Install Pitch Smith
Pitch Smith is an AI-powered slide builder that runs as a Claude Code plugin. It lets you plan, build, and export brand-perfect presentations using natural language — right from your terminal or VS Code.
There are two ways to install Pitch Smith, depending on how you prefer to work.
Choose Your Install Path
| CLI Only | CLI + VS Code Extension | |
|---|---|---|
| What's Included | Claude Code plugin with all slide planning, building, and export commands | Everything in CLI Only, plus a visual slide viewer, drag-and-drop plan editor, brand asset manager, and template catalog |
| Requirements | Claude Code CLI v1.0.33+ | Claude Code CLI v1.0.33+ and VS Code |
| Best For | Terminal-first workflows, headless environments, CI/CD pipelines | Visual editing, slide previews, drag-and-drop reordering, and brand management UI |
| Trade-offs | No visual slide viewer or GUI tools — you work entirely through Claude Code commands | Requires VS Code; extension adds ~5 MB to your workspace |
Verify: You understand the two install paths
After reading the table above, you should be able to answer:
- CLI Only gives you the full Pitch Smith command set (
/pitchsmith,/pitchsmith:plan-deck,/pitchsmith:setup, etc.) without any GUI components. - CLI + Extension adds a visual layer on top — a slide viewer panel, plan editor, template catalog, and brand asset browser — all inside VS Code.
Both paths use the same underlying Claude Code plugin. You can always add the VS Code extension later if you start with CLI Only.
Get Started
Choose your path and follow the step-by-step guide:
- CLI Only Install — Install the Pitch Smith plugin for Claude Code in under 5 minutes. No VS Code required.
- CLI + VS Code Extension Install — Install both the CLI plugin and the VS Code extension for the full visual experience.
Start with CLI Only if you primarily use Claude Code from the terminal. You can always add the VS Code extension later — it works alongside the CLI plugin with no conflicts.
Choose CLI + Extension if you already use VS Code and want visual slide previews, drag-and-drop plan editing, and a brand asset management UI from day one.