Slidev Presentation Assistant
This skill helps create and manage presentations using Slidev, a developer-focused presentation framework that combines markdown simplicity with web technology power.
Content Density Rules (HARD LIMITS)
These limits prevent content overflow and ensure readability. Based on cognitive science (Miller's Law, dual-channel processing) and established across multiple AI-assisted Slidev workflows.
Per-Slide Budgets
| Constraint | Limit | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Elements per slide | MAX 6 | Bullets + images + diagrams + code blocks combined |
| Body text words | MAX 50 | Excluding title; forces conciseness |
| Code blocks per slide | MAX 1-2 | 8-10 lines each; use maxHeight if longer |
| Ideas per slide | ONE | If multiple ideas, split into separate slides |
| Bullet words | MAX 6 per bullet | Phrases not sentences (6x6 rule) |
Content Density by Slide Type
| Slide Type | Maximum Content |
|---|---|
| Title/Cover | 1 heading + subtitle + optional tagline |
| Content | 1 heading + 4-6 bullets OR 2 short paragraphs |
| Feature grid | 6 cards maximum (2x3 or 3x2) |
| Code | 1 heading + 8-10 lines of code |
| Quote | 3 lines max + attribution |
| Image | 1 heading + 1 image |
| Diagram | 1 heading + 1 diagram (constrained height) |
The Split-Don't-Compress Rule
When content doesn't fit:
- ALWAYS split into additional slides
- ALWAYS move details to presenter notes (
<!--... -->) or backup slides - NEVER compress or shrink font below minimums to cram more content
- NEVER reduce body font below 18pt or heading font below 24pt
Font Size Minimums
| Element | Minimum | Ideal Range |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | 36pt | 44-60pt |
| H2 | 28pt | 32-40pt |
| H3 | 24pt | 24-28pt |
| Body / Bullets | 18pt | 18-24pt |
| Code | 14pt | 14-18pt |
Limit to 2 font families maximum. Use sans-serif for body text on screens.
Overflow Prevention Toolkit
Slidev's default canvas is 980x552px (16:9). Content must fit within these dimensions.
Canvas Size Configuration (Global Headmatter)
---
canvasWidth: 980
aspectRatio: 16/9
---Per-Slide Zoom (Frontmatter)
Scale down an entire slide when content is slightly too large. Prefer this over reducing font sizes:
---
zoom: 0.8
---
# This slide's content is rendered at 80% scaleOnly use for minor adjustments (0.8-0.95). If you need zoom below 0.8, the slide has too much content — split it.
<Transform> Component (Element-Level Scaling)
Scale specific elements without affecting the rest of the slide:
<Transform :scale="0.7" origin="top center">
<div>This content is 70% of normal size</div>
</Transform><AutoFitText> Component
Built-in component where font size automatically adapts to fit the container:
<AutoFitText>
Text that automatically shrinks to fit available space
</AutoFitText>Code Block maxHeight (Prevents Code Overflow)
Built-in feature to constrain code blocks with scrolling:
// Long code that would overflow the slide // Gets a scrollbar instead of pushing content off-screen function example() { const a = 1 const b = 2 const c = 3 const d = 4 const e = 5 const f = 6 return a + b + c + d + e + f }
Constraining Diagrams
Wrap Mermaid diagrams to prevent overflow:
<div class="overflow-hidden max-h-[400px] flex justify-center">
graph TD A --> B --> C
### Progressive Disclosure with `v-click`
Instead of showing all bullets at once (overflow risk), reveal incrementally. Hidden elements use `opacity: 0` and still occupy space (no layout shift):
<v-clicks>
- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3
- Point 4
</v-clicks>
This keeps visible element count within cognitive bounds at any moment.
## CSS Rules for Slidev
### Critical: Always Scope Under `.slidev-layout`
Unscoped CSS breaks presenter mode and overview panels. **This is the #1 CSS mistake in Slidev:**
<!-- CORRECT: Scoped to slide content --> <style> .slidev-layout { overflow: hidden; } .slidev-layout h1 { font-size: 2.5rem; } </style>
<!-- ALSO CORRECT: Per-slide scoped style --> <style scoped> h1 { font-size: 2rem; } </style>
<!-- WRONG: Will break presenter mode UI --> <style> h1 { font-size: 2rem; } .grid { align-items: center; } </style>
### Recommended Global `style.css`
Place in project root alongside `slides.md`:
/* Prevent content from overflowing slide boundaries */ .slidev-layout { overflow: hidden; }
/* Allow code blocks to scroll when they exceed available space */ .slidev-layout .slidev-code-wrapper { overflow: auto !important; max-height: 80%; }
/* Ensure code content itself can scroll horizontally */ .slidev-layout .slidev-code { overflow: auto !important; }
Use `overflow: hidden` for hard-clip (good for export/PDF) or `overflow: auto` for scrolling (good for live presentations).
### Per-Slide CSS Targeting
Target specific slides by page number:
.slidev-page-2 { zoom: 90%; }
.slidev-page-5 .slidev-layout { overflow-y: auto; }
### UnoCSS Utility Classes Reference
Slidev uses `@unocss/preset-wind3` (Tailwind-compatible). Key classes for layout control:
| Class | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| `overflow-hidden` | Clips content at container boundary |
| `overflow-auto` | Adds scrollbar when content overflows |
| `overflow-y-auto` | Vertical scrollbar only |
| `text-sm` / `text-xs` | Reduce font size |
| `text-[0.7rem]` | Arbitrary font size |
| `max-h-[400px]` | Constrain element height |
| `max-h-full` | Max height = 100% of parent |
| `grid grid-cols-2 gap-4` | Two-column CSS Grid |
| `grid grid-cols-3 gap-2` | Three-column CSS Grid |
| `grid grid-cols-[200px_1fr]` | Custom column proportions |
| `flex flex-wrap` | Flexbox with wrapping |
| `w-1/2` / `w-1/3` / `w-2/3` | Fractional widths |
| `p-2` / `px-4` / `py-2` | Padding adjustments |
Apply to slides via frontmatter or inline:
class: text-sm overflow-hidden
<div class="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4"> <div>Column 1</div> <div>Column 2</div> </div>
### UnoCSS `--uno:` Directive in CSS
.slidev-layout { --uno: px-14 py-10 text-[1.1rem]; }
## Quick Start
### Creating a New Presentation
Initialize new Slidev project
npm init slidev@latest
Or use existing project
npm install @slidev/cli --save-dev
### Basic Slide Structure
theme: seriph background: https://source.unsplash.com/collection/94734566/1920x1080
Welcome to Slidev
Presentation slides for developers
Agenda
- Introduction
- Code Examples
- Live Demo
- Q&A
layout: two-cols
Two Column Layout
::left::
Left side content
::right::
Right side content
## Core Commands
### Development
slidev # Start dev server (default: slides.md) slidev slides.md -o # Start and open in browser slidev --port 3030 # Use custom port
### Building & Exporting
slidev build # Build static SPA slidev export # Export to PDF (default) slidev export --format pptx # Export to PowerPoint slidev export --format png # Export as PNG images slidev export --with-clicks # Include animation steps slidev export --range 1,4-8 # Export specific slides slidev export --per-slide # Per-slide rendering (includes backgrounds)
### Export Verification
#### Automated Content Fit Verification (Recommended)
For comprehensive content verification, use the specialized agent:
Claude Code will invoke the slidev-content-verifier agent
This agent will automatically:
1. Export slides to PNG with proper wait times
2. Analyze each slide systematically
3. Check for all types of content issues
4. Provide specific fix recommendations
To use the agent, simply ask Claude Code:
- "Verify that all slide content fits properly"
- "Check my slides for content cutoffs"
- "Run content fit verification on the presentation"
The agent uses the workflow described below and provides a detailed report with specific fixes.
#### `slidev-overflow-checker` (Pixel-Level CI Tool)
A Playwright-based CLI tool that renders slides in a real browser and detects pixel-level overflow. Detects three issue types: text-overflow, element-overflow, and unintended scrollbars.
Install
npm install -g slidev-overflow-checker
Start dev server first, then in another terminal:
slidev-overflow-checker --url http://localhost:3030
CI integration (fails build on overflow)
slidev-overflow-checker --url http://localhost:3030 --fail-on-issues
Check specific slides
slidev-overflow-checker --url http://localhost:3030 --pages 1-10
Verbose output with source line mapping
slidev-overflow-checker --url http://localhost:3030 --verbose --project ./
**GitHub Actions integration:**
- name: Check slide overflow
run: | npx slidev dev & sleep 10 slidev-overflow-checker --url http://localhost:3030 --fail-on-issues
**Claude Code command integration:**
mkdir -p .claude/commands curl -o .claude/commands/fix-slidev-overflow.md \ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mizuirorivi/slidev-overflow-checker/master/templates/fix-slidev-overflow.md
Then invoke with: /fix-slidev-overflow ./
Source: [mizuirorivi/slidev-overflow-checker](https://github.com/mizuirorivi/slidev-overflow-checker)
#### Manual Content Fit Verification Workflow
For manual verification or understanding the process, use PNG export with direct analysis:
1. Export slides to PNG with proper wait times
slidev export --format png --wait 2000 --timeout 120000
Export specific slides for quick iteration
slidev export --format png --range 5,8,12 --wait 2000
2. List exported PNGs
ls -la slides-export/
3. Use Read tool to analyze each PNG directly
The Read tool can display PNG images for visual inspection
Check each slide systematically
**Analysis Workflow with Read Tool:**
After export, use Read tool on each PNG to verify:
- All text is visible and not cut off at edges
- Code blocks are fully displayed with all lines
- Bullet points and list items are complete
- Headers and footers are within slide bounds
- Images and diagrams are not clipped
- Long URLs or file paths aren't truncated
- Mermaid diagrams render completely
- Tables fit within slide width
Example verification process:
Read slides-export/001.png - Check title slide
Read slides-export/002.png - Verify agenda items all visible
Read slides-export/003.png - Confirm code block not cut off
Read slides-export/004.png - Check diagram fully renders
**Content Fit Checklist:** When analyzing each PNG:
- Top margin: Header/title not cut off
- Bottom margin: Footer/content fully visible
- Left edge: No text clipping on bullet points or code
- Right edge: Long lines don't exceed slide width
- Code blocks: All lines visible, no vertical scroll needed
- Lists: All items and sub-items render completely
- Diagrams: Full diagram visible, no edge clipping
- Element count: No more than 6 elements visible
- Font sizes: Body text appears >= 18pt equivalent
**Fixing Content That Doesn't Fit:**
Ordered by preference (best first):
1. Split into multiple slides (PREFERRED)
Move excess content to a new slide
2. Move details to presenter notes
<!-- Detailed explanation goes here, not on the slide -->
3. Use per-slide zoom (minor adjustments only)
zoom: 0.9
4. Use two-column layout to spread horizontally
layout: two-cols
5. Use maxHeight on code blocks
long code here6. Apply text-sm class (stays above 18pt minimum)
class: text-sm
7. Scale specific elements with Transform
8. Use AutoFitText for text that must fit
Timing and Rendering Issues
To ensure proper rendering before export:
# Add wait time for animations/content loading
slidev export --wait 2000
# Use specific wait conditions for network resources
slidev export --wait-until networkidle
# Increase timeout for complex slides with heavy content
slidev export --timeout 120000
# Combine for best results
slidev export --format png --wait 3000 --wait-until networkidle --timeout 120000Custom Layouts with Overflow Protection
Place .vue files in a layouts/ directory alongside slides.md.
Scrollable Layout
layouts/scrollable.vue:
<template>
<div class="slidev-layout scrollable-layout">
<slot />
</div>
</template>
<style scoped>
.scrollable-layout {
overflow-y: auto;
max-height: 100%;
padding: 2rem;
}
</style>Usage:
---
layout: scrollable
---
# Slide with lots of content that can scrollSafe Content Layout (Flexbox with Overflow Guard)
layouts/safe-content.vue:
<template>
<div class="slidev-layout safe-content">
<div class="content-wrapper">
<slot />
</div>
</div>
</template>
<style scoped>
.safe-content {
padding: 2rem 3rem;
height: 100%;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
}
.content-wrapper {
flex: 1;
overflow-y: auto;
max-height: calc(100% - 2rem);
}
</style>Essential Features
Code Highlighting
function add(a: number, b: number): number { // This line highlights first return a + b } console.log(add(1, 2)) // Then this
Components & Interactivity
<Counter :count="10" />
<Tweet id="1390115482657726468" />
<Youtube id="eW7v-2ZKZOU" />Presenter Notes
# My Slide
Content visible to audience
<!--
Presenter notes here
- Reminder point 1
- Key talking point
- Detailed explanation that would clutter the slide
-->Use presenter notes aggressively to keep slides clean. Any text that explains or elaborates should go in notes, not on the slide.
Animations
# Animations
<v-clicks>
- First item appears
- Second item appears
- Third item appears
</v-clicks>
<v-click>
This appears on click
</v-click>Note: v-click uses opacity: 0 + pointer-events: none by default. Hidden elements still occupy space in the layout (no layout shift). If total content exceeds slide boundaries, add overflow: hidden to the slide.
Advanced Features
Diagrams with Mermaid
graph TD A[Start] --> B{Decision} B -->|Yes| C[Do this] B -->|No| D[Do that]
LaTeX Math
$\sqrt{3x-1}+(1+x)^2$
$$
\begin{array}{c}
\nabla \times \vec{\mathbf{B}} = \mu_0 \vec{\mathbf{J}}
\end{array}
$$Custom Layouts
---
layout: center
class: text-center
---
# Centered Content
---
layout: image-right
image: ./path/to/image.png
---
# Content with Image
Text on the left, image on rightBuilt-in Layouts Reference
| Layout | Purpose | Slots |
|---|---|---|
default | Standard content | default |
center | Centered content | default |
cover | Title/cover slide | default |
two-cols | Two-column grid | ::left::, ::right:: |
two-cols-header | Header + two columns | ::left::, ::right:: |
image-right / image-left | Content + image (50/50) | default |
fact | Large statistic emphasis | default |
quote | Quote display | default |
full | Maximizes space (no padding) | default |
iframe / iframe-right | Embedded web content | default |
end | End slide | default |
Frontmatter Configuration
---
theme: default # Theme name
title: My Presentation # HTML title
titleTemplate: '%s - Slidev' # Title template
canvasWidth: 980 # Canvas width in px (default: 980)
aspectRatio: 16/9 # Aspect ratio (default: 16/9)
info: | # Info for overview
## My Presentation
Learn about...
author: Your Name # Presenter name
keywords: slidev,presentation # SEO keywords
favicon: favicon.ico # Custom favicon
highlighter: shiki # Code highlighter
drawings:
persist: false # Persist drawings
transition: slide-left # Slide transition
css: unocss # CSS framework
fonts:
sans: Roboto # Custom fonts
mono: Fira Code
---Theme Management
# Install themes
npm install @slidev/theme-seriph
npm install @slidev/theme-apple-basic
# Use in frontmatter
---
theme: seriph
---Markdownlint Configuration
Slidev's multi-frontmatter syntax (slide separators ---) can be corrupted by markdown linters. Add this .markdownlint.json to prevent issues:
{
"MD003": false,
"MD024": false,
"MD025": false,
"MD026": false,
"MD033": false,
"MD041": false
}Common Workflows
Creating Technical Presentation
- Initialize project with appropriate theme
- Plan content with density limits in mind (max 6 elements, max 50 words per slide)
- Structure with one idea per slide
- Add code examples with highlighting and
maxHeight - Include diagrams with height constraints
- Move detailed explanations to presenter notes
- Test presenter mode
- Run overflow verification (agent or
slidev-overflow-checker) - Export to PDF for sharing
Live Coding Demo
---
layout: iframe
url: https://stackblitz.com/edit/vue
---Recording Presentation
# Built-in recording (with camera)
slidev --record
# Export recording
slidev export --format webmBest Practices
Slide Design
- ONE idea per slide (split if multiple)
- MAX 6 elements per slide (bullets + images + code blocks combined)
- MAX 50 words body text per slide
- Use phrases not sentences for bullets (3-6 words each)
- Titles should be assertions, not labels ("API Reduces Latency 3x" not "API Performance")
- Use presenter notes aggressively for detailed explanations
- Use
v-clickfor progressive disclosure on slides with 4+ bullets
Content Fitting Priority
When content overflows, fix in this order:
- Split into multiple slides
- Move details to presenter notes
- Use
zoom: 0.9frontmatter (minor adjustment) - Use two-column layout
- Apply
maxHeightto code blocks - Use
<Transform:scale="0.8">on specific elements - Apply
class: text-sm(but respect font minimums)
Performance
- Optimize images (use appropriate formats)
- Lazy load heavy components
- Test exports early to catch rendering issues
- Use
--waitparameter for animation-heavy slides
Accessibility
- Body text minimum 18pt, headings minimum 24pt
- Contrast ratio minimum 4.5:1 (WCAG AA)
- Use colorblind-safe palette (Blue + Orange as default)
- Provide alt text for images
- Ensure sufficient color contrast
- Test keyboard navigation
- Include slide numbers for reference
- Limit to 2 font families
Troubleshooting
Export Issues
Text cut off in PDF:
slidev export --wait 3000 --timeout 120000Content overflows in export but looks fine in browser: Add global overflow protection:
/* style.css */
.slidev-layout {
overflow: hidden;
}Missing emojis in export:
# Install emoji font (Linux)
sudo apt-get install fonts-noto-color-emojiPPTX text not selectable: This is a known limitation - PPTX slides export as images.
Layout Issues
Code block pushes content off slide:
// Code gets a scrollbar instead of overflowing
Diagram too large:
<div class="overflow-hidden max-h-[350px]">
graph TD A --> B
**Custom CSS breaks presenter mode:** Always scope CSS — use `<style scoped>` or prefix selectors with `.slidev-layout`.
### Development Issues
**Port already in use:**
slidev --port 3031
**Hot reload not working:**
Clear cache and restart
rm -rf node_modules/.vite slidev --force
## Quick Reference
### Keyboard Shortcuts
- `Space/Right`: Next slide
- `Left`: Previous slide
- `G`: Go to slide
- `O`: Toggle overview
- `D`: Toggle dark mode
- `F`: Toggle fullscreen
- `P`: Toggle presenter mode
- `C`: Show camera view
- `R`: Start recording
### Directory Structure
my-presentation/ slides.md # Main presentation file style.css # Global styles (scope under .slidev-layout) public/ # Static assets components/ # Custom Vue components layouts/ # Custom layouts (overflow-safe .vue files) styles/ # Additional styles (index.css auto-loaded) .slidev/ # Generated files
## Examples
### Complete Slide with Features
layout: two-cols transition: fade-out
Advanced Example
<v-clicks>
- Automated animations
- Code with highlighting
- Mathematical equations
</v-clicks>
::right::
const greeting = 'Hello'
console.log(greeting)
const name = 'Slidev'
console.log(name)
console.log(`${greeting} ${name}!`)$E = mc^2$
### Overflow-Safe Code Slide
zoom: 0.95
Implementation Details
class DataProcessor {
private cache = new Map<string, Result>()
async process(input: Input): Promise<Result> {
if (this.cache.has(input.key)) {
return this.cache.get(input.key)!
}
const result = await this.transform(input)
this.cache.set(input.key, result)
return result
}
}### Dense Content with Grid Layout
class: text-sm
Feature Comparison
<div class="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4"> <div>
Option A
- Fast startup
- Low memory
- Simple config
</div> <div>
Option B
- Better throughput
- Plugin ecosystem
- Auto-scaling
</div> </div>
<!-- Detailed comparison notes for presenter... -->
For additional customization and advanced features, refer to the [Slidev documentation](https://sli.dev).
## Sources
Improvements informed by:
- [rhuss/cc-slidev](https://github.com/rhuss/cc-slidev) - Evidence-based content limits and design guardrails
- [mizuirorivi/slidev-overflow-checker](https://github.com/mizuirorivi/slidev-overflow-checker) - Playwright-based overflow detection
- [antfu/skills](https://github.com/antfu/skills/tree/main/skills/slidev) - Official Slidev AI skill
- [clearfunction/cf-devtools](https://github.com/clearfunction/cf-devtools) - Markdownlint configuration
- [zarazhangrui/frontend-slides](https://github.com/zarazhangrui/frontend-slides) - Viewport fitting rules
- [Slidev Official Docs](https://sli.dev) - Canvas size, zoom, Transform, AutoFitText, maxHeight, layouts
- [Slidev GitHub Issues](https://github.com/slidevjs/slidev/issues/2446) - CSS scoping requirements