Tools

Slidev MCP provides 8 tools. You don't call them directly — your AI assistant uses them behind the scenes. This page documents their behavior for reference.

render_slides

Render a Slidev presentation from markdown and return its hosted URL.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
markdown	string	Yes	Full Slidev markdown including frontmatter
theme	string	Yes	Theme name (e.g. seriph, default, apple-basic)
uuid	string | null	No	UUID of an existing presentation to update. Omit to create a new one.
color_schema	string	No	Color scheme: light (default), dark, or auto. Controls whether slides render in light or dark mode.

Returns

{
  "url": "https://mcp.slidev-mcp.org/slides/abc123-def456/",
  "uuid": "abc123-def456",
  "build_time_seconds": 7.42
}

A base64-encoded PNG preview image is also returned as an image content block (visible on clients that support image rendering).

Errors

Code	Description
theme_not_allowed	Theme name is not in the allowlist or has an invalid format
invalid_uuid	UUID does not match UUID v4 format
uuid_sealed	UUID exists but belongs to a closed session (immutable)
uuid_foreign	UUID belongs to a different active session
build_failed	Slidev build failed (includes error details)
build_timeout	Build exceeded the timeout (default 120s)
markdown_too_large	Markdown exceeds the size limit (default 1 MB)
concurrent_limit	Too many builds running simultaneously; retry later

Notes

• Images must be remote URLs or base64-encoded inline. Local file paths are not supported.
• The theme parameter is validated against the installed themes. Only pre-installed themes are allowed.
• When uuid is provided, the presentation is updated in-place. The URL stays the same.
• UUIDs are tied to your session. Once you disconnect, your presentations become immutable.

export_slides

Export a presentation as a downloadable PDF.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
uuid	string	Yes	UUID of the presentation to export. Must be from the current session.

Returns

{
  "pdf_url": "https://mcp.slidev-mcp.org/slides/abc123-def456/slidev-exported.pdf",
  "uuid": "abc123-def456",
  "export_time_seconds": 12.3
}

Errors

Code	Description
uuid_foreign	UUID does not belong to this session
not_found	Slide or markdown version not found
export_failed	PDF export failed (includes error details)

Notes

• The presentation must have been created in the current session.
• PDF export uses Playwright to render slides server-side, so the result matches what you see in the browser.

screenshot_slides

Render all slides as PNG images and return them for visual review.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
uuid	string	Yes	UUID of the presentation to screenshot.

Returns

One PNG image per slide, returned as image content blocks. Use this to visually review a presentation and give specific feedback on individual slides.

Errors

Code	Description
uuid_foreign	UUID does not belong to this session
not_found	Slide or markdown version not found
export_failed	Screenshot rendering failed

Notes

• The presentation must have been created in the current session.
• Returns one image per slide, so multi-model AI clients can see exactly what each slide looks like.

list_session_slides

List all presentations created in the current session.

Parameters

None.

Returns

{
  "slides": [
    {
      "uuid": "abc123-def456",
      "url": "https://mcp.slidev-mcp.org/slides/abc123-def456/",
      "theme": "seriph",
      "created_at": "2026-03-23T14:12:00+00:00",
      "updated_at": "2026-03-23T14:15:30+00:00",
      "version_count": 3
    }
  ]
}

list_themes

Get a list of all available themes with style descriptions and recommendations. Used by the AI to decide which theme to use — does not display anything to the user.

Parameters

None.

Returns

Markdown text with a quick reference table and categorized theme recommendations (dark, academic, modern, playful, etc.).

browse_themes

Show the user a visual theme gallery with preview images. On clients that support MCP Apps (claude.ai, Claude Desktop), this renders an interactive gallery in the conversation.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
themes	list[string] | null	No	Theme names to show. If omitted, all 24 themes are displayed.

Returns

JSON with the theme filter. The visual gallery is rendered by the MCP App.

Notes

• Pass a filtered list to show only specific themes (e.g. only dark themes)
• The AI typically calls list_themes first to identify matches, then passes the filtered names here

get_theme

Get full documentation for a specific theme: layouts, components, frontmatter options, and example slides.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
theme	string	Yes	Theme name (e.g. seriph, neocarbon, field-manual)

Returns

Markdown text with the theme's README and example slides.

Notes

• The AI calls this before render_slides to learn the theme's unique features
• Returns an error message if the theme is not found

get_slidev_guide

Get the Slidev syntax guide: frontmatter, slide separators, speaker notes, layouts, code blocks, and an example deck.

Parameters

None.

Returns

Markdown text combining the Slidev syntax reference, built-in layout documentation, and a minimal example deck.