Manage Templates

Browse the template catalog, create new slide and deck templates through conversational AI, and modify existing templates to fit your needs. This guide covers the full template management workflow.

Prerequisites

Before managing templates, make sure you have:

• A Pitch Smith workspace scaffolded in your project (run /pitchsmith if you have not set one up yet -- see Quickstart)
• A theme configured for your workspace (run /pitchsmith:setup if you have not created one -- see Brand Setup)
• Claude Code running in your project directory

Browse Slide Templates

View the slide templates available in your workspace catalog. Each template defines a reusable layout for a single slide.

Using the VS Code Extension

If you have the Pitch Smith VS Code extension installed:

1. Open the Pitch Smith sidebar in VS Code (click the Pitch Smith icon in the Activity Bar).

2. Navigate to the Templates tab.

3. Browse slide templates displayed as visual cards showing:

   • Name -- the template's human-readable label (for example, "Title Slide", "Content with Image")
   • Description -- a brief summary of when to use this layout
   • Category -- the template's classification (for example, "title", "content", "data", "split")

4. Click a template card to view its full details, including the HTML structure and content fields.

Verify: Slide templates are visible

In the Templates tab, you should see at least the default templates that ship with Pitch Smith (such as Title, Content, Split, and Callout). If the list is empty, verify that your workspace has been scaffolded and that .slide-builder/catalog/ contains template files.

Using the Command Line

You can also inspect your template catalog directly in the file system:

ls .slide-builder/catalog/

Each subdirectory under catalog/ represents a slide template. The catalog.json file in the catalog root contains metadata for all registered templates.

Browse Deck Templates

View the deck templates available in your workspace. A deck template defines a multi-slide sequence -- a pre-built presentation structure with specific slide templates assigned to each position.

Using the VS Code Extension

1. Open the Pitch Smith sidebar and navigate to the Templates tab.

2. Switch to the Deck Templates view.

3. Browse deck templates displayed as cards showing:

   • Name -- the deck template's label (for example, "Company Overview", "Product Launch")
   • Slide count -- how many slides are included in the sequence
   • Slide list -- the ordered sequence of slide templates that make up the deck

4. Click a deck template card to drill into its details and preview individual slides.

Verify: Deck templates are visible

In the Deck Templates view, you should see any deck templates that have been created. If no deck templates exist yet, the view displays an empty state with guidance on creating your first deck template.

Using the Command Line

Deck template configurations are stored in the catalog alongside slide templates:

ls .slide-builder/catalog/

Deck templates have a template-config.yaml that defines the slide sequence and a deck-templates.json entry with metadata.

Create a New Slide Template

Create a custom slide template through Pitch Smith's conversational AI workflow. The command guides you through a discovery conversation to understand your layout requirements before generating the template.

1. Open a Claude Code session in your project directory.

2. Run the add-slide-template command:

   /pitchsmith:add-slide-template

3. Pitch Smith begins a conversational discovery process. Answer questions about:

   • The purpose of the template (for example, "a slide for showcasing customer testimonials")
   • The content fields you need (headings, body text, images, lists, quotes)
   • Layout preferences (single column, split, grid, full-bleed image)
   • Any special design requirements

4. After at least 3-5 exchanges, Pitch Smith generates the template HTML using your brand theme's design system (colors, fonts, shapes).

5. The new template is saved to your catalog directory and registered in catalog.json.

Verify: New slide template created

Check your catalog for the new template:

ls .slide-builder/catalog/

Expected: A new subdirectory for your template containing the HTML file. The catalog.json file should include an entry for the new template with its name, description, and category.

You can also see the new template in the VS Code extension's Templates tab.

How the discovery conversation works

The add-slide-template workflow uses a minimum of 3-5 conversational exchanges before generating the template. This ensures the AI understands your requirements thoroughly. The more context you provide about your use case and design preferences, the better the resulting template. You can always iterate on the template after creation.

Create a New Deck Template

Create a multi-slide deck template that bundles several slide templates into a reusable presentation structure. The workflow guides you through three phases: discovery, iterative slide creation, and finalization.

1. Open a Claude Code session in your project directory.

2. Run the add-deck-template command:

   /pitchsmith:add-deck-template

3. Phase 1 -- Discovery and Scaffolding: Pitch Smith asks about:

   • The deck's purpose and context (for example, "an investor pitch deck" or "a quarterly business review")
   • The slide sequence you need (which slides, in what order)
   • Any specific requirements for individual slides

   After at least 3 exchanges, Pitch Smith creates the folder structure and configuration files.

4. Phase 2 -- Iterative Slide Creation: For each slide in the sequence, Pitch Smith either:

   • Generates a fresh slide using the frontend-design skill (for custom layouts)
   • Uses an existing catalog template (for standard layouts like title slides or content slides)

   After each slide is created, you can continue to the next slide or pause and resume later.

5. Phase 3 -- Finalization: Pitch Smith updates the manifest and configuration, then reports the completed deck template with next steps.

Verify: New deck template created

Check your catalog for the new deck template:

ls .slide-builder/catalog/

Expected: A new subdirectory containing the deck template's slides, a template-config.yaml with the slide sequence, and an entry in deck-templates.json. The VS Code extension's Deck Templates view should show the new template.

Pausing deck template creation

You do not need to create all slides in a single session. After each slide, Pitch Smith offers the option to stop and resume later. This is useful for complex deck templates with many slides.

Modify an Existing Template

Edit an existing template to adjust its layout, content fields, or styling. There are several approaches depending on what you want to change.

Edit a Slide Template Directly

You can modify a slide template's HTML and CSS directly in your editor:

1. Open the template file in .slide-builder/catalog/<template-name>/.
2. Edit the HTML structure, CSS styles, or content field attributes.
3. Save the file.

Changes affect future slides only

Modifying a template changes how future slides using that template are generated. Existing slides that were already built from the template are not automatically updated. To apply the new template design to an existing slide, rebuild it with /pitchsmith:build-one.

Edit a Slide Template with AI

Use the VS Code extension's template editing features:

1. Open the Templates tab in the Pitch Smith sidebar.
2. Select the template you want to modify.
3. Use the editing panel to update metadata (name, description, category) or open the HTML for AI-assisted editing.

Edit a Deck Template

Modify a deck template's slide sequence, add or remove slides, or edit individual slides within the deck template:

/pitchsmith:edit-deck-template

This command provides an interactive menu for deck template operations:

• Add slide -- insert a new slide at any position in the sequence
• Edit slide -- modify an existing slide's HTML, constraints, or configuration
• Remove slide -- delete a slide and renumber the remaining slides
• Reorder slides -- change the slide sequence
• Edit config -- modify context requirements or slide instructions

Verify: Template modifications applied

After editing, verify your changes:

1. For slide templates: check the HTML file in .slide-builder/catalog/<template-name>/ for your modifications.
2. For deck templates: check template-config.yaml and the individual slide files.
3. Build a new slide using the modified template (/pitchsmith:build-one) to confirm the changes render correctly.

See Also

Related documentation

The following pages provide deeper context on the concepts used in this guide:

• Templates (Concept) -- How slide and deck templates work, template anatomy, and the catalog system
• Commands Reference -- Complete command reference including /pitchsmith:add-slide-template, /pitchsmith:add-deck-template, and /pitchsmith:edit-deck-template
• Directory Structure -- Where templates and catalog files are stored in the .slide-builder/ directory
• Build Slides -- Build slides from templates using your deck plan
• Edit Slides -- Edit existing slides after they have been built