Structure Phase

The Structure Phase is where your content is organized into an actual slide structure. The AI analyzes your content and proposes which slides to use and in what order.

Purpose

The Structure Phase:

Converts unstructured content into slide skeleton
Decides which template slides to use
Maps content to specific slides
Creates the presentation backbone

Output: A slide-by-slide structure ready for population

How Structure Analysis Works

Input Analysis

The AI examines:

Your content - Text, tables, sections, key messages
Template - Available slides and their categories
Workflow (if selected) - Required structure and order
Context - Tone, style, general instructions

Slide Selection

For each piece of content, the AI:

Determines content type (text, data, mixed, etc.).
Finds matching template slides.
Selects appropriate slide.
Assigns content to that slide.

Structure Generation

The AI creates a skeleton: an ordered list of slides where each includes:

Template slide index - Which slide from template to use.
Slide name - Descriptive title for this slide.
Purpose - What this slide should accomplish.
Source hints - Key quotes or phrases from your content.
Content (workflow mode) - Detailed content for this slide.

Freeform vs Workflow Mode

Freeform Structure Analysis

Characteristics:

AI has complete freedom.
Selects slides based on content fit.
Creates logical flow.
Optimizes for variety.
Adapts slide count to content amount.

Example:

Content: 1500 words about product features + 2 data tables

AI might create:
1. Title slide
2. Executive summary (text)
3. Product overview (text + image)
4. Feature 1 (text)
5. Feature 2 (text)
6. Feature comparison data (table)
7. Pricing data (chart)
8. Closing slide

Total: 8 slides

Best for:

Unique presentations
One-off structures
Creative flexibility
Exploratory decks

Workflow Structure Analysis

Characteristics:

Follows predefined deck structure
Uses specified categories in order
Respects "use only once" constraints
Applies section-specific instructions
More predictable output

Example:

Workflow Structure:
1. Presentation Title (use once)
2. Executive Summary (use once)
3. Quantitative Content (allow multiple)
4. Text Content (allow multiple)
5. Closing (use once)

AI creates:
1. Title slide
2. Executive summary slide
3-4. Two data slides (has 2 tables)
5-7. Three content slides (lots of narrative)
8. Closing slide

Total: 8 slides following the structure

Best for:

Recurring presentations
Standardized formats
Consistent output
Team templates

Understanding the Structure Output

After analysis, you'll see a list of proposed slides:

Slide Card Information

Each proposed slide shows:

Template Slide Index

Which slide from your template (e.g., "Slide 3 from template")
Preview thumbnail of template slide

Slide Name

Descriptive title the AI assigned
Example: "Product Feature Overview"

Purpose

One-sentence description
Example: "Highlight key product features and benefits"

Source Hints

Key phrases from your content that go on this slide
Example: ["user-friendly interface", "automation capabilities", "integrates with existing tools"]

Content (workflow mode only)

Detailed content the AI prepared for this slide
Includes text, structure, data references

Note: If you're using a workflow with data connections configured, those connections will be applied automatically to the appropriate slides. See the Workflows documentation for more information on connecting data to slide templates.

Reviewing the Structure

What to Look For

Logical Flow

Does the order make sense?
Clear beginning, middle, end?
Smooth transitions between topics?

Complete Coverage

Are all key topics included?
Any important content missing?
Any critical messages absent?

Appropriate Slide Selection

Do slide types match content?
Data content → Quantitative slides?
Narrative content → Text slides?

Variety and Pacing

Good mix of slide types?
Not too repetitive?
Visual variety sufficient?

Slide Count

Appropriate for content amount?
Not too sparse or too dense?
Matches time allocation?

Common Issues

Too Few Slides

Content crammed onto few slides
Will be dense and hard to read
Solution: Request more slides or add content

Too Many Slides

Content spread too thin
Some slides may be sparse
Solution: Accept if appropriate, or condense content

Wrong Slide Types

Data on text slides
Narrative on chart slides
Solution: Regenerate or accept and refine later

Poor Order

Illogical flow
Key messages buried
Solution: Manually reorder or regenerate

Missing Content

Some content not represented
Gaps in coverage
Solution: Check content, add if needed, regenerate

Adjusting the Structure

Regenerating

If you're not satisfied:

Click "Regenerate Structure"
Optionally provide feedback: "Create more slides for the data sections"
AI creates new structure
Review again

You can regenerate multiple times until satisfied.

Manual Adjustments

You can manually adjust:

Reorder Slides

Drag and drop to reorder
Affects flow but not content assignment

Remove Slides

Delete slides you don't want
Content redistributed if regenerated

Modify Details (limited)

Edit slide names
Adjust purpose descriptions

Note: Major changes often better addressed by regenerating with feedback.

Structure Phase Chatbot

The chatbot in Structure Phase helps you:

Understand Decisions

"Why did you choose this slide for this content?"
"Why so many quantitative slides?"

Request Changes

"Create more slides for the market analysis section"
"Reduce the number of slides overall"
"Use more varied slide types"

Get Guidance

"Is this structure appropriate for a 30-minute presentation?"
"Should I include more data slides?"

Workflow Structure Specifics

When using a workflow:

Category-Based Selection

AI must use slides from specified categories only.

Example:

Deck Structure requires:
- Presentation Title
- Text Content
- Quantitative Content
- Closing

AI can ONLY select from slides in these categories.

Order Preservation

Slide categories follow the deck structure order.

Example:

Deck Structure:
1. Title
2. Text Content
3. Quantitative
4. Closing

AI generates in that order (though may create multiple 
slides within flexible categories).

"Use Only Once" Enforcement

Categories marked "use only once" get exactly one slide.

Example:

Deck Structure:
1. Title (use once) → Exactly 1 slide
2. Text Content (allow multiple) → 1-3 slides
3. Quantitative (allow multiple) → 1-3 slides
4. Closing (use once) → Exactly 1 slide

Result: 4-8 slides total

Custom Instructions

AI follows section-specific instructions from workflow.

Example:

Quantitative Content section instruction:
"Show quarterly revenue trends with YoY comparison"

AI ensures quantitative slides focus on this specific data.

Specific Slide Locking

If workflow specifies a particular slide, AI uses exactly that slide.

Example:

Deck Structure item:
- Category: Closing Content
- Specific Slide: "Thank You - Contact Info" (Slide 15)

AI will use Slide 15, not just any closing slide.

Structure Analytics

Some systems show structure quality metrics:

Coverage Score

Percentage of content represented in structure
Higher = better coverage

Variety Score

Diversity of slide types used
Higher = better visual variety

Flow Score

Logical progression assessment
Higher = better story flow

These help assess structure quality objectively.

Finalizing Structure

Before moving to Populate Phase:

Structure Checklist:

When to Accept:

Structure captures your content well
Flow is logical
Slide selection is appropriate
Minor issues can be fixed in Refine Phase

When to Regenerate:

Major content missing
Poor slide selection
Illogical order
Significantly too many/few slides

Moving to Populate Phase

Click "Next" or "Populate Slides" to proceed.

What happens next:

AI takes the structure
AI fills each slide shape by shape
AI generates text, data, formatting
You monitor progress
Full draft presentation created

Note: Populate phase can take 5-10 minutes. Once started, let it complete.

Common Questions

Q: How long does structure analysis take? A: Usually 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on content amount.

Q: What if AI missed important content? A: Regenerate with feedback: "Include a section on [topic]" or add content in Build Phase and regenerate.

Q: Can I add or remove individual slides from the structure? A: You can remove slides from the proposed structure. Adding requires regeneration.

Q: Does structure affect the final quality? A: Yes significantly. Good structure = better final presentation. Take time to get it right.

Q: What if I use the wrong template? A: You'd need to start over with a new slide deck using the correct template. Structure depends on template slides.

Next Steps

Proceed to Populate Phase - Fill the slides
Learn about structure strategies - Best practices
Understand workflow structure mode - Guided structure details

Build Phase Populate Phase