Template Overview

Templates are the foundation of Octigen's slide generation system. They are PowerPoint files that provide the design, layout, and structure for all presentations you create.

What is a Template?

A template is a PowerPoint (.pptx) file that contains:

Slides with different layouts and purposes
Shapes such as text boxes, images, tables, and charts
Styling including fonts, colors, and formatting
Metadata that helps AI understand how to use each element

Think of templates as intelligent blueprints. Unlike regular PowerPoint files, Octigen templates include additional information that guides the AI in creating new presentations.

Why Templates Matter

Templates are crucial because they:

Maintain brand consistency - All generated presentations use your approved designs.
Save time - No need to manually apply formatting to every slide.
Enable AI generation - The AI knows which elements to modify and how.
Support reusability - One template can generate countless unique presentations.

Template Components

Slides

Each slide in a template can be categorized by its purpose:

Presentation Title - The opening slide with title and subtitle
Table of Contents - Agenda or overview slides
Section Divider - Slides that separate major sections
Text Content - Slides for paragraphs and bullet points
Visual Content - Image-focused slides
Quantitative Content - Slides with charts or tables
Mixed Content - Slides combining text with visuals or data
Contacts - Team information or testimonials
Closing Content - Summary, thank you, or call-to-action slides

Categorizing slides helps the AI select the right layout for each piece of content.

Shapes

Shapes are the individual elements on each slide:

Text Shapes - Text boxes and placeholders
Images - Pictures and graphics
Tables - Data tables
Charts - Graphs and visualizations

Each shape can be:

Named - Given a descriptive name instead of "TextBox 1"
Classified - Marked for how AI should handle it:
- any - Can be modified or left unchanged (default)
- no_touch - Never modify (logos, legal text, slide numbers)
- must_touch - Always update when generating content

Template Analytics

Templates are scored on their "readiness" for AI generation:

Instructive Names Score

Measures how many slides and shapes have descriptive names.
Higher scores mean better AI understanding.
Combines shape naming and slide title consistency.

Slide Categorization Score

Gives a percentage of slides assigned to categories.
Helps AI select appropriate slides for content.

Shape Usage Classification Score

Percentage of shapes with usage rules (no_touch/must_touch).
Helps AI know what to modify and what to preserve.

Template Lifecycle

Upload - Import a PowerPoint file into Octigen.
Configure - Categorize slides, name shapes, set usage rules.
Validate - Check analytics to ensure template readiness.
Use - Generate slide decks from the template.
Maintain - Update and improve over time.

Best Practices

For Template Design

Keep layouts clean and consistent.
Use date and slide number placeholders, such that PowerPoint automatically handles those. Octigen recognizes these placeholders and won't touch them.
Include a variety of slide types for different content needs.
Ensure text is readable and images are high-quality

For Template Configuration

Note: Our Template Assistant can help you with all of the below, but it's best for you to ensure the quality of the following.

Give slides descriptive titles (not "Slide 1", "Slide 2").
Name all shapes clearly ("Product Image", "Revenue Chart", "Key Points")
Mark static elements as "no_touch" (logos, page numbers)
Mark critical elements as "must_touch" (main titles, key data)
Categorize all slides by their purpose
Aim for 80%+ on all analytics scores