Skip to main content

Connect to Google Slides

Connect Google Slides to Retool to generate and update presentations using the Slides API.

Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation tool for creating and collaborating on slide decks. Retool connects to Google Slides through the Slides API v1 using either OAuth 2.0 or a Google service account.

After you create a Google Slides resource in Retool, you can:

  • Generate presentations from templates and populate them with data from your apps and workflows.
  • Read presentation structure, slide content, and embedded chart data.
  • Insert, replace, and delete text, shapes, images, and other slide elements.
  • Apply slide layouts, transitions, and themes programmatically.
  • Manage presentation metadata, permissions, and sharing via the Drive API.

Before you begin​

To connect Google Slides to Retool, you need the following:

  • Google account: A Google account or Google Workspace user with access to the presentations you want to query.
  • Retool permissions: Edit all permissions for resources in your organization.

Create a Google Slides resource​

Follow these steps to create a Google Slides resource in your Retool organization.

1. Create a new resource​

In your Retool organization, navigate to Resources in the main navigation and click Create new → Resource. Search for Google Slides and click the Google Slides tile to begin configuration.

Best practice

Use folders to organize your resources by team, environment, or data source type. This helps keep your resource list manageable as your organization grows.

2. Configure general settings​

Specify a name and description for the resource that indicates which Google account or workspace it connects to. The description provides more context to users about how to use the resource.

Example nameExample description
Google SlidesDefault Google Slides resource for the sales team. Generates customer-facing decks from templates.
Google Slides (read only)Read-only Google Slides resource for parsing presentation content into internal apps.
Note

When using Retool's hosted OAuth app (Cloud) or a custom OAuth app (self-hosted), you typically only need one resource. Each user authenticates individually and can only access their own presentations. Creating multiple resources is usually unnecessary unless you need to support multiple OAuth applications or mix OAuth with service account authentication.

3. Configure authentication​

Configure the connection settings for your Google Slides resource under the Credentials section of the resource configuration form.

Google Slides resource configuration form.

Authentication​

Google Slides supports two authentication methods. Choose based on whether queries should run as the signed-in user or as a non-interactive service identity.

Authentication methodUse cases
OAuth 2.0Interactive apps where each user authenticates with their own Google account. Each user only sees the presentations they have access to.
Google Service AccountAutomated workflows, scheduled queries, and shared internal apps that need to act as a non-interactive service identity. Presentations must be explicitly shared with the service account's email address.
option A: OAuth 2.0 with Retool's hosted app (recommended)

Retool provides a hosted OAuth 2.0 client for Cloud organizations, so no external configuration is required.

  1. Select OAuth 2.0 as the Authentication method.
  2. Choose the Type:
    • Read only—queries can read presentation content, slide structure, and embedded chart data.
    • Read and write—queries can create, edit, and delete presentations.
  3. Optionally enable Share credentials between users to allow all users of the resource to share a single set of credentials. By default, each user authenticates individually.
  4. Click Connect with OAuth and authorize Retool to access your Google Slides.
  5. Click Create resource to save.
option B: Google service account

Use a service account when queries should run as a non-interactive service identity rather than as the signed-in user.

  1. Create a service account in the Google Cloud Console and generate a JSON key.
  2. In Google Drive, share the presentations the service account needs to access with the service account's email address.
  3. In Retool, select Google Service Account as the Authentication method.
  4. Choose the Type: Read only or Read and write.
  5. Paste the JSON contents of your service account key into the Service account key field.
  6. Click Create resource to save.

Refer to Google's service account documentation for setup details and key rotation guidance.

Type​

The Type setting controls the OAuth scopes used for Slides API calls. Google Slides requests scopes for the Slides API, Drive API, and Sheets API, since slide decks can embed Sheets data and most operations require locating files through Drive.

TypeAPI access
Read onlyRead presentation content, slide structure, and embedded chart data. Includes presentations.readonly, drive.readonly, and spreadsheets.readonly scopes. Use for apps that parse or display Slides content.
Read and writeFull read and write access, including create and delete. Includes presentations, drive.file, drive, and spreadsheets scopes. Use for apps that generate decks, edit slides, or refresh embedded charts.

To change the Type after a resource has been created, update the authentication settings and re-authorize the resource. Users are prompted to re-consent on the next query.

Outbound region​

By default, requests originate from your organization's outbound region (for example, us-west-2). Enable Override default outbound Retool region to route requests through a different region. This is useful when Slides API access is restricted by IP or when you need to align with data residency requirements.

4. Save the resource​

Click Create resource to save your Google Slides resource.

note

Google Slides resources cannot be tested from the resource configuration screen. Save the resource and verify the connection by running a query—for example, list available presentations at https://www.googleapis.com/drive/v3/files?q=mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.presentation'&pageSize=1.

Query Google Slides data​

Once you've created a Google Slides resource, you can query it in apps, workflows, and agent tools. Google Slides queries call the Slides API v1—Retool exposes an Operation dropdown listing the available Slides endpoints. To list, copy, or share presentations as Drive files, create a separate Google Drive resource.

Create a query​

To create a Google Slides query in a classic app:

  1. In the Retool app IDE, open the Code tab, then click + in the page or global scope.
  2. Select Resource query.
  3. Choose your Google Slides resource.
  4. Select an Operation from the dropdown. Operations are labeled by endpoint path and HTTP method (for example, /presentations/{presentationId} GET).
  5. Configure the required parameters and run the query.

Query configuration fields​

The fields below describe the Retool-side configuration—for the full list of available endpoints and parameters, refer to the Slides API reference.

Operation​

Select a Slides API endpoint from the dropdown. Each entry is labeled by endpoint path and HTTP method.

Examples
# Read a presentation's structure
/presentations/{presentationId} GET

# Create a new (empty) presentation
/presentations POST

# Apply a batch of edits to a presentation
/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate POST

# Read a single slide's structure
/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageObjectId} GET

# Render a PNG thumbnail of a slide
/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageObjectId}/thumbnail GET

Operation-specific path parameters (like presentationId), URL parameters, and a request body appear once an operation is selected.

URL parameters​

ParameterDescriptionExample
fieldsA comma-separated list of fields to include in the response. Reduces payload size for large presentations.presentationId,title,slides(objectId,pageElements)

Request body​

For write operations (POST), provide a JSON body matching the Slides API resource schema. Use embedded expressions to interpolate values from app state.

Example: replace placeholder text in a deck
{
  "requests": [
    {
      "replaceAllText": {
        "containsText": {
          "text": "{{ '{{customer_name}}' }}",
          "matchCase": true
        },
        "replaceText": {{ form1.data.customerName }}
      }
    }
  ]
}

Advanced​

Use the Advanced section to add request headers or URL parameters not covered by the operation's defaults. The Authorization header is set automatically from the resource's authentication.

Google Slides query examples​

These examples demonstrate the most common Google Slides operations in Retool apps. For a complete reference of available operations and parameters, refer to the Slides API documentation.

read presentation structure

Create a query named getPresentationQuery to retrieve a presentation's slides and their elements.

Configure the query:

FieldValue
Operation/presentations/{presentationId} GET
presentationId (path){{ presentationIdInput.value }}
URL parametersfields=presentationId,title,slides(objectId,pageElements(objectId,shape(text(textElements(textRun(content))))))

Walk the slides array to extract slide titles and body text. The response is hierarchical—each slide has pageElements, each shape has a text field containing textElements with textRun.content.

generate a deck from a template

Store a template presentation in Drive with placeholder tokens such as {{ '{{customer_name}}' }}. Copy the template using a Google Drive resource, then populate it with the Google Slides resource.

First, create copyTemplateQuery on a Google Drive resource:

FieldValue
Operation/files/{{ templateIdSelect.value }}/copy POST

Set the Request body to:

{
  "name": {{ deckNameInput.value }},
  "parents": ["{{ targetFolderInput.value }}"]
}

Then create populateDeckQuery on the Google Slides resource to replace placeholders:

FieldValue
Operation/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate POST
presentationId (path){{ copyTemplateQuery.data.id }}

Set the Request body to:

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "replaceAllText": {
        "containsText": { "text": "{{ '{{customer_name}}' }}", "matchCase": true },
        "replaceText": {{ form1.data.customerName }}
      }
    },
    {
      "replaceAllText": {
        "containsText": { "text": "{{ '{{quarter}}' }}", "matchCase": true },
        "replaceText": {{ form1.data.quarter }}
      }
    },
    {
      "replaceAllText": {
        "containsText": { "text": "{{ '{{revenue}}' }}", "matchCase": true },
        "replaceText": {{ '$' + form1.data.revenue.toLocaleString() }}
      }
    }
  ]
}

Add an event handler to the form's Submit event that runs copyTemplateQuery, then populateDeckQuery, then opens the new deck at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/{{ copyTemplateQuery.data.id }}/edit.

render a slide thumbnail

Create a query named getThumbnailQuery to fetch a PNG preview of a single slide.

Configure the query:

FieldValue
Operation/presentations/{presentationId}/pages/{pageObjectId}/thumbnail GET
presentationId (path){{ presentationIdInput.value }}
pageObjectId (path){{ slideSelect.value }}

The response includes a contentUrl field. Bind an Image component's Image source property to {{ getThumbnailQuery.data.contentUrl }} to display the preview.

Use a Select component bound to {{ getPresentationQuery.data.slides }} with the Value key set to objectId to let users pick a slide. Trigger getThumbnailQuery from the Select's Change event.

refresh embedded chart data

For decks that embed charts from Google Sheets, refresh them after the underlying spreadsheet changes.

Create a query named refreshChartsQuery:

FieldValue
Operation/presentations/{presentationId}:batchUpdate POST
presentationId (path){{ presentationIdInput.value }}

Set the Request body to:

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "refreshSheetsChart": {
        "objectId": {{ chartObjectIdInput.value }}
      }
    }
  ]
}

To refresh multiple charts at once, append additional refreshSheetsChart requests to the array.

list available presentations

The Google Slides resource only exposes the Slides API. To list presentations the authenticated user can access, create a Google Drive resource and run a listPresentationsQuery against it.

Configure the query on the Drive resource:

FieldValue
Operation/files GET
URL parametersq=mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.presentation' and trashed=false
fields=files(id,name,modifiedTime,webViewLink)
pageSize=100

Add a Table component bound to {{ listPresentationsQuery.data.files }}.

Best practices​

Follow these best practices to optimize performance, maintain security, and ensure data integrity when working with REST APIs.

Performance​

  • Cache responses: For data that doesn't change frequently, enable query caching to reduce API calls and improve response times.
  • Use pagination: Implement pagination for endpoints that return large datasets to reduce payload size and improve performance.
  • Batch requests: When available, use batch API endpoints to combine multiple operations into a single request.
  • Minimize payload size: Request only the fields you need using query parameters or API-specific field selection features.
  • Set appropriate timeouts: Configure query timeouts based on expected API response times to prevent hung requests.

Security​

  • Use configuration variables: Store API keys and tokens in configuration variables or secrets rather than hardcoding them.
  • Use HTTPS only: Always connect to APIs over HTTPS to encrypt data in transit and protect authentication credentials.
  • Rotate credentials regularly: Follow your API provider's recommendations for credential rotation and key management.
  • Validate SSL certificates: Keep SSL certificate verification enabled unless absolutely necessary for development environments.
  • Use resource environments: Configure multiple resource environments to maintain separate API configurations for production, staging, and development.
  • Apply least privilege: Use API keys with minimal required permissions. Create separate keys for different environments.

Data integrity​

  • Validate user input: Sanitize and validate all user input before including it in API requests to prevent injection attacks.
  • Handle errors gracefully: Configure error notifications and fallback behavior for failed API calls to improve user experience.
  • Use idempotency keys: For APIs that support idempotency keys, include them in POST/PATCH requests to prevent duplicate operations.
  • Verify responses: Check response status codes and validate response data structure before using it in your app.
  • Implement retry logic: For transient failures, use Retool's automatic retry settings or implement custom retry logic with exponential backoff.

Google Slides-specific considerations​

  • Choose the narrowest scope: Use the Read only type unless your app needs to create or edit presentations. Switching from a broader scope to a narrower one later forces every user to re-consent.
  • Use batchUpdate for multiple edits: Group multiple edits into a single batchUpdate request rather than issuing one per change. This is faster, atomic, and reduces API quota consumption.
  • Object IDs are stable but not human-readable: Slide and element object IDs are returned in the get-presentation response. Persist them in your database or app state when you need to update specific elements across sessions.
  • Templates over generation: For complex decks, maintain Drive-hosted templates with placeholder tokens and use replaceAllText to populate them. Generating slides from scratch via Slides API requests is verbose and brittle.
  • Embedded Sheets charts can drift: Charts embedded from Google Sheets snapshot the source data when inserted. Use refreshSheetsChart requests after the underlying spreadsheet updates to keep decks current.