Quick Start

This guide takes you from a new folder to a working presentation. If you already have a Slidev project, skip to adding the theme. For an editor-based workflow, see the VS Code extension.

1. Prepare the environment

Use Node.js 24 LTS and pnpm 10. Check your versions:

node --version
pnpm --version

Install pnpm if needed:

npm install -g pnpm@10

The current Slidev/Vite toolchain requires Node.js ^20.19.0 || >=22.12.0; an early Node 20 or 22 release is not enough. Node 24 is the recommended starting point. See the Vite requirements and Node.js release schedule.

2. Create the project

Start with the academic template, which includes a bibliography:

npx -y slidev-theme-scholarly init my-talk --template academic
cd my-talk
pnpm install

The CLI creates slides.md, package.json, a README, and, for citation templates, references.bib. It refuses to overwrite a nonempty folder.

To choose another template, run npx -y slidev-theme-scholarly template list. Academic Workflows explains which templates suit paper talks, defenses, reviews, results talks, and lectures.

3. Preview and write

pnpm run dev

Keep this terminal running. The browser opens automatically and updates when you save slides.md.

The first YAML block contains deck settings. Later blocks set options for individual slides; --- separates pages:

---
theme: scholarly
lang: en
---

# Presentation title

The main idea

---
layout: section
---

# Methods

A layout arranges a whole slide. A component adds content such as a theorem or metric inside that layout. Keep blank lines around Markdown inside Vue component tags.

4. Add content

Use the CLI to browse the available building blocks:

pnpm exec sch layout list
pnpm exec sch component list
pnpm exec sch snippet list

Append a theorem snippet to the end of slides.md:

pnpm exec sch snippet append theorem --file slides.md

snippet append adds content at the end of the file; it does not target the editor cursor or necessarily create a new slide. workflow apply appends a sequence of snippets to the deck. Inspect the result before adding another workflow:

pnpm exec sch workflow list
pnpm exec sch workflow apply paper --file slides.md

Theme commands update the first YAML block:

pnpm exec sch theme preset apply oxford --file slides.md

5. Check and export

Run the project check and review its suggested fixes:

pnpm exec sch doctor

Fix ERROR items and review relevant WARN items. The doctor checks setup and citation metadata; inspect the rendered slides for overflow, missing images, and readable text.

Export a PDF

CLI export needs Playwright and Chromium. Install them once in the presentation project, then export:

pnpm add -D playwright-chromium
pnpm exec playwright install chromium
pnpm run export

The terminal prints the PDF path. If installing a browser is inconvenient, use Slidev's Export page in a Chromium-based browser. See Slidev exporting for PNG, PPTX, ranges, and export options.

Build a website

pnpm run build

This writes a static site to dist/. Upload that directory to a static host to publish it. When hosting under a subpath, set Slidev's --base option as described in Slidev hosting.

Add Scholarly to an existing Slidev project

pnpm add -D slidev-theme-scholarly

Set theme: scholarly in the first YAML block of slides.md, preserving its other settings. Continue using your project's preview and build commands. Check the upgrade notes when updating Slidev at the same time.

Citations are loaded by the theme, so no project-level vite.config.ts is needed. Follow Citations to add a BibTeX file and reference page.

Optional global CLI

Inside a project, pnpm exec sch uses that project's installed theme version. For use outside a project, either use the npx -y slidev-theme-scholarly form above or install globally:

npm i -g slidev-theme-scholarly
sch help