/sample text remains
• chart type matches the message it needs to convey
• labels and legends are readable at slide-viewing distance
• slide density is appropriate for presentation use
• placeholders were targeted correctly
• theme/master/layout behavior did not silently break the result
• notes/comments were preserved if required
• the deck supports the stated objective rather than merely containing data

Positive vs Negative Trigger Examples

Strong positive matches — trigger this workflow

• create a .pptx with these KPIs and include the necessary charts
• edit this PowerPoint and update the graphs with the new data
• fill this PPT/PPTX template with the quarterly metrics
• replace the weak charts in this deck but keep the template intact
• build an executive PowerPoint from this spreadsheet
• make slides with these metrics and deliver the final deck
• fill these slides with the existing data from our report
• update these slides using the new numbers while preserving the template

Negative matches — do not trigger this workflow

• what is a PPTX file?
• what is the difference between PPT and PPTX?
• make a chart of sales by region
• convert this presentation to PDF
• summarize the contents of this presentation
• help me brainstorm a talk outline

Boundary cases

• If the user says slides, treat that as PowerPoint/PPTX intent in this workspace unless the context clearly points to another medium.
• If the user says presentation without mentioning slides, PowerPoint, PPT, or .pptx, infer carefully from context instead of assuming.
• If the user wants only a chart and does not indicate slides/deck/PPTX output, use chart-guides instead.
• If the user wants deck editing/filling without data-visual work, use powerpoint-pptx instead.
• If the user mentions slides plus real data, template filling, chart updates, deck editing, or final deck delivery, this workflow should trigger.

Decision Rule For Ambiguous Prompts

Use this routing logic:

1. If the user mentions .pptx, ppt, PowerPoint, deck, or template, strongly prefer this workflow when the task is operational and deck-focused.
2. If the user mentions slides, treat that as a PowerPoint/PPTX request by default for this user/workspace unless another destination is explicit.
3. If the user mentions slides plus data, charts, a template, an existing deck, or a final presentation deliverable, trigger this workflow.
4. If the user mentions only chart creation with no slide/deck destination, use chart-guides.
5. If the user mentions only PPTX inspection or structural editing with no chart/template-population workflow, use powerpoint-pptx.
6. If the request is conceptual rather than operational, do not trigger this workflow.

Precision Rule

This skill exists to improve routing precision. If the user request is only loosely related to PowerPoint, do not over-trigger this workflow. Use it only when the main job is a real .pptx/slides production, editing, or template-filling pipeline with charts or template population as meaningful parts of the work.