# Sg Outline

> Generate a structured presentation outline from research findings. Use when you have research.json and want to create an outline, structure findings into slides, or plan slide structure before drafting.

- Skill: `davistroy/sg-outline` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add davistroy/sg-outline`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/davistroy/sg-outline/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: davistroy (https://skillmd.com/u/davistroy)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/davistroy/sg-outline

---


# Slide Generator: Outline Step

Generate a structured presentation outline from research findings. Uses Claude with extended thinking (budget_tokens=4096) to produce a well-organized slide structure.

## Pre-loaded Context

**Working directory:**
!`pwd`

**Available research files:**
!`ls -la *.json 2>/dev/null || echo "No JSON files found"`

## Prerequisites

- **Preflight:** `sg --version` must succeed before proceeding — if `sg` is missing, stop and tell the user this requires the private `davistroy/slide-generator` engine (owner-only; see ADR-0008)
- `slide-generator` package installed
- `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` set in environment
- A `research.json` file from the research step (or equivalent structured JSON)

## Input Validation

**Required:**
- `<research.json>` - Path to research findings file

**Optional:**
- `--output <path>` - Output file path (default: `outline.json`)
- `--target-slides <N>` - Target number of slides (default: 20, configurable via `SG_TARGET_SLIDES`)
- `--multi-presentation` - Allow splitting into multiple presentations if content warrants it

## Instructions

1. **Verify input**: Confirm the research JSON file exists and contains valid structured data
2. **Run outline generation**:
   ```bash
   sg outline research.json --output outline.json
   ```
3. **Verify output**: Confirm `outline.json` was created with slide structure
4. **Report results**: Show the outline structure (slide titles, approximate slide count)

## Error Handling

| Error | Cause | Fix |
|-------|-------|-----|
| `File not found` | Wrong path to research.json | Check file path, list directory |
| `Invalid JSON` | Corrupted or incomplete research file | Re-run research step |
| `Token limit exceeded` | Research too large | Set `SG_OUTLINE_MAX_TOKENS=16384` or reduce research scope |

## Output

The outline step produces `outline.json` containing:
- Ordered list of slides with titles
- Bullet point structure per slide
- Speaker notes hints
- Graphics description placeholders
- Logical flow and transitions

## Next Step

After outline completes, run the draft step:
```bash
sg draft outline.json --output presentation.md
```
Or use `/sg-draft` to continue the pipeline.