How to Use Gamma 5: Build Slides With the AI Agent, Import PowerPoint or PDF, and Export Cleanly

Gamma 5 turns presentation-making into a short conversation: you describe the deck, the agent asks a few questions, shows you a plan, and then writes, designs and illustrates the whole thing, after which you can fix any slide by asking or by dragging things yourself. Gamma announced Gamma 5 on October 6, 2026 and says it is “live now for every user, on every plan”. This guide walks through the settings that actually decide how good your first draft is (the mode picker, the plan review, how your own files are handled), how credits are spent, and the export problems people hit most often.

Everything below is taken from Gamma’s own Help Center articles and developer docs, checked on October 28, 2026. Gamma updates its interface often; if a label on your screen differs slightly, the linked Help Center page is the source of truth.

Key facts

  • Who gets it: every Gamma plan, including Free. Gammas made before Gamma 5 keep opening in the classic editor, unchanged.
  • Three ways to create: Plan (asks questions and shows a plan first, the default), Express (straight to a first draft) and Research (pulls web sources first; only works with Plan).
  • Your files: PowerPoint and PDF imports now keep their original layout and stay editable. PPTX/DOCX up to 200 MB, PDF up to 100 MB.
  • Cost: AI actions use credits. Free accounts start with 400 credits that don’t refresh; Plus includes 1,000 credits a month, Pro 4,000 and Ultra 20,000. Credits are not charged when the agent only asks you a question or an action fails.
  • Outside Gamma: you can create (and in ChatGPT and Claude, also edit) gammas from ChatGPT, Claude and Slack on any plan, with no API key.

What changed in Gamma 5, in plain words

The old Gamma worked like a generator: type a prompt, get an outline, press Generate. Gamma 5 replaces that with an agent. According to Gamma’s guide to creating with the agent, you “tell the agent what you’re making, and it asks a few smart questions, shows you its plan, and then builds the whole thing: research, writing, design, and images, end to end.”

Four practical changes matter most:

  1. The agent keeps context. When you ask for a change, it edits with your original goal in mind, so “tighten the exec summary” makes it tighter rather than rewriting it into something else. Other slides, and edits you made by hand, stay as they were.
  2. A new layout system. Slides sit on a fixed 16:9 canvas organised with grids, plus freeform boxes for anything you want to place at an exact spot (grids and freeform editing). Because of the fixed frame, Gamma says the editor, Present mode and exports now look the same.
  3. Rebuilt import. PowerPoint and PDF files come in with their layouts and design intact, instead of only their text (import guide).
  4. Connectors. The agent can read material from tools such as Notion, Slack, Granola, HubSpot, Linear and Stripe when you point it at them (inbound connectors).

Step 1: Start a new deck from the dashboard

  1. Go to gamma.app and sign in (a free account works).
  2. On your dashboard, describe what you want in the prompt bar. A sentence is enough, but you can paste notes, attach files, pick a template or pull in content from connected tools.
  3. If you want the deck illustrated with your own photos instead of images Gamma finds or generates, click the + button in the prompt bar and choose Upload Files before you generate.
  4. If you want a more poster-like deck, open the images dropdown in the prompt bar and choose Image slides (or Image pages for a document). Each slide then becomes a single AI-generated image with the text built in.

A prompt that gives the agent something to work with beats a one-word topic. For example:

“A 10-slide deck for our sales team introducing the new annual pricing. Audience: account managers who will explain it to customers. Must cover: what changed, who saves money, three common objections and how to answer them.”

Step 2: Pick the right mode (this matters more than the prompt)

Before you press the arrow, look at the mode picker in the composer. Gamma’s help article describes the three options:

ModeWhat the agent doesUse it when
Plan (default)Asks a few questions, shows a plan, waits for your go-aheadThe details matter: a client pitch, a board update, anything with a specific audience
ExpressSkips the questions and the plan, goes straight to a first draftYou already know what you want, or you’re in a hurry
ResearchPulls in web sources before writingThe deck needs facts you haven’t supplied. Only available together with Plan

Two gotchas from the help docs:

  • Research is greyed out? You’re in Express. Switch to Plan and Research becomes available.
  • On a phone’s web browser, Gamma starts in Express by default. Switch to Plan from the picker if you want the questions.

Express is not “final”: you can still ask the agent for changes in the chat afterwards, exactly as you would after a Plan build.

Step 3: Answer the questions and review the plan

In Plan mode the agent asks a handful of questions (goal, audience, what matters most). Each comes with tappable options, and you can also type your own answer. If you don’t care about a question, choose Decide for me, or tell the agent to skip the questions and use its best judgement.

Then it shows a plan: the story it will tell, the style it will use and the look and feel. Gamma calls this “the highest-leverage moment in the flow” and says thirty seconds spent adjusting it can save rounds of revisions later. In practice, this is where you should:

  • Fix the slide order or add a slide the agent missed.
  • Say what tone you want (“plain and direct, no buzzwords”).
  • Mention brand colours or a style you like.

The agent doesn’t build anything until you approve the plan.

Step 4: Let it build, then edit by asking or by hand

While the agent works, slides appear in a live grid and you can click any finished slide to look at it while the rest are still being generated. You don’t have to watch: the browser tab icon shows a yellow badge while it works and a green checkmark when it’s done. You can also opt in to a system notification through the banner in the agent chat.

When the deck opens, you have two ways to change it:

Ask the agent in the chat, in your own words. Gamma’s examples:

  • “Tighten the exec summary.”
  • “Slide 4 is too text-heavy - make it more visual.”
  • “Make the tone more formal.”

The agent changes only what you asked about and shows you what it changed. A whole-deck request (“rewrite this deck for fifth graders”) also works when you actually want everything reworked.

Edit directly. Click and type, drag, resize. Content in a grid reflows in order, so nothing overlaps. For layout help, click Layouts to see suggested layouts for a slide, or ask the agent “turn this list into a three column grid” or “make slide 4 a two column comparison”.

To pin something at an exact position (a label, a callout, a design accent), select the Freeform button in the top right corner of the block. Be careful: Gamma says a block converted to freeform cannot be turned back into a grid, so use Undo right away if you click it by mistake.

Change the look without losing your words

If the content is right but the design isn’t, ask the agent for a new look rather than regenerating. It offers a few style directions and restyles the deck in place, keeping your text, structure and manual edits. Gamma’s rule of thumb: restyling keeps your content; regenerating starts the content over.

Fixed vs fluid slides

Each gamma has a layout setting. Fixed slides keep their 16:9 size and shrink the content to fit (down to a minimum readable size) when it runs long. Fluid slides keep the text size and grow taller, like a document page. Presentations usually want Fixed; documents and webpages usually want Fluid.

Step 5: Bring in an existing PowerPoint, PDF or Word file

There are two different paths, and picking the wrong one is the most common reason people say “Gamma ruined my design”:

Option 1: Keep the file as it is. On the dashboard, click Import below the prompt box, then Add a file, upload a PPTX, DOCX or PDF, and click the arrow. When the import finishes, Gamma asks whether you want to save it as a workspace template, use it as a template for something new, or keep editing.

Option 2: Use the file as raw material for something new. In the prompt box, click +, choose Upload files and photos (or Connectors for Google Drive), add a prompt describing what you want, and click the arrow. If your prompt doesn’t make clear whether you want to keep the design, Gamma shows a short form asking you to choose; select the preserve option to keep the slides close to the original.

To control what happens to your text, say it in the prompt. Gamma’s suggested wording:

  • “Keep my text exactly as written. Don’t add, remove, or reword anything.”
  • “Condense this to the key points.”
  • “Use this as source material to create something new.”

If the agent has already built an outline you don’t want, message it before you click Generate and tell it how to handle your text.

Limits and file types (from the import guide):

SourceLimit / how
PowerPoint (.pptx), Word (.docx)Up to 200 MB per file
PDFUp to 100 MB per file
WebpagePaste the link
Google DriveConnect Google Drive under + > Connectors first
Public Notion docPaste the link, or copy and paste the content
Images200 MB per file and no more than 50 megapixels (roughly 8000×6250)
Keynote (.key)Not supported: export to .pptx in Keynote first
Excel (.xlsx)Not supported: save as .csv and upload it to the agent, or put it in Google Sheets and read it through the Google Drive connector

Import troubleshooting:

  • A font looks different. If your font isn’t available, Gamma substitutes a similar one and tells you which. Select the text, open the font dropdown, and either search for the right font or click Upload fonts at the bottom to add your own.
  • A chart came in as a picture. Some charts import as static images. You can move, resize and crop them, but to edit the numbers you need to rebuild the chart with Gamma’s chart block.
  • Only the text came through, no design. You probably used the classic generator, which imports text only. Import from the Gamma 5 home screen instead.
  • Something else didn’t import correctly. Re-save the file as .pptx or .docx and import that.

Step 6: Let the agent read your Notion, Slack or other tools

Connectors let the agent use your existing material as source content. Setup, per Gamma’s connector guide:

  1. Open My connectors at gamma.app/settings/my-connectors.
  2. Find the tool and select Connect. A sign-in popup asks you to authorise access; afterwards the connector shows a Connected badge.
  3. When creating or editing, open the Connectors menu in the agent, select the sources you want, and ask in plain language, for example: “Turn this Notion PRD and the linked Linear project into a launch announcement deck for the GTM team.”

What you should know before connecting:

  • Read-only. Gamma says connectors never write to, delete from or share content in the connected tool.
  • Only what you can already see. It reads with your own account’s permissions, and only when you reference that source.
  • No extra charge. Connecting is free, and pulling in context adds no separate credit cost. You pay the normal credits for the generation or edit.
  • “Not enabled in your workspace” means you’re on an Enterprise workspace whose admin hasn’t turned that connector on. “Session expired” means you need to click Reconnect. “Permissions not granted” means the sign-in finished without the access Gamma needs: select Try again and approve the permissions.

Step 7: Make Gamma decks from ChatGPT, Claude or Slack

If you already live in an AI chat app, you can ask it to build the gamma for you. These connectors work on every Gamma plan and need no API key (developer docs).

ChatGPT: go to Settings → Apps (or the app directory), search for “Gamma” (listed as Gamma: Create presentations and docs), click Connect and authorise your Gamma account. In a chat, type @Gamma or click +, then More, and pick Gamma. Example: “@Gamma Create a 10-slide sales enablement deck covering our Q3 product launches, competitive positioning, and customer success stories. Use a professional theme.”

Claude (web or desktop): go to Settings → Connectors, click Browse Connectors, search “Gamma”, click Connect, then Allow. Then just ask Claude to create a presentation.

Slack: go to gamma.app/slack, click Add to Slack, approve the permissions and sign in to Gamma. Then DM the Gamma app or mention @Gamma in a channel or thread. In a thread, it reads the conversation, so “@Gamma Turn this thread into a proposal doc for the leadership team” works without restating anything.

Gamma’s help article lists ChatGPT, Claude, Slack, Glean, Superhuman, Atlassian, Cursor and Grok among the tools that can connect, and says any tool that supports custom MCP connections can be pointed at https://mcp.gamma.app/mcp.

Gotchas from Gamma’s FAQ:

  • Wrong account. The connector links to whichever Gamma account you’re signed in to at gamma.app in that browser. If new decks land in the wrong account, sign in to the right one at gamma.app, then disconnect and reconnect Gamma in the AI tool.
  • Can’t open a deck made in ChatGPT later. Gammas generated via ChatGPT are tied to an anonymous session. Open the link right away in the same browser and save it to your Gamma account before the session expires; it can’t be recovered afterwards.
  • Editing from outside. ChatGPT and Claude can edit existing gammas you have edit access to; the Slack app can’t run those edit tools yet.
  • “Insufficient credits”. Same credits as in the app: buy more or upgrade.

How credits work (and how not to waste them)

All AI work in Gamma costs credits: generating a deck (metered per slide and per image), editing with the agent, adding cards with AI and trying new layouts (credits guide). Bigger generations and more advanced models use more. For images, Gamma shows the credit cost of the chosen model before you generate.

PlanCreditsNotable limits (from Gamma’s plan guide)
Free400 at sign-up, no monthly refresh; +200 per referral, up to 2,000 heldUp to 10 slides per prompt; basic image models; “Made with Gamma” badge on exports
Plus1,000 per monthUp to 100 slides per prompt; badge removed; basic and advanced image models
Pro4,000 per monthAdds API access, headers/footers, password protection, premium image models, custom domains
Ultra20,000 per monthAdds ultra image models and early access; monthly billing only for now

Business and Enterprise plans share a workspace credit pool. Prices differ between monthly and annual billing (Gamma says annual plans are 28% cheaper and give the same monthly credits), so check gamma.app/pricing for current numbers in your currency. Subscriptions are per user.

Rules worth knowing:

  • Not charged: when an action fails, shows an error, or the agent asks you a clarifying question. So Plan mode’s questions cost nothing.
  • Charged even if you dislike the result. If the agent completes the action, credits are used. Undo (Cmd+Z / Ctrl+Z) doesn’t refund them, and deleting the gamma doesn’t either.
  • Manual edits are free. Fix small things by hand; ask the agent for one slide rather than regenerating the whole deck.
  • Rollover: paid plan credits refill on your billing date (not the 1st) and roll over up to double your monthly amount. Purchased credits don’t expire while your plan is active.
  • Running out on a paid plan still lets you use every non-AI feature and edit by hand.
  • Check your balance by clicking it in the top right, from your avatar menu in the editor, or under Settings > Billing on paid plans. Gamma doesn’t yet show per-deck credit history.

Step 8: Export to PowerPoint, PDF or Google Slides

Click Share (top right) and choose Export, or use the … menu and click Export (export guide). Formats: PDF, PNG and PowerPoint (PPTX). For Google Slides, export a PPTX and upload it to Google Slides. You can also post straight to your personal LinkedIn profile from the same menu.

Before you click Export:

  • Choose All cards in the dropdown. If you don’t, only the current card may be exported, which is the most common “why is my PDF one page?” complaint.
  • Image quality slider: higher means sharper and larger files. The default is fine for most decks.
  • Editable tables are on by default, so tables arrive as real PowerPoint tables. Turn the toggle off if you’d rather keep Gamma’s rounded corners, since PowerPoint can’t do rounded table corners.
  • Speaker notes are included in PPTX and Google Slides exports.
  • No Word export. DOCX isn’t supported on any plan.

Export troubleshooting

ProblemWhat Gamma says to do
Fonts look wrong after uploading the PPTX to Google SlidesGoogle Slides ignores embedded fonts. Present from PowerPoint, or share a PDF instead
Fonts look wrong in PowerPointRarely a font fails to embed; install the fonts listed in the Install fonts box of the export menu
Content is scaled oddlyCheck the Zoom to fit toggle under Share > Export (applies to fixed-format exports)
Page background missingSet the background on each card with Card background color instead, or export PNG
”Error exporting file”Wait a few minutes and retry; try another network or disable browser extensions
Very long deck won’t exportDecks of roughly 150+ slides can fail; split them and merge the files afterwards
Images missingReplace heavy images with compressed versions and re-export
”Made with Gamma” badgeAppears on PDF and PPTX exports whenever the workspace is on Free at the time of export. Any paid plan removes it from future exports. Printing with Cmd+P / Ctrl+P while signed in doesn’t add the badge

Exports reflect Present mode, not the editing view, so small differences are normal. For decks built in Gamma 5 with fixed slides, the 16:9 frame you see is the frame you get.

FAQ

Will Gamma 5 mess up my old decks? No. Gammas created before Gamma 5 open unchanged in the classic editor. You can bring one into the new experience by editing it with the agent.

Can I skip the questions every time? Choose Express in the mode picker. If you bring finished content, add “use this text as-is” so the agent builds around it instead of rewriting it.

Why is it slower than old Gamma? In Plan mode the agent is understanding your goal, planning the story and designing each slide, and with Research on it’s gathering sources too. Use Express when speed matters.

Can I make a single poster or infographic? Use Imagine: from the dashboard click Create, then Create graphics. It uses credits and is available on all plans except Business and Enterprise.

Can I reuse a company PowerPoint as a template? Yes. Click Import, then Import a template under More options, or choose Save as a workspace template after an import. If you only need fonts, colours and logo, make a custom theme instead.

Bottom line

For most people the winning workflow is: Plan mode, answer the questions, spend thirty seconds on the plan, then fix small things by hand and big things by asking. Import your old decks through Import (not the classic generator) to keep their design, and always export with All cards selected. If you mostly work inside ChatGPT or Claude, connect Gamma there and let your assistant build the first draft.

If you’re comparing ways to turn notes into documents with AI, see our guides to Gemini Notebook inside the Gemini app and GPT-6.1 Terra in ChatGPT and Codex, or browse the latest tutorials on the 7minai homepage.

Sources