Google Slides MCP server
Automate presentation creation and updates with an AI agent that builds slides, inserts content, and applies formatting. This MCP server enables creating slides from templates, adding charts from spreadsheets, and applying company branding—turning data into polished presentations without manual work.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
Google Slides API uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. Create OAuth credentials in Google Cloud Console with application type "Web application". In Google Cloud Console, go to APIs & Services > Credentials and create a Web application OAuth 2.0 credential.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| Redirect URI | https://auth.aigateway.cequence.ai/v1/outbound/oauth/callback |
| Auth endpoint | https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth |
| Token endpoint | https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token |
| Scopes | https://www.googleapis.com/auth/presentations, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/presentations.readonly, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file |
Available tools
These tools enable slide creation, content insertion, formatting, and presentation management.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create presentation | Create a new blank presentation |
| Get presentation | Retrieve presentation metadata and slide structure |
| Batch update | Apply multiple slide edits in one request |
| Add slide | Insert a new blank or templated slide |
| Delete slide | Remove a slide from the presentation |
| Replace all text | Find and replace text across all slides |
| Insert text box | Add a text box to a slide |
| Insert shape | Add rectangles, circles, arrows, or custom shapes |
| Insert image | Embed an image from a URL or Drive |
| Insert table | Create a table with specified rows and columns |
| Update element | Modify position, size, rotation, or properties of an element |
| Delete element | Remove a shape, text box, image, or table from a slide |
| Apply layout | Change the slide layout (title, title/content, blank, etc.) |
| Update text style | Modify font, size, color, and alignment of text |
| Create link | Add hyperlinks to text or shapes |
| Insert line chart | Add a line chart linked to Sheets data |
| Insert bar chart | Add a bar chart with specified data |
| Insert pie chart | Add a pie chart visualization |
| Update page properties | Modify slide background color or image |
Tips
Use presentations.readonly with drive.readonly when building presentation dashboards or reports where the agent only needs to read existing slides.
Create a master template with placeholders and have the agent populate it rather than constructing slides element by element—template-based creation is more reliable than building from scratch.
Link charts to Google Sheets data sources so they update automatically when the underlying data changes; this keeps presentations current without manual intervention.
Test image URLs before inserting them; broken image links make presentations look unfinished.
Include a final human review step before sharing when automating presentation generation for external audiences—an extra pair of eyes catches formatting issues and ensures the message is clear.
Avoid deeply nested shapes or complex layouts that may not render correctly; stick to simpler designs that work reliably across the API.
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