Is there a way to convert a Pages document into a Keynote presentation without recreating content or copy & pasting?

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javier r Author

Level 1

44 points

Is there a way to convert a Pages document into a Keynote presentation without recreating content or copy & pasting?

The last time this discussion was had was in 2016, and back then, people were saying 'we're asking too much of apple.'

No. We're not.

It's ridiculous that there is no way to integrate these two apps to be cohesive.

I'm being reduced to doing the same thing I had to do ....

in the early 90s?

Posted on Aug 12, 2020 10:46 AM

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Answer 1

SGIII

Level 8

37,580 points

Aug 13, 2020 7:34 PM in response to javier r

I've assumed you haven't split your Pages document into a page or section or each slide. If you have, transferring to Keynote is a little easier than the approach below. Unlike Word, Pages can't split automatically by style. You need to tell it where a slide ends. One way to do that is to insert a "marker" in between slides. I used @@ on its own line but you could use something else if you want.

Place the @@ marker in your Pages document wherever you want to transition between slides.
Copy-paste the script below into Script Editor (in your Applications folder) (I had to place it in the additional text area. You click 'Script Here' and download the text)
Make sure Script Editor is listed and checked at System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility.
With the Pages and Keynote document open, click the triangle "run" button in Script Editor.

As with Word, this does not transfer images. Just text.

Some adjustments may be needed to get this working right on your machine and with your Pages document. Post any problems/questions.

SG

Script here

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,124 points

Aug 12, 2020 10:57 AM in response to javier r

Pages is a word processing application and Keynote is a presentation product. Pages v10.1 still does not offer any export solution to Keynote. LibreOffice Writer does not offer any means to export its content to LibreOffice Impress, and I suspect that MS Word itself has no export to Powerpoint feature either.

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Answer 3

Barry

Level 9

60,035 points

Aug 13, 2020 1:23 AM in response to javier r

HI Javier,

You wrote "The last time this discussion was had was in 2016, and back then, people were saying 'we're asking too much of apple.'

No. We're not."

Have you, then, asked this of Apple?

Apple provides the space for these discussions, but the software development teams and Apple leadership personnel do not participate in these user-to-user communities. Nor are they regularly monitored by Apple beyond checking by the hosts for adherence to the terms of use, and scanning by the Community Specialists for posts that have not received a reply in 24 hours or so.

Here you are talking to users of the software and hardware who can tell you how to do what the software is capable of in its current state, but who can't change the software to fit your needs.

Pages menu > Provide Pages Feedback. Send a Feature enhancement request to add this feature to Pages.

Keynote menu > Provide Keynote Feedback. Repeat the suggestion there.

Regards,

Barry

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Answer 4

SGIII

Level 8

37,580 points

Aug 13, 2020 8:01 PM in response to SGIII

In case you can't access the script at "Script here" (I'm having trouble) I've also put it here on Dropbox. That may work better.

SG

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Answer 5

StanleyG.

Level 4

2,959 points

Aug 12, 2020 10:41 PM in response to javier r

Since you read the article from 4 years ago, why moving the Pages document as a PDF not work for you?

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Answer 6

javier r Author

Level 1

44 points

Aug 12, 2020 11:19 AM in response to VikingOSX

That’s super helpful you explaining to me that keynote is presentation software and pages is a word processor.

though I’m not much of a programmer, the two programs are a stones throw away from each other. Keynote is a word processor by another name.

Your suspicion is wrong with Microsoft. Word docs have an intuitive way of just opening and separating into slides in PowerPoint.

i use pages as it’s native to Mac and it works far better, less of a resource hog, so on so forth...

this was a feature once upon a time in AppleWorks if memory serves me.

does anyone else have a piece of software or a solution I’m not seeing that will save me from copying and pasting 18 pages of text into keynote?

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Answer 7

javier r Author

Level 1

44 points

Aug 13, 2020 10:00 AM in response to Barry

Barry. I have provided this feedback.

Several times a year.

For about ten years.

Thank you for your suggestion on how I should convert a pages document into a keynote presentation without recreating content or copying and pasting one million times.

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Answer 8

javier r Author

Level 1

44 points

Aug 13, 2020 10:15 AM in response to StanleyG.

StanleyG.

I don't know what you are talking about, but perhaps there's a solution in your question? So I'm going to ask you a few questions if you don't mind:

In the most recent version of Keynote, you cannot open a PDF or convert a PDF into a keynote file.
In that discussion 4 years ago (which isn't really the point of this conversation...) there was no solution then. Did I miss one? Can you direct me to that solution?
Do you know of a way to import a pdf into keynote? I'm all ears.

If you're referring to just dragging a PDF page into Keynote, then yes, I know how to do that.

Though what you're proposing, in my case, is essentially formatting every "page" in pages as a slide for keynote, then dragging the pdf images into keynote...

Which is not intuitive, efficient or useful.

Let me know if you have another work around though! I appreciate you at least trying to help me with a solution instead of trying to school me like an idiot or suggesting something that will not help me get back to what I need to be doing! Work!

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Answer 9

javier r Author

Level 1

44 points

Aug 13, 2020 10:19 AM in response to SGIII

SGIII #1!!!!!!!!

Thank you for a glimmer of hope!

How would I do this?

Is it with automator? I have been suuuper afraid to dig into automator in the past as I have had no luck making it work for me... most likely bc i don't know what the heck I'm doing.

How would that script work? Where do I do it?

Help me obi-wan, you're my only hope.

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Answer 10

SGIII

Level 8

37,580 points

Aug 12, 2020 10:33 PM in response to javier r

It *should* be quite easy to have a simple script do this. With your Pages doc open, you would click a button.

What does your Pages doc look like?

SG

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Is there a way to convert a Pages document into a Keynote presentation without recreating content or copy & pasting?

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