html2pptx-cli

Convert HTML/CSS to fully editable PowerPoint files from the command line.

Powered by html2pptx.app.

Publishing boundary

The CLI is for conversion, template browsing, and local visual editing. It is not a marketplace publishing surface.

Template drafts are HTML-only and are created only through the remote MCP tool html2pptx_publish_template, after html2pptx_validate_template_html passes. That keeps unknown files out of generic web/CLI upload flows while still letting agents repair policy errors before submitting an HTML draft. PPTX is not a template publishing source.

Install

npm install -g html2pptx-cli

Or use directly with npx:

npx html2pptx-cli convert slides.html

Setup

html2pptx init

This will prompt you for your API key and save it to ~/.html2pptx/config.json.

Usage

Interactive mode

Run without arguments for a guided experience:

html2pptx convert

Direct mode

Pass arguments for scripting and automation:

html2pptx convert ./slides.html -o output.pptx -s 16:9

Visual edit mode

Open a local slide HTML file in the local html2pptx editor while a small localhost bridge reads and writes the file from your current project. Start the local editor app first; it picks an available loopback port automatically and records it in .html2pptx/edit-slide/editor-server.json:

node scripts/dev-studio.mjs

Then run:

html2pptx edit ./slides.html

If npm has not published the latest CLI yet, run the pinned tarball hosted by html2pptx.app:

npx --yes https://html2pptx.app/downloads/html2pptx-cli-0.4.0.tgz edit ./slides.html

The command opens http://localhost:<auto>/edit-slide?... using the registered local editor URL and keeps a local 127.0.0.1:<auto> bridge running until you press Ctrl+C. Hosted https://html2pptx.app/edit-slide is not used for local file editing. The editor URL carries the per-session bridge token in the URL fragment, then the editor removes that token from the address bar after startup. Browser edits are saved back to the same HTML file with optimistic hash checks.

Editor state is stored per project under .html2pptx/edit-slide/. Running the editor from a different project creates a separate state directory in that project.

How it works:

1. html2pptx edit <file> starts a local bridge on 127.0.0.1.
2. The local editor UI opens in your browser on the registered loopback port.
3. The editor presents the one-time bridge token generated by the CLI.
4. The editor reads the selected .html / .htm file through the bridge.
5. Visual changes are written back to the same local file.
6. No version history, backups, or audit log are created.

The visual editor does not publish or list your deck. The HTML remains local unless an authenticated remote MCP client later creates a template draft from validated HTML.

Template publishing

The CLI publish command is disabled. HTML template drafts must be created by an authenticated remote MCP client following the html2pptx skill's built-in publishing workflow:

AI security preflight -> html2pptx_validate_template_html -> html2pptx_publish_template -> dashboard review

The CLI can still export HTML to PPTX with html2pptx convert, and it can open local HTML in edit-slide with html2pptx edit. Those flows do not create marketplace drafts.

Options

html2pptx convert [options] [input]

Arguments:
  input                 Path to HTML file

Options:
  -o, --output <file>   Output PPTX filename
  -s, --size <size>     Slide size: "16:9", "4:3", or "WxH" (e.g. 1920x1080)
  --css <file>          External CSS file to include
  --base-url <url>      API base URL (default: "https://html2pptx.app")
  -h, --help            Display help

Get an API key

Visit html2pptx.app to create an account and get your API key.

License

MIT