Limitations
Slidev MCP is designed to be simple and secure. Some Slidev features are not available in the current version.
Images
| Image source | Supported? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Remote URLs () | Yes | Browser fetches the image when viewing the slides |
Base64 inline () | Yes | Works but inflates markdown size (1 MB limit) |
Local file paths () | No | No mechanism to upload files to the builder |
Recommendation: Use remote image URLs. If you need to embed an image without hosting it, use base64 encoding.
Features Not Available
| Feature | Why | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Live preview | Each change requires a full build (7-30s) | Iterate by asking your assistant to update specific slides |
| Presenter mode | Not included in the static build | View slides directly in the browser |
| Custom CSS/JS files | No file upload support | Use inline <style> and <script setup> blocks in markdown |
| Custom fonts | No file upload support | Use web fonts via URL imports in <style> blocks |
Export
PDF export and slide screenshots are fully supported:
| Feature | Tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF export | export_slides | Server-side Playwright rendering; returns a download URL |
| Slide screenshots | screenshot_slides | Returns one PNG per slide for visual review |
Both tools require the presentation to have been created in the current session.
Limits
| Limit | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown size | 1 MB | Maximum size of the markdown input |
| Build timeout | 120 seconds | Maximum time for a single build |
| Concurrent builds | 3 | Maximum simultaneous builds on the server |
| Slide TTL | 30 days | Slides are automatically deleted after this period |
Session Behavior
- You can update a presentation as many times as you want within the same session.
- Once your session ends (you disconnect), all your presentations become immutable — they can still be viewed but not modified.
- If the server restarts, all active sessions are terminated. Existing slides remain viewable.
Theme Set
The available themes are fixed at build time. Each theme is individually curated — license-checked, version-pinned, and build-validated. You cannot install custom themes at runtime. See the full theme list.