Set up Cube Decks for PowerPoint

Cube Decks lets you add live Cube visuals directly to your PowerPoint slides. Instead of screenshotting your data, you insert it, filter it, and refresh it, so your slides always match the source of truth in Cube.

This article covers how to install the add-in, sign in, and fix common setup issues. To learn how to build and refresh slides once you are set up, see Using Cube Decks in PowerPoint.

Note on availability: The Google Slides add-on is coming soon. This article covers Cube Decks for Microsoft PowerPoint.

Before you begin

To use Cube Decks, you need:

1. A supported version of PowerPoint: PowerPoint 2016 or later on Windows or macOS, Microsoft 365, or PowerPoint for the web. This matches the Office versions Cube supports for its Spreadsheet App. For the full list, see Supported Browsers and Excel Versions.
2. A Cube account.
3. The right permission level in Cube. Any user can refresh a deck. Building and inserting visuals requires a Finance or Admin role. See the permissions section in Using Cube Decks in PowerPoint.

Install Cube Decks from the Microsoft store

Cube Decks is available in the Microsoft add-in store (AppSource), so installing it takes just a few clicks.

The fastest way to find the listing is from Cube. In the Cube web app, open the side navigation and, under Apps, click PowerPoint. This links you straight to the Cube Decks listing in the Microsoft store, where you can add it. You can also go directly to the Cube Decks listing on Microsoft AppSource.

You can also install it directly from within PowerPoint. The menu path is slightly different across platforms, but the steps are the same: open the add-in store, search for Cube Decks, and add it.

PowerPoint on Windows

1. Open PowerPoint.
2. On the Insert tab, select Add-ins, then Get Add-ins. (On some versions this is More Add-ins.)
3. In the Office Add-ins dialog, select the Store tab and search for Cube Decks (publisher: Cube).
4. Next to Cube Decks, click Add and accept the license terms and privacy policy.
5. Cube Decks appears on your ribbon. Click it to open the Cube panel on the right.

PowerPoint on macOS

1. Open PowerPoint.
2. On the Insert tab, select Get Add-ins.
3. Select the Store tab and search for Cube Decks (publisher: Cube).
4. Next to Cube Decks, click Add and accept the terms.
5. Cube Decks appears on your ribbon. Click it to open the Cube panel.

PowerPoint for the web

1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint for the web.
2. On the Insert tab, select Add-ins.
3. Select the Store tab and search for Cube Decks (publisher: Cube).
4. Next to Cube Decks, click Add.
5. Cube Decks appears on the ribbon. Click it to open the Cube panel.

Once installed on one device, the add-in follows your Microsoft account and is available anywhere you sign in with the same account.

Sign in

1. Open the Cube panel from the ribbon. It docks on the right side of your slide.
2. Click Sign in and log in with your Cube credentials.
3. The panel connects to your Cube workspace. You are ready to build.

You only ever see the data you are allowed to see in Cube, and what you can do in the panel depends on your Cube access.

Troubleshooting

Cube Decks will not load, or the panel is blank. Try these steps in order:

1. Check whether your PC or Mac needs a software update. If it does, install it and reopen PowerPoint.
2. Fully close and reopen PowerPoint so it reloads the add-in. In PowerPoint for the web, refresh the page.
3. Confirm you are signed into the Microsoft account you used to add Cube Decks.
4. Reinstall the add-in. Open Insert > Add-ins > My Add-ins, hover over Cube Decks, click the three-dot menu, and choose Remove. Clear your Office cache, then add Cube Decks again from the store.
5. If it still will not load, contact Cube support.

I do not see Cube Decks on my ribbon after installing. Fully close and reopen PowerPoint, then open Insert > Add-ins > My Add-ins to launch it. In PowerPoint for the web, refresh the page. Confirm you are signed into the same Microsoft account you used to add it.

A single visual failed to refresh, but the rest of the deck updated. This happens when you do not have access in Cube to the data behind that visual. Refresh only ever shows data you are allowed to see. Contact your Cube administrator if you believe you should have access.

I can refresh but I cannot build or insert visuals. Building requires a Finance or Admin role. Ask your Cube administrator to confirm your user type.

My visual looks out of date. Click Refresh, then check the last-refreshed timestamp on the visual. If a filter changed, confirm your global filters in Filter Management and refresh again.

I need to sign in again. Open the Cube panel and click Sign in to log back in with your Cube credentials.

Get help

If you run into an issue that is not covered here, contact Cube support or your customer team through the Cube Help Center.

Once you are set up, see Using Cube Decks in PowerPoint to build your first live slide.