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Exporting to Google Slides

This guide covers how to set up Google Slides integration and export your AI-generated presentations to Google Slides.

Overview​

The Google Slides export creates an editable Google Slides presentation from your generated deck. It uses an LLM to convert each slide's HTML into Google Slides API calls, producing a cloud-native presentation you can share and edit in Google Workspace.

Prerequisites​

  • Access to the Databricks Tellr application
  • A Google Cloud project with the Google Slides API and Google Drive API enabled
  • Admin access to upload OAuth credentials (one-time setup)
  • A generated slide deck to export

Part 1: Admin Setup (One-Time)​

An administrator must upload Google OAuth credentials before any user can export. This only needs to be done once for the entire application.

Step 01: Open the Admin Page​

Navigate to the /admin URL or click Admin in the navigation. The admin page has tabs for different settings.

Admin page

Step 02: Go to the Google Slides Tab​

Click the Google Slides tab to see the credentials and authorization configuration.

Google Slides tab

Step 03: Obtain OAuth Credentials​

Before uploading, you need a credentials.json file from Google Cloud Console:

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a project (or select an existing one)
  3. Enable the Google Slides API and Google Drive API
  4. Go to Credentials and create an OAuth 2.0 Client ID (Desktop app)
  5. Download the credentials.json file

Step 04: Upload Credentials​

Drag and drop the credentials.json file onto the upload area, or click to browse. The file is validated, encrypted, and stored in the database.

Credentials upload area

Once uploaded, the status indicator changes to confirm the credentials are configured.

Credentials uploaded

Part 2: Per-User Authorization​

Each user must authorize once to link their Google account. Tokens are stored per-user and auto-refresh.

Step 05: Authorize with Google​

Click the Authorize with Google button. A popup opens with the Google OAuth consent screen.

Authorize button

Step 06: Complete Authorization​

After granting consent in the popup, the authorization status updates to confirm your account is linked.

Authorized status

Authorization is independent of profiles — it applies to your user account across the entire application.

Part 3: Exporting a Deck​

Step 07: Open the Export Menu​

With slides generated in a session, click the Export button in the slide panel to open the export dropdown.

Export dropdown

Step 08: Select Google Slides​

Click Export to Google Slides to start the export.

Google Slides option

The backend creates a blank Google Slides presentation, then converts each slide using the LLM. When complete, a link to the new presentation appears. Click it to open and edit in Google Slides.

How the Export Works​

  1. The frontend sends the session ID and any chart images to the export endpoint
  2. The backend builds an authenticated Google API client using the admin credentials and your user token
  3. A blank presentation is created via the Google Slides API
  4. Each slide's HTML is sent to the LLM, which generates Python code calling the Google Slides batchUpdate API
  5. The generated code is executed server-side for each slide
  6. If a slide fails to convert, the system retries once with error context, then falls back to a placeholder text box

Troubleshooting​

ProblemCauseSolution
"Not authorized" after previously workingToken expired or encryption key changedClick Authorize with Google again
Export fails for a single slideLLM-generated code errorThe slide gets a placeholder; other slides are unaffected
"Credentials not configured"Admin hasn't uploaded credentials.jsonAsk an admin to upload credentials on the /admin page
App won't start in productionMissing GOOGLE_OAUTH_ENCRYPTION_KEY env varSet the environment variable (see below)

Production Encryption Key​

In production, the GOOGLE_OAUTH_ENCRYPTION_KEY environment variable must be set. Generate one with:

python -c "from cryptography.fernet import Fernet; print(Fernet.generate_key().decode())"

In local development, a key is auto-generated and persisted to .encryption_key (gitignored).

Tips​

  • Export after finalising — Export once you're satisfied with the slides, since each export creates a new presentation
  • Chart images are included — Any charts rendered on the slides are captured and embedded in the Google Slides export
  • Slides are 16:9 — The exported presentation uses widescreen dimensions (10" x 5.625")
  • Edit freely in Google — The export produces native Google Slides elements, not images, so text and shapes are fully editable