PowerPoint XML Reference

This file contains XML patterns for programmatic PowerPoint editing. Use these patterns when working directly with OOXML format.

Note: Color values in examples (e.g., E67E22, D35400) are placeholders. Replace with your template's brand colors.

⚠️ When to Use This Reference

Use python-pptx for:

• Creating new tables (handles cell structure and relationships automatically)
• Adding text boxes
• Inserting images
• Most shape creation
• Any operation where python-pptx provides an API

Use direct XML editing only for:

• Modifying properties of existing elements that python-pptx doesn't expose
• Fine-tuning cell formatting after table creation via python-pptx
• Adjusting specific shape properties not available via the python-pptx API

NEVER use direct XML for:

• Creating tables from scratch (relationship management is error-prone and will likely corrupt the file)
• Initial shape creation (shape ID collision risk)
• Anything you can accomplish via python-pptx

The XML patterns in this file are for reference and targeted modifications, not wholesale element construction.

XML Editing Risks

Direct XML editing can corrupt PowerPoint files if not done carefully:

• PowerPoint XML has interdependencies (relationship files, content types)
• Invalid XML or missing relationships can corrupt the entire file
• Shape IDs must be unique across each slide

Always work on a backup copy — never edit the original file directly.

Contents

• Table Implementation
• Arrow Shapes
• Text Boxes
• Shapes with Fill
• Image Insertion
• Connector Lines
• Unit Conversions

Table Implementation

CRITICAL: Verify Tables Are Actual Table Objects

After creating any table, you MUST verify it is an actual table object, not text with separators.

Programmatic verification (python-pptx):

for shape in slide.shapes:
    if shape.has_table:
        print(f"✓ Found table: {len(shape.table.rows)} rows, {len(shape.table.columns)} columns")

Visual verification (in exported image):

• Columns align perfectly regardless of content length
• Cell borders are consistent
• Selecting the table selects all cells as a unit

Failure indicators — you have created TEXT, not a table:

• | characters visible between values
• Columns misalign when content length varies
• Tab characters (\t) used for spacing
• Multiple text boxes arranged to look like a table

Text-based "tables" cannot be edited by the recipient, will misalign when fonts change, and signal amateur work. There is no acceptable use case for pipe/tab-separated tabular data in a pitch deck.

Basic Table Structure

<a:tbl>
  <a:tblPr firstRow="1" bandRow="1">
    <a:tableStyleId>{5C22544A-7EE6-4342-B048-85BDC9FD1C3A}</a:tableStyleId>
  </a:tblPr>
  <a:tblGrid>
    <a:gridCol w="2000000"/>  <!-- Source column - width in EMUs -->
    <a:gridCol w="1200000"/>  <!-- 2024 Size column -->
    <a:gridCol w="1200000"/>  <!-- CAGR column -->
    <a:gridCol w="1200000"/>  <!-- 2030 Projection column -->
  </a:tblGrid>
  <!-- Row definitions follow -->
</a:tbl>

Table Row with Cells

<a:tr h="370840">  <!-- Row height in EMUs -->
  <a:tc>
    <a:txBody>
      <a:bodyPr/>
      <a:lstStyle/>
      <a:p>
        <a:pPr algn="l"/>  <!-- Left alignment for text columns -->
        <a:r>
          <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1000" b="0"/>
          <a:t>Grand View Research</a:t>
        </a:r>
      </a:p>
    </a:txBody>
    <a:tcPr/>
  </a:tc>
  <a:tc>
    <a:txBody>
      <a:bodyPr/>
      <a:lstStyle/>
      <a:p>
        <a:pPr algn="ctr"/>  <!-- Center alignment for numeric columns -->
        <a:r>
          <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1000"/>
          <a:t>22.1</a:t>
        </a:r>
      </a:p>
    </a:txBody>
    <a:tcPr/>
  </a:tc>
  <!-- Additional cells... -->
</a:tr>

Header Row Styling

<a:tr h="370840">
  <a:tc>
    <a:txBody>
      <a:bodyPr/>
      <a:lstStyle/>
      <a:p>
        <a:pPr algn="l"/>
        <a:r>
          <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1000" b="1">  <!-- Bold for headers -->
            <a:solidFill>
              <a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/>  <!-- White text -->
            </a:solidFill>
          </a:rPr>
          <a:t>Source</a:t>
        </a:r>
      </a:p>
    </a:txBody>
    <a:tcPr>
      <a:solidFill>
        <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>  <!-- Orange background -->
      </a:solidFill>
    </a:tcPr>
  </a:tc>
  <!-- Additional header cells... -->
</a:tr>

Arrow Shapes

Right Arrow Shape

<p:sp>
  <p:nvSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="10" name="Arrow Right"/>
    <p:cNvSpPr/>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="3000000" y="2500000"/>  <!-- Position in EMUs -->
      <a:ext cx="500000" cy="300000"/>   <!-- Size in EMUs -->
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="rightArrow">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>  <!-- Arrow fill color -->
    </a:solidFill>
    <a:ln>
      <a:noFill/>  <!-- No outline -->
    </a:ln>
  </p:spPr>
</p:sp>

Down Arrow Shape

<p:sp>
  <p:nvSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="11" name="Arrow Down"/>
    <p:cNvSpPr/>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="2500000" y="3000000"/>
      <a:ext cx="300000" cy="500000"/>
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="downArrow">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>
    </a:solidFill>
  </p:spPr>
</p:sp>

Chevron Shape

<p:sp>
  <p:nvSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="12" name="Chevron"/>
    <p:cNvSpPr/>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="3000000" y="2500000"/>
      <a:ext cx="400000" cy="600000"/>
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="chevron">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>
    </a:solidFill>
  </p:spPr>
</p:sp>

Text Boxes

Basic Text Box

<p:sp>
  <p:nvSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="5" name="TextBox 4"/>
    <p:cNvSpPr txBox="1"/>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="500000" y="1500000"/>
      <a:ext cx="4000000" cy="500000"/>
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="rect">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:noFill/>
  </p:spPr>
  <p:txBody>
    <a:bodyPr wrap="square" rtlCol="0">
      <a:spAutoFit/>
    </a:bodyPr>
    <a:lstStyle/>
    <a:p>
      <a:r>
        <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1400" dirty="0"/>
        <a:t>Text content here</a:t>
      </a:r>
    </a:p>
  </p:txBody>
</p:sp>

Text Box with Bullet Points

<p:txBody>
  <a:bodyPr wrap="square">
    <a:spAutoFit/>
  </a:bodyPr>
  <a:lstStyle/>
  <a:p>
    <a:pPr marL="342900" indent="-342900">
      <a:buFont typeface="Wingdings" panose="05000000000000000000" pitchFamily="2" charset="2"/>
      <a:buChar char="&#252;"/>  <!-- Checkmark character -->
    </a:pPr>
    <a:r>
      <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1400" dirty="0"/>
      <a:t>First bullet point</a:t>
    </a:r>
  </a:p>
  <a:p>
    <a:pPr marL="342900" indent="-342900">
      <a:buFont typeface="Wingdings" panose="05000000000000000000" pitchFamily="2" charset="2"/>
      <a:buChar char="&#252;"/>
    </a:pPr>
    <a:r>
      <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1400" dirty="0"/>
      <a:t>Second bullet point</a:t>
    </a:r>
  </a:p>
</p:txBody>

Text with White Color (for dark backgrounds)

<a:r>
  <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1000" b="1" i="1" dirty="0">
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/>  <!-- White text -->
    </a:solidFill>
  </a:rPr>
  <a:t>White text on colored background</a:t>
</a:r>

Shapes with Fill

Rectangle with Solid Fill

<p:sp>
  <p:nvSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="20" name="Rectangle 19"/>
    <p:cNvSpPr/>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="500000" y="2500000"/>
      <a:ext cx="1000000" cy="2000000"/>
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="rect">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>  <!-- Orange fill -->
    </a:solidFill>
    <a:ln w="12700">  <!-- Border width -->
      <a:solidFill>
        <a:srgbClr val="D35400"/>  <!-- Darker border -->
      </a:solidFill>
    </a:ln>
  </p:spPr>
  <p:txBody>
    <a:bodyPr rtlCol="0" anchor="ctr"/>  <!-- Vertically centered text -->
    <a:lstStyle/>
    <a:p>
      <a:pPr algn="ctr"/>  <!-- Horizontally centered -->
      <a:r>
        <a:rPr lang="en-US" sz="1600" b="1">
          <a:solidFill>
            <a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/>
          </a:solidFill>
        </a:rPr>
        <a:t>Label Text</a:t>
      </a:r>
    </a:p>
  </p:txBody>
</p:sp>

Image Insertion

Adding Image to Slide

<p:pic>
  <p:nvPicPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="99" name="Company Logo"/>
    <p:cNvPicPr>
      <a:picLocks noChangeAspect="1"/>
    </p:cNvPicPr>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvPicPr>
  <p:blipFill>
    <a:blip r:embed="rIdLogo"/>  <!-- Reference to relationship ID -->
    <a:stretch>
      <a:fillRect/>
    </a:stretch>
  </p:blipFill>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="10800000" y="200000"/>  <!-- Top-right position -->
      <a:ext cx="800000" cy="600000"/>   <!-- Logo dimensions -->
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="rect">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
  </p:spPr>
</p:pic>

Adding Image Relationship

In ppt/slides/_rels/slideN.xml.rels:

<Relationship Id="rIdLogo" 
  Type="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships/image" 
  Target="../media/logo.png"/>

Connector Lines

Straight Connector

<p:cxnSp>
  <p:nvCxnSpPr>
    <p:cNvPr id="15" name="Straight Connector 14"/>
    <p:cNvCxnSpPr>
      <a:cxnSpLocks/>
    </p:cNvCxnSpPr>
    <p:nvPr/>
  </p:nvCxnSpPr>
  <p:spPr>
    <a:xfrm>
      <a:off x="500000" y="2500000"/>
      <a:ext cx="5000000" cy="0"/>  <!-- Horizontal line -->
    </a:xfrm>
    <a:prstGeom prst="line">
      <a:avLst/>
    </a:prstGeom>
    <a:ln w="12700">
      <a:solidFill>
        <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>
      </a:solidFill>
    </a:ln>
  </p:spPr>
</p:cxnSp>

Dashed Line

<p:spPr>
  <a:xfrm>
    <a:off x="500000" y="4500000"/>
    <a:ext cx="5000000" cy="0"/>
  </a:xfrm>
  <a:prstGeom prst="line">
    <a:avLst/>
  </a:prstGeom>
  <a:ln w="12700">
    <a:solidFill>
      <a:srgbClr val="E67E22"/>
    </a:solidFill>
    <a:prstDash val="dash"/>  <!-- Dashed style -->
  </a:ln>
</p:spPr>

Unit Conversions

Common Slide Dimensions (16:9)

• Width: 12192000 EMUs (13.333 inches)
• Height: 6858000 EMUs (7.5 inches)

Typical Element Positions