> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.custral.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Presentations

> Build slide decks on a record or dashboard with the Presentation block.

## Overview

The Presentation block is a slide-deck editor, a PowerPoint / Google Slides
equivalent that lives inside Custral. Each deck is a sequence of slides built
from typed elements (text, image, shape, drawing, and embedded records),
positioned on a fixed canvas. Decks are stored alongside the record or
dashboard they sit on, so a presentation can pull live data from your
workspace through templates.

## How it works

A presentation is added as a **block** on a record detail page or a
dashboard, the same way you add a [Whiteboard](/blocks/embedded/object/whiteboard)
or any other block. See [Block Concepts](/blocks/concept) for how blocks are
configured. Inside the block you build slides element by element. Real-time
collaboration is handled by the same sync engine that powers the Whiteboard,
so multiple people can edit one deck at once.

Three reusable configurations support the editor, each managed from
**Settings → Presentations**:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Templates" icon="rectangle-history" href="/blocks/presentations/templates">
    Whole-deck snapshots with typed `{{variable}}` bindings that resolve
    against a chosen record.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Themes" icon="palette" href="/blocks/presentations/themes">
    Brand kits: colours, fonts, a logo, and default text styles applied
    across slides.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Layouts" icon="table-layout" href="/blocks/presentations/layouts">
    Single-slide starters the "Add slide" picker offers, grouped by category.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

A deck can be navigated in one of three shapes, **linear** (a straight
sequence), **grid** (slides placed on a 2D board), or **graph** (branching
paths with labelled choices). You pick the shape by toggling the rail in the
block toolbar; the same slides drive all three without losing data.

When a deck is ready, **Present mode** opens it fullscreen, and **PDF export**
turns it into a downloadable file.

## Using it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add the block">
    On a record or dashboard, add a Presentation block.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build slides">
    Add slides and place text, images, shapes, or embedded records on each.
    Apply a [theme](/blocks/presentations/themes) for consistent branding.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Present or export">
    Open Present mode for a fullscreen run-through, or export the deck to PDF.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom                                                    | Likely cause                                                      | What to check                                                                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Block fails to load or shows an error in place of the deck | Outdated app session or an older deck format                      | Reload the app; confirm the block was added as a current Presentation block, not an older version            |
| Edits don't appear for a teammate                          | Real-time sync not connected                                      | Check your network connection; the deck syncs the same way as the Whiteboard                                 |
| An existing older deck won't open in the editor            | Deck was authored in a prior version                              | Use **Migrate older presentations** on the [Templates](/blocks/presentations/templates) screen to convert it |
| `{{variable}}` text shows literally in a slide             | Deck wasn't created from a template, or the variable has no value | See [Templates](/blocks/presentations/templates) for variable resolution rules                               |

<Note>
  When reporting an issue, include the request ID shown in the error message.
  It helps our support team trace what happened.
</Note>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Templates" icon="rectangle-history" href="/blocks/presentations/templates" />

  <Card title="Themes" icon="palette" href="/blocks/presentations/themes" />

  <Card title="Layouts" icon="table-layout" href="/blocks/presentations/layouts" />

  <Card title="Whiteboard" icon="chalkboard" href="/blocks/embedded/object/whiteboard" />
</CardGroup>


## Related topics

- [Presentation](/data/properties/communication/presentation.md)
- [Presentation Themes](/blocks/presentations/themes.md)
- [Presentation Templates](/blocks/presentations/templates.md)
- [What the assistant can do](/ai/tools/library.md)
- [Slide Layouts](/blocks/presentations/layouts.md)