Presentation editor
Edit slides, manage variants, and prepare your deck.
Use the editor shell: filmstrip, canvas, panels, speaker notes, save status, and present mode.
Quick start
- From the presentations library, click Edit on a deck (
/presentations/[id]) — or open a deck created from sermon speech. You can also open this editor from present mode via toolbar Edit (modal overlay). - Review the header bar: back link, title, save status (Saving… / Saved), and Present.
- Use the slide filmstrip (left on desktop) to select slides; click Add slide at the bottom. On a phone, tap Slides in the bottom bar.
- Edit content on the canvas in the center — click elements to select them.
- Add Speaker notes in the panel below the canvas (desktop) or the Notes tab (phone).
- Click Present when you are ready to preview live.
You should see auto-save update to Saved after edits.
Deep dive
Editor layout
The editor is divided into regions:
| Region | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Header bar | Navigation, title, undo/redo, save status, Present, Add to service |
| Insert bar | Quick actions to add content and backgrounds (see Insert content) |
| Slide filmstrip | Thumbnails, reordering, variants |
| Canvas | WYSIWYG slide preview and editing |
| Speaker notes | Presenter-only notes below the canvas |
| Elements panel | Layer list for the active slide |
| Styling panel | Properties for the selected element(s) |
| Theme panel | Preview and apply themes (see Themes, backgrounds, and audio) |
On large screens, the filmstrip and side panels are always visible. On a phone, the canvas fills the space under a single-row header. Use the bottom bar — Slides, Insert, and Notes — to open those tools as sheets. Tap an element on the canvas to open the Styling drawer. Present, copy, paste, style, theme, and settings are in the header ⋮ menu.
Use the contextual ? in the header for a short summary and link to this article.
Header bar
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Back to presentations | Return to the library |
| Back to service | Return to the service builder when you opened this deck from a service |
| Back to Workspace | Return to the service workspace when you opened this deck with a workspaceReturn link |
| Presentation title | Rename the deck (auto-saves on blur) |
| Undo / Redo | Step through slide and element history |
| Copy / Paste | Duplicate or move selected elements |
| Copy style / Paste style | Copy formatting between elements |
| Delete | Remove the selected element |
| Change theme | Open the theme panel |
| Settings | Screen shape, screen layout, and canvas options |
| Present | Open presentation present mode |
| Add to service | Append this deck to a service order |
Saving… and Saved appear in the header while changes sync. Save failed means the last save did not complete — check your connection and try editing again.
On a phone, Undo / Redo stay in the header. Present, Copy, Paste, style actions, Change theme, Settings, and Add to service are in the header ⋮ menu.
Panel toggles (desktop)
On wide screens, three icon toggles in the header show or hide:
- Slides — filmstrip sidebar
- Elements — layer list
- Styling — properties panel
Collapse a panel with the minimize control in its header to reclaim space.
Insert bar
The insert bar sits above the canvas on large screens. On a phone, tap Insert in the bottom bar to open the same actions in a sheet. It includes background and audio controls plus buttons to add text, images, media (including YouTube), shapes, and library content.
For full details on each insert action, see Insert content. Worship decks also show Edit song — see Worship songs.
YouTube
Use YouTube on the insert bar to embed a video or playlist by URL. You can also drop a YouTube link from another browser tab onto the canvas.
After insert, use the Styling panel for start/end times (single videos), loop, and playback rate. Each slide allows only one video element — uploaded or YouTube.
WorshipDeck checks whether the video allows embedding when you insert it. Some videos still may not play on display screens, and owners can change privacy or embed settings later. For details, see YouTube in Insert content.
Slide filmstrip
The Slides panel lists every main slide as a thumbnail with its number.
Add slide creates a new main slide at the end.
Click a thumbnail to switch the canvas to that slide. Drag thumbnails to reorder main slides.
Open the ⋮ Slide actions menu on any thumbnail for:
| Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Duplicate | Copy the slide |
| Duplicate block | Copy the slide and its variants |
| Insert slide | Add a new slide after this one |
| Hide slide / Show slide | Skip hidden slides during present mode |
| Copy / Cut / Paste | Clipboard operations |
| Delete slide | Remove the slide (and its variants) |
The presentation must keep at least one slide.
On a phone, tap Slides in the bottom bar to open the slides drawer.
Content variants
Content variants are alternate layouts for the same slide — for example a second translation or a simplified version for a side screen.
Under a main slide, click Add variant to create variant A, B, C, and so on. Variants appear indented under their main slide in the filmstrip.
For a full guide to variants, multi-screen routing, and when to use them, see Content variants.
Screen layouts decide which variant each physical screen shows during present mode. See Screens and layouts for how variants map to outputs, and Live controls for switching variants while live.
Canvas
The canvas shows the active slide at the deck's screen shape (16:9, 9:16, or 4:3).
- Click an element to select it — the Styling panel opens with its properties.
- Shift-click or drag a marquee to select multiple elements.
- Double-click text to edit inline.
- Drag elements to reposition; resize with handles.
- Arrow keys nudge selected elements (hold Shift for larger steps).
When nothing is selected, the styling panel shows Select something on the slide to edit it, or add text, an image, or a shape.
Elements panel
The Elements panel lists every layer on the active slide, top to bottom.
- Click a layer to select it on the canvas.
- Drag layers to change stacking order.
- Use the eye icon to hide or show individual elements without deleting them.
Styling panel
When one or more elements are selected, the Styling panel shows position, text, colors, borders, and other properties. Changes apply immediately and auto-save.
For worship decks with chords, a Chords section appears when chord styling is available.
On mobile, selecting an element opens the styling drawer automatically.
Speaker notes
The Speaker notes panel is for presenters only — the audience never sees this content. On large screens it sits below the canvas. On a phone, tap Notes in the bottom bar.
- Notes are per slide (including variants).
- On desktop, drag the top edge to resize the panel, and click the chevron to minimize or expand.
- Click Ask Ezra to draft notes with AI — see Ezra in the editor.
Speaker notes also open in a separate presenter view during live operation.
Settings and canvas options
Click Settings in the header to open Slide settings:
| Option | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Screen layout | Assign a multi-screen template (or Church default) — see Screen layouts |
| Screen shape | Wide (16:9), Vertical (9:16), or Classic (4:3) |
| Show grid | Overlay alignment grid on the canvas |
| Snap to grid | Snap elements to the grid while dragging |
| Snap to element | Snap to nearby element edges (mutually exclusive with snap to grid) |
Save status and edit locking
WorshipDeck auto-saves as you edit. You do not need a manual save button.
Only one editor can hold the edit lock per presentation at a time:
- If someone else is editing, you see Already being edited with options to Request access or Back to library.
- If another tab opens the same deck, you may see This item was opened in another tab and lose the active session.
- When another author requests access, you can Let them edit or Keep editing.
Edits do not save while you do not hold the edit lock.
Present and add to service
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Present | Opens present mode for this deck only — see Presentation present mode |
| Add to service | Opens the service picker to append this deck to an order |
Present mode is for rehearsal and live operation. Building slides stays in the editor — including when you open the editor from present via Edit (modal overlay with Done to return). When ?embed=1 is used (Quick Edit from present), Present and Add to service are hidden so you do not nest another present session inside the modal.
Related topics (separate articles)
This article covers the editor shell. Deeper workflows live in dedicated articles:
- Insert content — text, media, scripture, quotes, prayers, QR codes, countdowns
- Themes, backgrounds, and audio — themes, slide backgrounds, background video/audio
- Worship songs — song editor and chord arrangements
- Ezra in the editor — AI-assisted editing and speaker notes
Tips
- Use Hide slide for backup slides you might not need on Sunday instead of deleting them.
- Add content variants before you configure multi-screen layouts — one main slide can feed different screens.
- Collapse the filmstrip while fine-tuning element positions on a busy slide.
- Rehearse with Present from the editor so you return to the same slide you were editing.
- Open Settings once per deck to confirm Screen layout matches your venue setup.
[!tip] The insert bar includes background controls, but theme changes use Change theme in the header. See Themes, backgrounds, and audio for when to use each.
Troubleshooting
Save failed
- Check your network connection.
- Refresh the page — if someone else took the edit lock, use Request access or coordinate with your team.
Already being edited
- Another team member holds the lock. Click Request access and wait for them to grant it, or Back to library and try later.
Cannot edit or Ask Ezra is disabled
- You may be viewing without an active edit session. Refresh and confirm you are not blocked by the lock modal.
Styling panel is empty
- Select an element on the canvas, or add text, an image, or a shape first.
YouTube video will not play
- Confirm the video allows embedding (re-paste the URL if YouTube settings changed). See YouTube. For reliable Sunday playback, prefer an uploaded Video from the media library.
Cannot delete the last slide
- Every presentation needs at least one slide. Hide extra slides instead if you want a shorter deck.
Variants not showing on the right screen live
- Variants are assigned by Screen layout, not by the filmstrip alone. Review Screens and layouts and test in present mode before Sunday.
Slides drawer closes after selection (mobile)
- This is expected — picking a slide in the mobile drawer switches the canvas and closes the drawer so you can edit.