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Endpoint

POST /slides/generate-from-doc

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Description

Asynchronously generates slides from an uploaded document. Poesius automatically:
  1. Generates the presentation narrative - Analyzes your document and creates a McKinsey-style story, summarizing key findings and revealing insights
  2. Retrieves layout details - Gets template specifications including colors, layout zones, and design elements (defined visually in the web app)
  3. Creates slides - Combines the narrative with template specs to produce professional PPTX files
Returns immediately with a presentation ID and status URL for polling.

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Request

Method: POST
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Headers:
  • X-API-Key: <your_api_key> OR
  • Authorization: Bearer <token>

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Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
documentfileYesThe document file (PDF, DOCX, TXT, MD, etc.)
instructionsstringNoCustom instructions for generation (default: “Create a presentation from the document”)
num_slidesintegerNoTarget number of slides (default: 20)
template_idstringNoUUID of the template to use
deep_researchbooleanNoEnable deep research mode (default: false)

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Example Request

curl -X POST "https://poe.poesius.com/api/v1/slides/generate-from-doc" \
  -H "X-API-Key: pk_your_api_key" \
  -F "document=@/path/to/document.pdf" \
  -F "instructions=Create a professional presentation about the key findings" \
  -F "num_slides=15" \
  -F "template_id=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000" \
  -F "deep_research=false"

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Response

{
  "status": "pending",
  "message": "Generation started in background",
  "conversation_id": "uuid",
  "presentation_id": "uuid",
  "check_status_url": "/api/v1/presentations/{presentation_id}"
}

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Presentation Status Flow

When you generate slides from a document, the presentation goes through several status stages before reaching the final completed state. Understanding these statuses helps you track progress and know when the presentation is ready for download.

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Status Progression

The presentation status transitions through the following stages:
  1. pending - Initial state when the presentation is created. Generation has been queued but not yet started.
  2. processing - The system has started processing your request. This includes:
    • Reading and analyzing the uploaded document
    • Extracting content and structure
    • Preparing for slide generation
  3. content_generation - The AI is generating the slide content:
    • Creating markdown content for each slide
    • Structuring information from your document
    • Organizing content into logical slide sequences
  4. content_complete - Content has been generated for all slides, but visual design may still be in progress:
    • All slide content is ready
    • Slides may still be undergoing visual rendering or refinement
  5. design_in_progress - Slides are being visually designed and rendered:
    • Applying template layouts
    • Generating slide images/thumbnails
    • Refining visual presentation
  6. completed - All slides are fully generated and ready for download:
    • Content is complete
    • Visual design is finished
    • Presentation can be downloaded

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Other Status Values

  • partial - Some slides are completed while others are still processing (rare, typically during recovery scenarios)
  • failed - Generation encountered an error. Check error details for more information
  • draft - Initial placeholder state (typically only seen during presentation initialization)

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Status Polling

Poll the status endpoint (GET /presentations/{presentation_id}) every 5-10 seconds to track progress. The presentation is ready for download when the status reaches completed.

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Next Steps

After receiving the response, you’ll need to:
  1. Poll for status using the check_status_url or presentation_id
  2. Download the presentation once status is completed

Check Status

Learn how to check presentation status

Download Presentation

Download your completed presentations

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Supported File Formats

  • PDF (.pdf)
  • Microsoft Word (.docx)
  • Plain Text (.txt)
  • Markdown (.md)

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Best Practices

  • File Size: Keep documents under 50MB for best performance
  • Instructions: Be specific about what you want in the presentation
  • Slide Count: Specify a target number of slides based on your needs
  • Templates: Use templates for consistent branding