How to Convert Markdown to Google Slides (Step by Step)

TL;DR. Google Slides can't import Markdown directly (that feature lives in Google Docs, not Slides). The reliable path is to convert the Markdown to a .pptx first, then use File → Import slides. With Markdown to Google Slides you paste your Markdown, review the outline, download the .pptx, and import it — # headings become slide titles, - lists become native bullets, code and tables are preserved. About a minute.

Markdown is the fastest way to draft a deck: the structure you already write — headings and bullets — is a slide outline. The only catch is that Google Slides won't read Markdown on its own. Here's the working method.

Why Google Slides can't import Markdown

There's a common mix-up here: Google Docs added "paste from Markdown," but Google Slides did not. Slides imports presentations (.pptx/.ppt), not Markdown or HTML. So to get Markdown into Slides you convert it to PPTX first — the format Slides imports cleanly — then import that.

Step by step

Step 1 — Convert your Markdown to a PPTX

Open Markdown to Google Slides and paste your Markdown into the Markdown input. WebToSlides reads the structure directly:

• # and ## headings → slide titles and section dividers
• -, *, and numbered lists → native bullet placeholders (with nesting)
• fenced code blocks → dedicated, monospaced code slides
• Markdown tables → editable PowerPoint tables

Review the outline, then download the Google-Slides-ready .pptx.

Step 2 — Import the PPTX into Google Slides

1. Open Google Slides and create or open a deck.
2. Choose File → Import slides → Upload.
3. Drop in the .pptx and select the slides to import.

Or upload the .pptx to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Slides.

Everything arrives as editable Google Slides elements — not screenshots — so you can re-theme and rewrite freely.

Prefer PowerPoint instead?

If your destination is PowerPoint or Keynote rather than Google Slides, skip the import step and use Markdown to PowerPoint — same Markdown input, editable .pptx out. The writer-focused workflow is covered in Markdown to PowerPoint: a writer's workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Slides support Markdown at all? No. The "paste from Markdown" feature is in Google Docs, not Slides. For Slides, convert to .pptx first.

What Markdown features come through? Headings, bullet and numbered lists, fenced code blocks, tables, images, and links. Unusual inline HTML is simplified to keep the deck editable.

Next step

Paste your Markdown into Markdown to Google Slides, or use the complete guide to converting HTML, URLs & Markdown to slides to choose the right tool for your source and target.