Workflows Overview
Workflows are pre-configured blueprints that guide the AI in creating specific types of presentations. They define the creation mode, structure, tone, and style for recurring presentation needs.
What is a Workflow?
A Workflow is a reusable configuration that specifies:
- What type of presentation to create
- What tone and style to use
- What slide categories to include and in what order
- Specific instructions for each section
Think of Workflows as templates for the content and structure, while PowerPoint templates provide the visual design.
Why Workflows Matter
Without a Workflow (Freeform Mode)
- AI has complete freedom in slide selection.
- You control everything through prompts.
- Great for one-off or creative presentations.
- Requires more guidance from you.
With a Workflow (Guided Mode)
- AI follows a predefined structure.
- Consistent results for recurring presentation types.
- Faster creation process.
- Less need for detailed prompting.
- Ensures all required sections are included.
Workflow vs Template
It's important to understand the difference:
| Aspect | Template | Workflow |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | PowerPoint design file | Content structure blueprint |
| Defines | Visual design, layouts, colors | Creation mode, slide sequence, tone, style |
| Created with | PowerPoint | Octigen interface |
| Reusable | Yes - for any presentation type | Yes - for specific presentation type |
| Example | "Company Theme 2024" | "Quarterly Business Review" |
Templates + Workflows = Powerful combination
A single template can be used with multiple workflows, and a single workflow can specify which template to use.
Example Workflows
Octigen includes pre-built example workflows to help you get started quickly. You can restore these examples from your [Organization page(https://cloud.octigen.com/organization).
Available Examples
PowerPoint Night
- Entertaining presentation about a random funny topic
- Humorous tone with problem-solution style
- Three-section structure presenting an absurd problem and over-the-top solutions
Weekly News Recap
- Engaging summary of the 5 most important news stories from the past week
- Conversational tone with narrative style
- Clear storytelling for each news item with context and impact
US Stock Market Update
- Comprehensive data-driven market analysis
- Analytical tone with data-driven style
- Includes market overview, sector performance, and detailed table of top 10 weighted companies
Managing Example Workflows
Navigate to Your Organization page to:
- Select a Template - Choose which template to use for the example workflows
- Restore Example Workflows - Add all example workflows to your workspace using the selected template
- Clean Up Examples - Remove all example workflows when you're done exploring
The example workflows will be created for the template you select, making them immediately usable with your existing designs.
Common Workflow Examples
Business Workflows
- Quarterly Business Review - Standard sections for performance, highlights, challenges, next steps
- Monthly Report - Consistent structure for recurring monthly updates
- Board Meeting Deck - Executive-level overview with key metrics and decisions
Sales & Marketing
- Product Launch - Introduction, features, benefits, market opportunity, go-to-market plan
- Sales Pitch - Problem, solution, differentiation, case studies, pricing
- Marketing Campaign Review - Campaign overview, metrics, performance, learnings, recommendations
Project & Operations
- Project Status Update - Progress, milestones, risks, budget, next steps
- Sprint Review - Completed work, demos, metrics, retrospective
- Operations Dashboard - KPIs, trends, issues, actions
Stakeholder Communications
- Investor Update - Highlights, metrics, traction, financials, ask
- Partner Presentation - Company overview, partnership opportunity, benefits, next steps
- Customer Success Story - Challenge, solution, results, testimonial
Workflow Components
1. Workflow Header
The header defines the two top-level choices for a workflow:
Name
- Descriptive title for the workflow
- Example: "Q1 2024 Board Meeting"
Slide deck creation mode
- AI & Data Driven (default) - AI runs the build, structure, and populate phases alongside any data connections.
- Data Driven Only - Skips the build and structure phases; only specific slide templates and data connections are used, and tone, style, and prompts are ignored. Best for reports that must be identical every period.
2. Basics (AI & Data Driven mode)
These apply when the workflow runs in AI & Data Driven mode, and are ignored in Data Driven Only mode.
Default prompt
- High-level guidance sent to the AI for every deck
- Example: "Focus on data-driven insights with executive-level summaries"
Tone Options
- Professional, Conversational, Authoritative, Persuasive, Analytical, Inspirational, Humorous, or Custom
Style Options
- Narrative, Data-Driven, Executive Summary, Detailed Analysis, Visual-Heavy, Problem-Solution, or Custom
3. Deck Structure
An ordered list of slide categories that defines the presentation flow:
- Which category (e.g., "Presentation Title", "Text Content", "Quantitative Content")
- Custom instructions for that section
- Whether to use only once or allow multiple slides
- Optionally, a specific template slide to use
Example Structure:
- Presentation Title - "Board Meeting Q1 2024" (use once)
- Text Content - "Executive Summary" (use once)
- Quantitative Content - "Key Metrics" (allow multiple)
- Mixed Text & Quantitative Content - "Department Updates" (allow multiple)
- Closing Content - "Next Quarter Priorities" (use once)
4. Data Connections (Optional)
Data-Connected Shapes
- Link chart and table shapes to your data collections
- Pre-configure which data sources fill which shapes
- Users only need to provide parameter values (dates, IDs)
When a workflow has data connections:
- The Data Configuration Modal appears before the Build phase
- Users set global parameters (e.g., valuation_date = 2024-12-01)
- All connected shapes are validated to ensure data exists
- Charts and tables are populated automatically during generation
See Data Connections for detailed setup instructions.
How Workflows Guide Generation
During Content Creation (Build Phase)
The Content Assistant knows the workflow context and can:
- Suggest appropriate content sections
- Match tone and style preferences
- Help ensure all required topics are covered
During Structure Analysis (Structure Phase)
The Structure Analysis AI:
- Only considers slides matching the deck structure categories
- Follows the specified order
- Respects "use once" constraints
- Applies custom instructions to each section
During Population (Populate Phase)
The Population AI:
- Uses the specified tone and style
- Follows section-specific instructions
- Ensures all deck structure items are represented
Workflow Lifecycle
- Create - Define structure, tone, style
- Test - Generate a presentation using it
- Refine - Adjust based on results
- Reuse - Create multiple presentations from it
- Maintain - Update as needs change
When to Create a Workflow
Create a workflow when:
- ✅ You create the same type of presentation regularly
- ✅ You want consistent structure across presentations
- ✅ Multiple people create similar presentations
- ✅ You need to ensure specific sections are always included
- ✅ You want faster, more predictable results
Don't create a workflow when:
- ❌ It's a one-time, unique presentation
- ❌ You want maximum creative flexibility
- ❌ The presentation structure varies significantly each time
- ❌ You prefer to guide structure entirely through prompts
Workflow Best Practices
Naming
- Be specific: "Quarterly Sales Review" not "Sales Deck"
- Include frequency if relevant: "Weekly Status Update"
- Include audience if relevant: "Board Presentation"
Structure Design
- Start with essential sections only
- Add optional sections later based on needs
- Allow flexibility where appropriate (don't mark everything "use once")
- Order sections logically
Instructions
- Be specific but not overly prescriptive
- Focus on what, not how: "Show quarterly revenue trends" not "Use a line chart with blue bars"
- Include data requirements: "Include YoY comparison"
- Mention key messages: "Emphasize growth in enterprise segment"
Tone & Style
- Match your audience: Executive vs Technical vs Customer-facing
- Consider presentation context: Board meeting vs Team update
- Be consistent with company voice