Overview

The pptx.dev API supports over 25 chart types that render as native PowerPoint charts — fully editable in PowerPoint or Google Slides. This guide covers how to add charts to your presentations.

Chart Layout Options

Each layout also supports -slideimage variants for background images.

Supported Chart Types

Column and Bar Charts

• COLUMN — single series column
• CLUSTERED_COLUMN — multiple series side by side
• STACKED_COLUMN_2X / STACKED_COLUMN_3X — stacked columns
• BAR — horizontal single series
• CLUSTERED_BAR_2X — horizontal grouped bars
• STACKED_BAR_2X / STACKED_BAR_3X — stacked horizontal bars

Line Charts

• LINE — basic line
• LINE_WITH_MARKERS — line with data point markers
• LINE_WITH_HIGH_LOW — line with a high/low band
• Multi-series: LINE_2X, LINE_3X, STACKED_LINE_2X, STACKED_LINE_3X

Circular Charts

• PIE — pie chart
• DOUGHNUT — donut chart

Specialty Charts

• WATERFALL — waterfall chart for financial analysis
• FUNNEL — funnel chart for pipeline visualization
• TREEMAP — hierarchical data visualization
• HISTOGRAM — frequency distribution
• BOX_AND_WHISKER — statistical spread
• SCATTER — XY scatter plot
• RADAR / FILLED_RADAR — radar/spider charts
• PARETO — Pareto analysis
• SPARKLINE — inline mini-charts

Map Charts

• WORLD, UNITED_STATES, UNITED_KINGDOM, CANADA, AUSTRALIA

Example: Revenue Column Chart

curl -X POST https://api.pptx.dev/v1/presentations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Revenue Report",
    "colorScheme": "forest-green",
    "fontScheme": "calibri",
    "slides": [
      {
        "layout": "chart-1x-title-center",
        "content": {
          "heading": "Revenue by Quarter",
          "chart": {
            "type": "CLUSTERED_COLUMN",
            "categories": ["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"],
            "series": [
              { "name": "2025", "values": [1200, 1800, 2100, 2400] },
              { "name": "2026", "values": [1500, 2200, 2800, null] }
            ]
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

Example: Pie Chart

{
  "layout": "chart-1x",
  "content": {
    "heading": "Market Share",
    "chart": {
      "type": "PIE",
      "categories": ["Our Product", "Competitor A", "Competitor B", "Others"],
      "series": [
        { "name": "Share", "values": [35, 28, 22, 15] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Example: Two Charts Side by Side

{
  "layout": "chart-2x",
  "content": {
    "heading": "Sales Overview",
    "items": [
      {
        "chart": {
          "type": "LINE_WITH_MARKERS",
          "categories": ["Jan", "Feb", "Mar", "Apr"],
          "series": [{ "name": "Revenue", "values": [100, 120, 115, 140] }]
        }
      },
      {
        "chart": {
          "type": "DOUGHNUT",
          "categories": ["Online", "In-Store", "Partners"],
          "series": [{ "name": "Channel", "values": [55, 30, 15] }]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Chart Best Practices

1. Limit data points. 4-8 categories per chart keeps slides readable.
2. Use the right chart type. Comparisons → column/bar. Trends → line. Parts of whole → pie/doughnut.
3. Label clearly. Use descriptive series names and category labels.
4. Pair with KPI slides. Lead with a number slide for the headline metric, then follow with a chart for the trend.

Next Steps

• Deep dive into column and bar charts
• Learn about line charts
• Explore pie and doughnut charts