Configuring Slide Layouts with Charts and Tables for Document Agent

Document Agent can generate complete, editable PowerPoint presentations from your approved slide layouts, including slides that contain charts and tables. When a user's prompt naturally leads to structured visual content, the agent will select an appropriate layout and populate it with generated content.

This article explains which elements are supported, how to prepare layouts correctly in PowerPoint, and how to configure layout descriptions so Document Agent can make good decisions when generating presentations.

Supported Element Types

Charts

Document Agent supports the following chart types when they are part of an approved slide layout:

• Bar
• Column
• Line
• Pie
• Doughnut
• Stacked bar
• Stacked Line

Tables

Tables embedded in slide layouts are supported. Document Agent can populate table cells with generated content, respecting the row and column structure defined in the layout.

Preparing your PowerPoint template

The quality of Document Agent output depends on how well your slide layouts are structured. Follow these guidelines when building or updating your Slide layouts.

General principles

• Use native PowerPoint elements. Insert charts using the PowerPoint chart editor and tables using the PowerPoint table tool. Avoid pasting in images or screenshots of charts and tables; the agent cannot populate those.
• Keep one structured element per slide. Layouts work best when a slide contains a single chart or table alongside supporting text placeholders. Mixed layouts with multiple structured elements increase complexity and may produce unpredictable results.
• Use placeholder text sparingly. Placeholder text inside chart titles or table headers helps the agent understand expected content, but keep it brief and descriptive rather than narrative.

Charts

• Set up the chart with realistic sample data so the structure (number of series, axis labels, legend) is clear.
• Include a chart title placeholder on the slide if you want the agent to populate it separately from the chart itself.
• Avoid combining a chart with dense text blocks on the same slide — the agent performs better when the purpose of the slide is visually clear.

Tables

• Define the full table structure in PowerPoint: set the number of rows and columns, enable header rows where appropriate, and apply your branded table style.
• Use descriptive column headers — these help the agent understand what type of content belongs in each column.

Configuring layouts in the admin interface

Once your slide layouts are ready, upload the PowerPoint file in the Templafy admin interface and configure each slide layout. Accurate layout descriptions are the primary way Document Agent understands when and how to use a slide.

Upload your slides

1. In the Templafy Admin Center, go to the AI Agents section and then to the Slide Layouts tab.
2. Upload your presentation under an appropriately named collection.
3. The system will automatically extract and analyze the shapes and placeholders on each slide.

Review extracted shapes and placeholders

After upload, each slide layout displays the shapes the system has detected. For slides with charts or tables verify that the element has been correctly identified.

• Charts appear as a chart shape with the detected chart type. 
• Tables appear as a table shape with the detected row and column counts.

Configure the layout description

Open the layout editor for each slide. The following fields are especially important for slides with structured elements.

Layout name and usage description 

Write a clear, specific name and description. Document Agent reads these to decide which layout to select when generating a slide. Be explicit about the type of content the slide is designed for.

Examples of effective descriptions:

• "Use this layout for slides showing quarterly revenue by region as a bar chart."
• "Use this layout for presenting a competitive comparison across up to six criteria in a table."
• "Use this layout for illustrating a multi-step process or workflow using a chevron diagram."

Shape configuration for charts

For each chart shape, configure: 

• Suggested placeholder name: a short label identifying the chart (for example, Revenue chart or Market share pie).
• Content guide: a brief instruction to the agent about what data to represent (for example, "Show data as percentages of a whole across up to five categories").

Shape configuration for tables

For each table shape, confirm:

• The Header row setting is enabled if your table has a header row.
• Column headers are listed and match your template.
• Add a content guide describing what kind of data should fill the table (for example, "Three-column comparison table: Feature, Current state, Future state").

Best practices

Charts

• Match chart type to content type. Bar and column charts work well for comparisons. Line charts are better for trends. Pie and doughnut charts suit proportional data with a small number of categories (ideally fewer than six). Use stacked variants when showing part-to-whole breakdowns across multiple groups.
• Include axis label guidance. In the content guide, note what the x-axis and y-axis represent (for example, "X-axis: quarters; Y-axis: revenue in USD millions"). This helps the agent generate coherent data and labels.
• Limit the number of series. Charts with many data series are harder to populate correctly. Aim for layouts that expect two to four series where possible.
• Pair charts with a dedicated title placeholder. A separate title text box above the chart gives the agent a clear place to add a descriptive heading, improving the overall readability of the slide.

Tables

• Keep tables focused. Tables that compare a small, fixed set of attributes across a consistent set of rows (for example, a feature comparison or a project milestone list) work best. Avoid layouts that imply open-ended or highly variable table structures.
• Use header rows. Mark your table header row in both PowerPoint and the layout configuration. This helps the agent understand which row contains labels versus data.
• Use total rows. Mark your table total row in both PowerPoint and the layout configuration when the table includes a total row. This helps the agent understand which row contains calculated totals versus data.
• Describe the table purpose explicitly. The content guide is the most reliable way to tell the agent what kind of data to place in each column. Include column names and the expected data type (for example, text, number, date, percentage).