The Google Slides API lets you add and modify elements on presentation pages. The
examples on this page show how to perform common read operations using the
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
method.
These examples use the following variables:
- PRESENTATION_ID---Indicates where you provide the [presentation
ID](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/overview#the_structure_of_a_presentation). You can discover the value for this ID from the presentation URL.
- PAGE_ID---Indicates where you provide the [page object
ID](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/overview#working_with_object_ids). You can retrieve the value for this from the URL or by using an API read request.
- PAGE_ELEMENT_ID---Indicates where you provide the [page
element object ID](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/overview#working_with_object_ids). You can specify this ID for elements you create (with [some
restrictions](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/overview#specifying_object_ids_on_creation)) or allow the Slides API to automatically create one. Element IDs can be retrieved through an API read request.
These examples are presented as HTTP requests to be language neutral. To learn
how to implement a batch update in different languages using the Google API
client libraries, see [Add shapes and
text](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/add-shape#example).
## Add a text box to a slide
The following
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
code sample shows how to use the
[`CreateShapeRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#CreateShapeRequest)
method to add a new text box (containing the string "My Added Text Box") to a
slide specified by the PAGE_ID. Two requests are specified in
the request body---one to create the text box shape (with a given size and
location) and a second to insert text into it.
The first request [specifies the object
ID](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/overview#specifying_object_ids_on_creation) to use for
the text box. This lets the second request use it in the same API call, reducing
overhead.
The following is the request protocol to add a text box to a slide:
```
POST https://slides.googleapis.com/v1/presentations/PRESENTATION_ID:batchUpdate
```
```
{
"requests": [
{
"createShape": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID,
"shapeType": "TEXT_BOX",
"elementProperties": {
"pageObjectId": PAGE_ID,
"size": {
"width": {
"magnitude": 150,
"unit": "PT"
},
"height": {
"magnitude": 50,
"unit": "PT"
}
},
"transform": {
"scaleX": 1,
"scaleY": 1,
"translateX": 200,
"translateY": 100,
"unit": "PT"
}
}
}
},
{
"insertText": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID,
"text": "My Added Text Box",
"insertionIndex": 0
}
}
]
}
```
## Add an image to a slide
The following
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
code sample shows how to use the
[`CreateImageRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#CreateShapeRequest)
method to add an image to a slide specified by the PAGE_ID. The
API retrieves the image using the IMAGE_URL. This request also
scales and positions the image in the slide.
The following is the request protocol to add an image to a slide:
```
POST https://slides.googleapis.com/v1/presentations/PRESENTATION_ID:batchUpdate
```
```
{
"requests": [
{
"createImage": {
"url": IMAGE_URL,
"elementProperties": {
"pageObjectId": PAGE_ID,
"size": {
"width": {
"magnitude": 30,
"unit": "PT"
},
"height": {
"magnitude": 30,
"unit": "PT"
}
},
"transform": {
"scaleX": 1,
"scaleY": 1,
"translateX": 200,
"translateY": 100,
"unit": "PT"
}
}
}
}
]
}
```
## Delete a page or page element
The following
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
code sample shows how to use the
[`DeleteObjectRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#DeleteObjectRequest)
method to delete the page element specified by PAGE_ELEMENT_ID
and the slide specified by PAGE_ID using two separate requests.
The following is the request protocol to delete a page or page element:
```
POST https://slides.googleapis.com/v1/presentations/PRESENTATION_ID:batchUpdate
```
```
{
"requests": [
{
"deleteObject": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID
},
"deleteObject": {
"objectId": PAGE_ID
}
}
]
}
```
## Edit text in a specified shape
The following
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
code sample shows how to use the
[`DeleteTextRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#DeleteTextRequest)
method to replace a portion of the text present in the shape specified by
PAGE_ELEMENT_ID. To accomplish this, first delete text using
the zero-based `startIndex` and then insert new text in that position. In this
example, the original text string "My Shape Text: ????" is replaced with "My
Shape Text: Trapezoid".
This request only affects text in a specified shape. To replace text everywhere
within a presentation, use the
[`ReplaceAllTextRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#ReplaceAllTextRequest)
method.
The following is the request protocol to edit text in a specified shape:
```
POST https://slides.googleapis.com/v1/presentations/PRESENTATION_ID:batchUpdate
```
```
{
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#Request": [
{
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#DeleteTextRequest": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID,
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#Range": {
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#Type": "FROM_START_INDEX",
"startIndex": 15
}
}
},
{
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#InsertTextRequest": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID,
"text": "Trapezoid",
"insertionIndex": 15
}
}
]
}
```
## Replace a shape tag with an image
Tags are text boxes or shapes with a unique string name, such as
"account-holder-name".
The following
[`presentations.batchUpdate`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/batchUpdate)
code sample shows how to use the
[`CreateImageRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#createimagerequest)
method to replace a single instance of a shape tag with an image, maintaining
the same position and scaling it to fit the tag's size while keeping the image's
aspect ratio.
The request can also be used to replace one image with another. The request
consists of adding the new image and then deleting the tag.
The `CreateImageRequest` method only replaces a specified shape. To replace tag
shapes everywhere within a presentation, use a
[`ReplaceAllShapesWithImageRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#replaceallshapeswithimagerequest)
method.
The shape tag has the following
[`PageElement`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations.pages#Page.PageElement)
properties (which can be found using a
[`presentations.pages.get`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations.pages/get)
request):
```
{
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID,
"size": {
"width": {
"magnitude": 3000000,
"unit": "EMU"
},
"height": {
"magnitude": 3000000,
"unit": "EMU"
}
},
"transform": {
"scaleX": 1.13,
"scaleY": 0.62,
"translateX": 4800000,
"translateY": 450000,
"unit": "EMU"
},
"shape": {
"shapeType": "RECTANGLE"
}
}
```
The shape resides on the slide specified by PAGE_ID. To specify
the image that replaces the shape, the API retrieves the image using the
IMAGE_URL. To preserve the image aspect ratio while limiting it
to the size of the tag, the
[`CreateImageRequest`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/presentations/request#createimagerequest)
method sets both the image size to the product of the tag size and scale, and
the image scale factors to `1`. For more information, see [Preserve aspect
ratio](https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/guides/merge#preserve_aspect_ratio).
The following is the request protocol to replace a shape tag with an image:
```
POST https://slides.googleapis.com/v1/presentations/PRESENTATION_ID:batchUpdate
```
```
{
"requests": [
{
"createImage": {
"url": IMAGE_URL,
"elementProperties": {
"pageObjectId": PAGE_ID,
"size": {
"width": {
"magnitude": 3000000 * 1.13,
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/Unit": "EMU"
},
"https://developers.google.com/workspace/slides/api/reference/rest/v1/Dimension": {
"magnitude": 3000000 * 0.62,
"unit": "EMU"
}
},
"transform": {
"scaleX": 1,
"scaleY": 1,
"translateX": 4800000,
"translateY": 450000,
"unit": "PT"
}
}
}
},
{
"deleteObject": {
"objectId": PAGE_ELEMENT_ID
}
}
]
}
```