Field Configuration

Every field in your template has configuration options that control its appearance and behavior. This guide covers sizing, alignment, and API-related properties.

Sizing and Alignment

All field types support sizing and alignment options in the properties panel.

Sizing Modes

In the field properties panel, you can set Width and Height for each field:

Mode	Behavior	Availability
Fixed	Exact pixel dimensions	All field types
Hug	Shrinks to fit content	Text, Group, List
Fill	Expands to fill parent container	Only inside Group or List

Alignment Options

Alignment is controlled using icon buttons in the properties panel:

Setting	Scope
Horizontal/Vertical alignment	How field positions within its parent cell (only in Group)
Inner horizontal/vertical alignment	Content within the field

Static and Required

Two properties control how fields interact with the API:

Property	Purpose
Static	Locks field content to template definition; ignores API data
Required	Forces API to provide a value; request fails if missing

Static Fields

When a field is marked as Static, its content is defined entirely within the template and cannot be changed via API. The field will always display the default value you set in the editor.

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Template: company-slide             │
│                                     │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ company_logo (Static: ON)       │ │
│ │ Always shows: your-logo.png     │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                     │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ slide_title (Static: OFF)       │ │
│ │ Shows: value from API           │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Use Static for content that should never change across presentations:

Use Case	Example
Brand elements	Company logo, brand colors
Legal text	Copyright notices, disclaimers
Decorative elements	Background shapes, divider lines
Fixed labels	"Contact Us", "Our Team"
Chart templates	Static chart configurations

In the Editor:

Select the field
In the field properties panel, check the Static checkbox
Set the default value (this will always be displayed)

API Behavior:

// Template has: logo (Static), title (Dynamic)

// API Request
{
  "templateKey": "company-slide",
  "content": {
    "logo": "different-logo.png",  // IGNORED - field is static
    "title": "Q4 Report"           // Applied - field is dynamic
  }
}

// Result: logo shows template default, title shows "Q4 Report"

Static vs Not Providing a Value:

Scenario	Behavior
Field is Static	Always uses template default, ignores API
Field is Dynamic + no API value	Uses template default as fallback
Field is Dynamic + API value provided	Uses the API value

Required Fields

When a field is marked as Required, the API call must include a value for that field. If the value is missing, the API returns an error instead of generating the presentation.

Use Required for essential content that must be provided:

Use Case	Example
Primary content	Main title, key message
Critical data	Prices, dates, names
User-specific content	Recipient name, account info
Mandatory visuals	Product image, profile photo

In the Editor:

Select the field
In the field properties panel, check the Required checkbox

API Behavior:

// Template has: title (Required), subtitle (Optional)

// Request 1: Missing required field
{
  "templateKey": "intro-slide",
  "content": {
    "subtitle": "Welcome"
    // "title" is missing!
  }
}
// Response: 400 Error - "Missing required field: title"

// Request 2: Required field provided
{
  "templateKey": "intro-slide",
  "content": {
    "title": "Annual Report",
    "subtitle": "Welcome"
  }
}
// Response: 200 OK - Presentation generated

Required for Nested Fields:

For fields inside Group or List, Required validation applies to nested values:

// Template: feature_card (Group) with icon (Required) and description

// This will fail - icon is required
{
  "feature_card": {
    "description": "Fast and reliable"
    // "icon" is missing!
  }
}

// This will succeed
{
  "feature_card": {
    "icon": "https://example.com/speed-icon.png",
    "description": "Fast and reliable"
  }
}

Combining Static and Required

Static and Required are mutually exclusive in practice:

Combination	Valid?	Notes
Static: OFF, Required: OFF	Yes	Optional dynamic field
Static: OFF, Required: ON	Yes	Mandatory dynamic field
Static: ON, Required: OFF	Yes	Fixed content field
Static: ON, Required: ON	No	Doesn't make sense - static content can't be required from API

If you mark a field as Static, the Required option is effectively ignored since the API data isn't used anyway.

Error Messages

When Required validation fails, the API returns helpful error messages:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Missing required fields",
    "details": {
      "templateKey": "product-card",
      "missingFields": ["product_name", "product_price"]
    }
  }
}

Best Practices

For tips on using Static and Required properties effectively, see Field Configuration Tips.

Field Configuration

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