Working with skills
What a skill is
A skill is a short set of instructions that tells PowerSlide how to handle a particular job — for example “rewrite every title so it states the conclusion” or “translate this deck into formal French.”
Think of it like a saved checklist or a one-page playbook. Instead of retyping the same guidance every time, you turn the skill on and PowerSlide follows those rules while it works.
PowerSlide comes with ready-made skills for common deck work. You can also create your own for your company’s voice, brand rules, or review checklist.
How to use a skill
- In the PowerSlide panel on the right, open Skills.
- Browse the list (built-in and any you’ve created).
- Do one of the following:
- Pin a skill — it stays on for every message until you unpin it. Use this for rules you want all the time (for example house tone).
- Or just ask in chat, for example: “Use the translate skill and translate this deck to German.”
You can pin more than one skill at once. PowerSlide will follow all of them.
Pinning a skill is not the same as attaching a PowerPoint template file. A pin loads written rules. If you want PowerSlide to copy the look of a real template file, attach that file as well.
Built-in skills
| Skill | What it helps with |
|---|---|
| Action title check | Titles that only name a topic (“Market overview”) instead of stating the point |
| Pyramid outline | Structure the argument before you build slides |
| Executive storyline | Shape a full board or investment-committee story |
| Enforce brand and template | Match fonts, colors, and layout to your template |
| Grill the deck / slide | A tough review, like a senior colleague would give |
| Translate the deck | Translate the whole file into another language |
| Anonymize the deck | Remove client names and other identifying details |
| Address comments… | Work through review notes left on the slides |
| Consistency check | Spot mismatched fonts, wording, or numbers |
| Summarize the deck | Get a plain summary before you edit |
Creating your own skill
Use this when you’d otherwise keep repeating the same instructions to a new colleague.
- Open Skills → create a new skill.
- Give it a clear name and a one-line description (so you can find it later).
- Write the instructions in plain language. Short rules work best:
# Acme writing style
- Keep sentences under 18 words.
- Do not use: leverage, synergy, unlock.
- Refer to customers by industry, not by logo name.
- Prefer numbers over vague words ("17% faster", not "much faster").
- End each recommendation with one sentence on the main risk.
You can also ask PowerSlide in chat: “Create a skill called Acme writing style from these rules…” and paste the list.
Tips for a good skill
- Write specific rules (“max 18 words”), not vague advice (“write clearly”).
- Include one or two bad → good examples when you can.
- Keep it to about a page. If it’s long, split it into two skills.
- You can tell a skill to use other skills first, for example: “Start by loading Action title check.”
Your custom skills are saved to your PowerSlide account. To share one with a teammate, send them the text (or have them create the same skill on their account).