2024 Work Trend Index: Learn how AI is reshaping work.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Copilot in PowerPoint
Turn your inspiration into stunning presentations. Get it now when you add Copilot Pro or Copilot for Microsoft 365 to your Microsoft 365 subscription.
Turn your inspiration into stunning presentations
Turn a spark of inspiration into personalized presentations with Copilot in PowerPoint. Copilot will turn existing Word documents into presentations, create new presentations from simple prompts or outlines, or find the best places for impactful imagery—and will help you leave audiences dazzled with skillful storytelling.
Designing slides has never been easier
Create well-designed, impactful slides with the help of Designer and Ideas in PowerPoint.
3D isn't just for the movies
Now you can easily insert 3D objects and embedded animations directly into PowerPoint decks from your own files or a library of content.
Interact naturally using voice, touch, and ink
Easily ink onto a slide, then convert handwritten notes into text and make hand-drawn shapes perfect in seconds.
Nail your next presentation
With Presenter Coach, practice your speech and get recommendations on pacing, word choice, and more through the power of AI.
Be on the same page
Always know where you are in the editing process. With the while you were away feature, track recent changes made by others in your decks.
Task management with PowerPoint and Microsoft 365
Tell your story with captivating presentations.
Originally starting from Free now starting from Free
Sharing and real-time collaboration
PowerPoint for the web
Basic templates, fonts, icons, and stickers
Dictation and voice commands
Works on web, iOS, and Android™
5 GB of cloud storage
Microsoft 365 Personal
Originally starting from $6.99 now starting from $6.99
$6.99 $6.99
(Annual subscription–auto renews) 1
PowerPoint for the web and PowerPoint desktop app for offline use
Premium templates, fonts, icons, and stickers with thousands of options to choose from
Dictation, voice commands, and transcription
Advanced spelling and grammar, in-app learning tips, use in 20+ languages, and more
1 TB (1000 GB) of cloud storage
Premium desktop, web, and mobile apps
Advanced security
Ad-free experience
Works on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android™
Copilot Pro available as an add-on. *
Microsoft 365 Family
Originally starting from $9.99 now starting from $9.99
$9.99 $9.99
One to six people
Up to 6 TB of cloud storage, 1 TB (1000 GB) per person
Premium desktop, web, and mobile apps
Advanced security
Microsoft Powerpoint
One person
Microsoft 365 Apps for business
Originally starting from $8.25 now starting from $8.25
$8.25 $8.25
Available for up to 300 employes
Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
1 TB of cloud storage per user
Anytime phone and web support
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Originally starting from $12.50 now starting from $12.50
$12.50 $12.50
Everything in Microsoft 365 Apps for business, plus:
Web, and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
Custom business email ([email protected])
Chat, call, and video conference with Microsoft Teams
10+ additional apps for your business needs (Bookings, Planner, Microsoft Forms, and others)
Automatic spam and malware filtering
Webinars with attendee registration and reporting
New: Collaborative workspaces to co-create using Microsoft Loop
New: Video editing and design tools with Clipchamp
Copilot for Microsoft 365 available as an add-on. **
Add Copilot to your Microsoft plan
Achieve more than ever using AI integrated with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 apps.
Get the PowerPoint mobile app
Ready to create great presentations with Microsoft 365?
See more from microsoft powerpoint.
Collaborate on shared projects
Get commonly used Office features and real-time co-authoring capabilities through your browser.
Jumpstart your design
Show your style and professionalism with templates, plus save time. Browse PowerPoint templates in over 40 categories.
Connect with experts
See what’s new and get classic tips and editors' tricks to help you create, edit, and polish presentations like a pro.
Read about slide presentations
6 slide presentation software tips to impress, host large-scale virtual presentations, how to make a slide show, what’s new in powerpoint.
- [1] Once your paid subscription begins, cancelation policies vary based on your status as a new customer, product, and domain selections on Microsoft. Learn more. Cancel your Microsoft 365 subscription any time by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center. When a subscription is canceled, all associated data will be deleted. Learn more about data retention, deletion, and destruction in Microsoft 365 . Microsoft PowerPoint with a Microsoft 365 subscription is the latest version of PowerPoint. Previous versions include PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013 , PowerPoint 2010 , PowerPoint 2007 , and PowerPoint 2003. iTunes, iPhone, and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
- [*] Copilot Pro benefits are currently available on web, Windows, and macOS and iPadOS. A Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription is required to access Copilot in select apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook. Excel features are currently in preview in English only. Microsoft 365 Personal or Family and Copilot Pro are not available in the same transaction and must be purchased in two separate transactions.
- [**] Copilot for Microsoft 365 may not be available for all markets and languages. To purchase, enterprise customers must have a license for Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 or Office 365 E3 or E5, and business customers must have a license for Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium.
Follow Microsoft 365
Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!
How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation (Step-by-Step)
- PowerPoint Tutorials
- Presentation Design
- January 22, 2024
In this beginner’s guide, you will learn step-by-step how to make a PowerPoint presentation from scratch.
While PowerPoint is designed to be intuitive and accessible, it can be overwhelming if you’ve never gotten any training on it before. As you progress through this guide, you’ll will learn how to move from blank slides to PowerPoint slides that look like these.
Table of Contents
Additionally, as you create your presentation, you’ll also learn tricks for working more efficiently in PowerPoint, including how to:
- Change the slide order
- Reset your layout
- Change the slide dimensions
- Use PowerPoint Designer
- Format text
- Format objects
- Play a presentation (slide show)
With this knowledge under your belt, you’ll be ready to start creating PowerPoint presentations. Moreover, you’ll have taken your skills from beginner to proficient in no time at all. I will also include links to more advanced PowerPoint topics.
Ready to start learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation?
Take your PPT skills to the next level
Start with a blank presentation.
Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you’ve collected your thoughts. If you’re going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming.
For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation here .
The first thing you’ll need to do is to open PowerPoint. When you do, you are shown the Start Menu , with the Home tab open.
This is where you can choose either a blank theme (1) or a pre-built theme (2). You can also choose to open an existing presentation (3).
For now, go ahead and click on the Blank Presentation (1) thumbnail.
Doing so launches a brand new and blank presentation for you to work with. Before you start adding content to your presentation, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the PowerPoint interface.
The PowerPoint interface
Here is how the program is laid out:
- The Application Header
- The Ribbon (including the Ribbon tabs)
- The Quick Access Toolbar (either above or below the Ribbon)
- The Slides Pane (slide thumbnails)
The Slide Area
The notes pane.
- The Status Bar (including the View Buttons)
Each one of these areas has options for viewing certain parts of the PowerPoint environment and formatting your presentation.
Below are the important things to know about certain elements of the PowerPoint interface.
The PowerPoint Ribbon
The Ribbon is contextual. That means that it will adapt to what you’re doing in the program.
For example, the Font, Paragraph and Drawing options are greyed out until you select something that has text in it, as in the example below (A).
Furthermore, if you start manipulating certain objects, the Ribbon will display additional tabs, as seen above (B), with more commands and features to help you work with those objects. The following objects have their own additional tabs in the Ribbon which are hidden until you select them:
- Online Pictures
- Screenshots
- Screen Recording
The Slides Pane
This is where you can preview and rearrange all the slides in your presentation.
Right-clicking on a slide in the pane gives you additional options on the slide level that you won’t find on the Ribbon, such as Duplicate Slide , Delete Slide , and Hide Slide .
In addition, you can add sections to your presentation by right-clicking anywhere in this Pane and selecting Add Section . Sections are extremely helpful in large presentations, as they allow you to organize your slides into chunks that you can then rearrange, print or display differently from other slides.
The Slide Area (A) is where you will build out your slides. Anything within the bounds of this area will be visible when you present or print your presentation.
Anything outside of this area (B) will be hidden from view. This means that you can place things here, such as instructions for each slide, without worrying about them being shown to your audience.
The Notes Pane is the space beneath the Slide Area where you can type in the speaker notes for each slide. It’s designed as a fast way to add and edit your slides’ talking points.
To expand your knowledge and learn more about adding, printing, and exporting your PowerPoint speaker notes, read our guide here .
Your speaker notes are visible when you print your slides using the Notes Pages option and when you use the Presenter View . To expand your knowledge and learn the ins and outs of using the Presenter View , read our guide here .
You can resize the Notes Pane by clicking on its edge and dragging it up or down (A). You can also minimize or reopen it by clicking on the Notes button in the Status Bar (B).
Note: Not all text formatting displays in the Notes Pane, even though it will show up when printing your speaker notes. To learn more about printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .
Now that you have a basic grasp of the PowerPoint interface at your disposal, it’s time to make your presentation.
Adding Content to Your PowerPoint Presentation
Notice that in the Slide Area , there are two rectangles with dotted outlines. These are called Placeholders and they’re set on the template in the Slide Master View .
To expand your knowledge and learn how to create a PowerPoint template of your own (which is no small task), read our guide here .
As the prompt text suggests, you can click into each placeholder and start typing text. These types of placeholder prompts are customizable too. That means that if you are using a company template, it might say something different, but the functionality is the same.
Note: For the purposes of this example, I will create a presentation based on the content in the Starbucks 2018 Global Social Impact Report, which is available to the public on their website.
If you type in more text than there is room for, PowerPoint will automatically reduce its font size. You can stop this behavior by clicking on the Autofit Options icon to the left of the placeholder and selecting Stop Fitting Text to this Placeholder .
Next, you can make formatting adjustments to your text by selecting the commands in the Font area and the Paragraph area of the Home tab of the Ribbon.
The Reset Command: If you make any changes to your title and decide you want to go back to how it was originally, you can use the Reset button up in the Home tab .
Insert More Slides into Your Presentation
Now that you have your title slide filled in, it’s time to add more slides. To do that, simply go up to the Home tab and click on New Slide . This inserts a new slide in your presentation right after the one you were on.
You can alternatively hit Ctrl+M on your keyboard to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint. To learn more about this shortcut, see my guide on using Ctrl+M in PowerPoint .
Instead of clicking the New Slide command, you can also open the New Slide dropdown to see all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template. Depending on who created your template, your layouts in this dropdown can be radically different.
If you insert a layout and later want to change it to a different layout, you can use the Layout dropdown instead of the New Slide dropdown.
After inserting a few different slide layouts, your presentation might look like the following picture. Don’t worry that it looks blank, next we will start adding content to your presentation.
If you want to follow along exactly with me, your five slides should be as follows:
- Title Slide
- Title and Content
- Section Header
- Two Content
- Picture with Caption
Adding Content to Your Slides
Now let’s go into each slide and start adding our content. You’ll notice some new types of placeholders.
On slide 2 we have a Content Placeholder , which allows you to add any kind of content. That includes:
- A SmartArt graphic,
- A 3D object,
- A picture from the web,
- Or an icon.
To insert text, simply type it in or hit Ctrl+C to Copy and Ctrl+V to Paste from elsewhere. To insert any of the other objects, click on the appropriate icon and follow the steps to insert it.
For my example, I’ll simply type in some text as you can see in the picture below.
Slides 3 and 4 only have text placeholders, so I’ll go ahead and add in my text into each one.
On slide 5 we have a Picture Placeholder . That means that the only elements that can go into it are:
- A picture from the web
To insert a picture into the picture placeholder, simply:
- Click on the Picture icon
- Find a picture on your computer and select it
- Click on Insert
Alternatively, if you already have a picture open somewhere else, you can select the placeholder and paste in (shortcut: Ctrl+V ) the picture. You can also drag the picture in from a file explorer window.
If you do not like the background of the picture you inserted onto your slide, you can remove the background here in PowerPoint. To see how to do this, read my guide here .
Placeholders aren’t the only way to add content to your slides. At any point, you can use the Insert tab to add elements to your slides.
You can use either the Title Only or the Blank slide layout to create slides for content that’s different. For example, a three-layout content slide, or a single picture divider slide, as shown below.
In the first example above, I’ve inserted 6 text boxes, 3 icons, and 3 circles to create this layout. In the second example, I’ve inserted a full-sized picture and then 2 shapes and 2 text boxes.
The Reset Command: Because these slides are built with shapes and text boxes (and not placeholders), hitting the Reset button up in the Home tab won’t do anything.
That is a good thing if you don’t want your layouts to adjust. However, it does mean that it falls on you to make sure everything is aligned and positioned correctly.
For more on how to add and manipulate the different objects in PowerPoint, check out our step-by-step articles here:
- Using graphics in PowerPoint
- Inserting icons onto slides
- Adding pictures to your PowerPoint
- How to embed a video in PowerPoint
- How to add music to your presentation
Using Designer to generate more layouts ideas
If you have Office 365, your version of PowerPoint comes with a new feature called Designer (or Design Ideas). This is a feature that generates slide layout ideas for you. The coolest thing about this feature is that it uses the content you already have.
To use Designer , simply navigate to the Design tab in your Ribbon, and click on Design Ideas .
NOTE: If the PowerPoint Designer is not working for you (it is grey out), see my troubleshooting guide for Designer .
Change the Overall Design (optional)
When you make a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll want to think about the overall design. Now that you have some content in your presentation, you can use the Design tab to change the look and feel of your slides.
For additional help thinking through the design of your presentation, read my guide here .
A. Picking your PowerPoint slide size
If you have PowerPoint 2013 or later, when you create a blank document in PowerPoint, you automatically start with a widescreen layout with a 16:9 ratio. These dimensions are suitable for most presentations as they match the screens of most computers and projectors.
However, you do have the option to change the dimensions.
For example, your presentation might not be presented, but instead converted into a PDF or printed and distributed. In that case, you can easily switch to the standard dimensions with a 4:3 ratio by selecting from the dropdown (A).
You can also choose a custom slide size or change the slide orientation from landscape to portrait in the Custom Slide Size dialog box (B).
To learn all about the different PowerPoint slide sizes, and some of the issues you will face when changing the slide size of a non-blank presentation, read my guide here .
B. Selecting a PowerPoint theme
The next thing you can do is change the theme of your presentation to a pre-built one. For a detailed explanation of what a PowerPoint theme is, and how to best use it, read my article here .
In the beginning of this tutorial, we started with a blank presentation, which uses the default Office theme as you can see in the picture below.
That gives you the most flexibility because it has a blank background and quite simple layouts that work for most presentations. However, it also means that it’s your responsibility to enhance the design.
If you’re comfortable with this, you can stay with the default theme or create your own custom theme ( read my guide here ). But if you would rather not have to think about design, then you can choose a pre-designed theme.
Microsoft provides 46 other pre-built themes, which include slide layouts, color variants and palettes, and fonts. Each one varies quite significantly, so make sure you look through them carefully.
To select a different theme, go to the Design tab in the Ribbon, and click on the dropdown arrow in the Themes section .
For this tutorial, let’s select the Frame theme and then choose the third Variant in the theme. Doing so changes the layout, colors, and fonts of your presentation.
Note: The theme dropdown area is also where you can import or save custom themes. To see my favorite places to find professional PowerPoint templates and themes (and recommendations for why I like them), read my guide here .
C. How to change a slide background in PowerPoint
The next thing to decide is how you want your background to look for the entire presentation. In the Variants area, you can see four background options.
For this example, we want our presentation to have a dark background, so let’s select Style 3. When you do so, you’ll notice that:
- The background color automatically changes across all slides
- The color of the text on most of the slides automatically changes to white so that it’s visible on the dark background
- The colors of the objects on slides #6 and #7 also adjust, in a way we may not want (we’ll likely have to make some manual adjustments to these slides)
Note: If you want to change the slide background for just that one slide, don’t left-click the style. Instead, right-click it and select Apply to Selected Slides .
After you change the background for your entire presentation, you can easily adjust the background for an individual slide.
Inside the Format Background pane, you can see you have the following options:
- Gradient fill
- Picture or texture fill
- Pattern fill
- Hide background
You can explore these options to find the PowerPoint background that best fits your presentation.
D. How to change your color palette in PowerPoint
Another thing you may want to adjust in your presentation, is the color scheme. In the picture below you can see the Theme Colors we are currently using for this presentation.
Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own color palette. By default, the Office theme includes the Office color palette. This affects the colors you are presented with when you format any element within your presentation (text, shapes, SmartArt, etc.).
The good news is that the colors here are easy to change. To switch color palettes, simply:
- Go to the Design tab in the Ribbon
- In the Variants area, click on the dropdown arrow and select Colors
- Select the color palette (or theme colors) you want
You can choose among the pre-built color palettes from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.
As you build your presentation, make sure you use the colors from your theme to format objects. That way, changing the color palette adjusts all the colors in your presentation automatically.
E. How to change your fonts in PowerPoint
Just as we changed the color palette, you can do the same for the fonts.
Each PowerPoint theme comes with its own font combination. By default, the Office theme includes the Office font pairing. This affects the fonts that are automatically assigned to all text in your presentation.
The good news is that the font pairings are easy to change. To switch your Theme Fonts, simply:
- Go to the Design tab in the Ribbon
- Click on the dropdown arrow in the Variants area
- Select Fonts
- Select the font pairing you want
You can choose among the pre-built fonts from Office, or you can customize them to create your own.
If you are working with PowerPoint presentations on both Mac and PC computers, make sure you choose a safe PowerPoint font. To see a list of the safest PowerPoint fonts, read our guide here .
If you receive a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong fonts were used, you can use the Replace Fonts dialog box to change the fonts across your entire presentation. For details, read our guide here .
Adding Animations & Transitions (optional)
The final step to make a PowerPoint presentation compelling, is to consider using animations and transitions. These are by no means necessary to a good presentation, but they may be helpful in your situation.
A. Adding PowerPoint animations
PowerPoint has an incredibly robust animations engine designed to power your creativity. That being said, it’s also easy to get started with basic animations.
Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide.
To add a PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, simply:
- Select the element
- Go to the Animations tab in the Ribbon
- Click on the dropdown arrow to view your options
- Select the animation you want
You can add animations to multiple objects at one time by selecting them all first and then applying the animation.
B. How to preview a PowerPoint animation
There are three ways to preview a PowerPoint animation:
- Click on the Preview button in the Animations tab
- Click on the little star next to the slide
- Play the slide in Slide Show Mode
To learn other ways to run your slide show, see our guide on presenting a PowerPoint slide show with shortcuts .
To adjust the settings of your animations, explore the options in the Effect Options , Advanced Animation and the Timing areas of the Animation tab .
Note: To see how to make objects appear and disappear in your slides by clicking a button, read our guide here .
C. How to manage your animations in PowerPoint
The best way to manage lots of animations on your slide is with the Animation Pane . To open it, simply:
- Navigate to the Animations tab
- Select the Animation Pane
Inside the Animation Pane, you’ll see all of the different animations that have been applied to objects on your slide, with their numbers marked as pictured above.
Note: To see examples of PowerPoint animations that can use in PowerPoint, see our list of PowerPoint animation tutorials here .
D. How to add transitions to your PowerPoint presentation
PowerPoint has an incredibly robust transition engine so that you can dictate how your slides change from one to the other. It is also extremely easy to add transitions to your slides.
In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (or effects) you see as you move between two slides.
To add a transition to a PowerPoint slide, simply:
- Select the slide
- Go to the Transitions tab in the Ribbon
- In the Transitions to This Slide area, click on the dropdown arrow to view your options
- Select the transition you want
To adjust the settings of the transition, explore the options in the Timing area of the Transitions tab.
You can also add the same transition to multiple slides. To do that, select them in the Slides Pane and apply the transition.
E. How to preview a transition in PowerPoint
There are three ways to preview your PowerPoint transitions (just like your animations):
- Click on the Preview button in the Transitions tab
- Click on the little star beneath the slide number in the thumbnail view
Note: In 2016, PowerPoint added a cool new transition, called Morph. It operates a bit differently from other transitions. For a detailed tutorial on how to use the cool Morph transition, see our step-by-step article here .
Save Your PowerPoint Presentation
After you’ve built your presentation and made all the adjustments to your slides, you’ll want to save your presentation. YOu can do this several different ways.
To save a PowerPoint presentation using your Ribbon, simply:
- Navigate to the File tab
- Select Save As on the left
- Choose where you want to save your presentation
- Name your presentation and/or adjust your file type settings
- Click Save
You can alternatively use the Ctrl+S keyboard shortcut to save your presentation. I recommend using this shortcut frequently as you build your presentation to make sure you don’t lose any of your work.
This is the standard way to save a presentation. However, there may be a situation where you want to save your presentation as a different file type.
To learn how to save your presentation as a PDF, see our guide on converting PowerPoint to a PDF .
How to save your PowerPoint presentation as a template
Once you’ve created a presentation that you like, you may want to turn it into a template. The easiest – but not technically correct – way, is to simply create a copy of your current presentation and then change the content.
But be careful! A PowerPoint template is a special type of document and it has its own parameters and behaviors.
If you’re interested in learning about how to create your own PowerPoint template from scratch, see our guide on how to create a PowerPoint template .
Printing Your PowerPoint Presentation
After finishing your PowerPoint presentation, you may want to print it out on paper. Printing your slides is relatively easy.
To open the Print dialog box, you can either:
- Hit Ctrl+P on your keyboard
- Or go to the Ribbon and click on File and then Print
Inside the Print dialog box, you can choose from the various printing settings:
- Printer: Select a printer to use (or print to PDF or OneNote)
- Slides: Choose which slides you want to print
- Layout: Determine how many slides you want per page (this is where you can print the notes, outline, and handouts)
- Collated or uncollated (learn what collated printing means here )
- Color: Choose to print in color, grayscale or black & white
There are many more options for printing your PowerPoint presentations. Here are links to more in-depth articles:
- How to print multiple slides per page
- How to print your speaker notes in PowerPoint
- How to save PowerPoint as a picture presentation
So that’s how to create a PowerPoint presentation if you are brand new to it. We’ve also included a ton of links to helpful resources to boost your PowerPoint skills further.
When you are creating your presentation, it is critical to first focus on the content (what you are trying to say) before getting lost inserting and playing with elements. The clearer you are on what you want to present, the easier it will be to build it out in PowerPoint.
If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other presentation resources by visiting us here .
🔒 Unlock the PowerPoint Shortcuts Trusted by Industry Leaders KKR, American Express, HSBC, and More!
Join over 114,880 professionals from diverse fields including consulting, investment banking, advertising, marketing, sales, and business development who have supercharged their PowerPoint game with our proven methods.
✅ Customize compelling presentations effortlessly.
✅ Master time-saving techniques for faster deck creation.
✅ Boost your career prospects with top-notch PowerPoint skills.
Get FREE access to the Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts module of our premium training course by entering your name and email below.
DISCLAIMER: PC Users Only!
We respect your privacy and will keep your info safe and confidential.
About The Author
Popular Tutorials
- How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
- How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
- Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
- How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
- Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved
PowerPoint Tutorial Categories
- Strategies & Opinions
- Shortcuts & Hacks
- Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
- New Features
- Miscellaneous
- Charts & Data Viz
We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.
Work With Us
- Corporate Training
- Presentation & Template Design
- Courses & Downloads
- PowerPoint Articles
- Word Articles
- Productivity Resources
Find a Tutorial
- Free Training
- For Businesses
We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.
Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!
⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.
🔥 Create powerful presentations.
🚀 Propel your career to new heights.
We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.
Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!
Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods.
Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!
We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
- What is PowerPoint? Video
- Create a presentation Video
- Choose the right view for the task Video
- Add and format text Video
Create a presentation
Create a presentation from scratch, or from a theme. All themes have a palate of colors and fonts designed to work together.
Create a blank presentation
Open PowerPoint.
Select one of the Blank Presentation and start typing.
Note: Microsoft 365 subscribers will find Design Ideas based on the words you type. You can browse and select a new look.
Create a presentation from a theme
Select File > New .
Double-click a theme in the gallery to create a presentation in that theme. Or search for more templates.
Apply or change a slide layout
Apply a template to your presentation
Create and save a PowerPoint template
Get Microsoft presentation templates
Need more help?
Want more options.
Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.
Microsoft 365 subscription benefits
Microsoft 365 training
Microsoft security
Accessibility center
Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.
Ask the Microsoft Community
Microsoft Tech Community
Windows Insiders
Microsoft 365 Insiders
Was this information helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
- PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
- EDIT Edit this Article
- EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
- Browse Articles
- Learn Something New
- Quizzes Hot
- This Or That Game
- Train Your Brain
- Explore More
- Support wikiHow
- About wikiHow
- Log in / Sign up
- Computers and Electronics
- Presentation Software
- PowerPoint Presentations
Simple Steps to Make a PowerPoint Presentation
Last Updated: April 28, 2024 Fact Checked
Creating a New PowerPoint
Creating the title slide, adding a new slide, adding content to slides, adding transitions, testing and saving your presentation.
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA . Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 4,325,720 times. Learn more...
Do you want to have your data in a slide show? If you have Microsoft 365, you can use PowerPoint! PowerPoint is a program that's part of the Microsoft Office suite (which you have to pay for) and is available for both Windows and Mac computers. This wikiHow teaches you how to create your own Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on a computer.
How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation
- Open the PowerPoint app, select a template and theme, then like “Create.”
- Click the text box to add your title and subtitle to create your title slide.
- Click the “Insert” tab, then “New Slide” to add another slide.
- Choose the type of slide you want to add, then add text and pictures.
- Rearrange slides by dragging them up or down in the preview box.
Things You Should Know
- Templates make it easy to create vibrant presentations no matter your skill level.
- When adding photos, you can adjust their sizes by clicking and dragging in or out from their corners.
- You can add animated transitions between slides or to individual elements like bullet points and blocks of text.
- If you don't have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription, you can use the website instead of the desktop app. Go to https://powerpoint.office.com/ to use the website version.
- You can also use the mobile app to make presentations, though it's easier to do this on a computer, which has a larger screen, a mouse, and a keyboard.
- If you don't want to use a template, just click the Blank option in the upper-left side of the page and skip to the next part.
- Skip this step if your selected template has no themes available.
- If you're creating a PowerPoint presentation for which an elaborate title slide has been requested, ignore this step.
- You can change the font and size of text used from the Home tab that's in the orange ribbon at the top of the window.
- You can also just leave this box blank if you like.
- You can also click and drag in or out one of a text box's corners to shrink or enlarge the text box.
- On a Mac, you'll click the Home tab instead. [1] X Research source
- Clicking the white slide-shaped box above this option will result in a new text slide being inserted.
- Title Slide
- Title and Content
- Section Header
- Two Content
- Content with Caption
- Picture with Caption
- Naturally, the title slide should be the first slide in your presentation, meaning that it should be the top slide in the left-hand column.
- Skip this step and the next two steps if your selected slide uses a template that doesn't have text boxes in it.
- Text boxes in PowerPoint will automatically format the bulk of your text for you (e.g., adding bullet points) based on the context of the content itself.
- You can add notes that the Presentation will not include (but you'll still be able to see them on your screen) by clicking Notes at the bottom of the slide.
- You can change the font of the selected text by clicking the current font's name and then clicking your preferred font.
- If you want to change the size of the text, click the numbered drop-down box and then click a larger or smaller number based on whether you want to enlarge or shrink the text.
- You can also change the color, bolding, italicization, underlining, and so on from here.
- Photos in particular can be enlarged or shrunk by clicking and dragging out or in one of their corners.
- Remember to keep slides uncluttered and relatively free of distractions. It's best to keep the amount of text per slide to around 33 words or less. [2] X Research source
- Slide content will animate in the order in which you assign transitions. For example, if you animate a photo on the slide and then animate the title, the photo will appear before the title.
- Make your slideshow progress automatically by setting the speed of every transition to align with your speech as well as setting each slide to Advance . [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- If you need to exit the presentation, press Esc .
- Windows - Click File , click Save , double-click This PC , select a save location, enter a name for your presentation, and click Save .
- Mac - Click File , click Save As... , enter the presentation's name in the "Save As" field, select a save location by clicking the "Where" box and clicking a folder, and click Save .
Community Q&A
- If you save your PowerPoint presentation in .pps format instead of the default .ppt format, double-clicking your PowerPoint presentation file will prompt the presentation to open directly into the slideshow view. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
- If you don't have Microsoft Office, you can still use Apple's Keynote program or Google Slides to create a PowerPoint presentation. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
- Your PowerPoint presentation (or some features in it) may not open in significantly older versions of PowerPoint. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 2
- Great PowerPoint presentations avoid placing too much text on one slide. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
You Might Also Like
- ↑ https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=DBDCE00C929AA5D8!252&ithint=file%2cpptx&app=PowerPoint&authkey=!AH4O9NxcbehqzIg
- ↑ https://www.virtualsalt.com/powerpoint.htm
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-the-timing-and-speed-of-a-transition-c3c3c66f-4cca-4821-b8b9-7de0f3f6ead1#:~:text=To%20make%20the%20slide%20advance,effect%20on%20the%20slide%20finishes .
About This Article
- Send fan mail to authors
Reader Success Stories
Artis Holland
Sep 22, 2016
Is this article up to date?
Oct 18, 2016
Jul 23, 2016
Margery Niyi
Sep 25, 2017
Jul 21, 2016
Featured Articles
Trending Articles
Watch Articles
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Do Not Sell or Share My Info
- Not Selling Info
Keep up with tech in just 5 minutes a week!
Slidesgo.net is an independent website that offers free powerpoint templates and is not part of Freepik/any particular brand. Read the privacy policies
Free Google Slides themes and Powerpoint templates
Discover the best Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates you can use in your presentations - 100% Free for any use.
Popular searches
112+ templates
86 templates
158 templates
58 templates
97+ templates
Recent published templates
Monthly or quarterly investor update, general template, new hire onboarding, business review, our weekly updates, business plan template, new hire resources, our mission and goals, sprowt veg deli, how technology transformed education, face the crowd with confidence, tech at work, how technology is changing education.
100% free for personal or commercial use, both for Powerpoint and Google Slides.
Ready to use and customizable . High quality and professional design.
Good design makes information clearer . Blow your audience away with attractive visuals.
Slidesgo categories
- Abstract 13 templates
- Agency 15 templates
- All Diagrams 1331 templates
- Brand Guidelines 3 templates
- Business 195 templates
- Computer 66 templates
- Education 97 templates
- Finance 54 templates
- Food 57 templates
- Formal 60 templates
- Fun 6 templates
- Industry 91 templates
- Lesson 67 templates
- Marketing 57 templates
- Marketing Plan 19 templates
- Medical 71 templates
- Military 21 templates
- Nature 119 templates
- Newsletter 5 templates
- Real Estate 46 templates
- Recreation 53 templates
- Religion 30 templates
- School 557 templates
- Simple 5 templates
- Social Media 8 templates
- Sports 46 templates
- Travel 26 templates
- Workshop 4 templates
Slidesgo templates have all the elements you need to effectively communicate your message and impress your audience.
Suitable for PowerPoint and Google Slides
Download your presentation as a PowerPoint template or use it online as a Google Slides theme. 100% free, no registration or download limits.
Want to know more?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Google Slides Help
- PowerPoint help
- Who makes Slidesgo?
From Ideas to Impactful Presentations
Free Templates & Infographics for PowerPoint and Google Slides
Ebony Scrollwork Elegance Certificate Template
Google Slides , PPTX
Teal Appreciation Certificate Template
Arctic Meeting Space Template
Google Slides , POTX
Greenwave Halftone Template
Ring Arrow Zigzag Process
Ring Arrow Bending Process
Trending templates, ideas & resources.
Uncover a world of innovative ideas, creative insights, and design tips to enhance your PowerPoint and Google Slides presentations.
Mastering Text Emphasis in Your Presentation: Tips and Techniques
2023 Presentation Design Trends
How to Ace Your Sales Presentation in 10 Steps
How To Install Color Theme XML Files in PowerPoint
Presentationgo – 2,530 free google slides themes and powerpoint templates.
Comprehensive Collection
Explore 2,530 free templates and graphics for captivating presentations, with new content added daily.
Premium-Quality Designs
Expertly crafted graphics by designers and fine-tuned by seasoned presenters for maximum impact.
Effortless Customization
Fully editable graphics for seamless modification, tailored to your specific needs.
Absolutely Free
Experience hassle-free, 100% free downloads without the need for registration – access through a direct link instantly.
PresentationGO is your go-to source for an extensive and ever-expanding library of free templates tailored for PowerPoint and Google Slides . Our collection is rich in diversity, covering a wide spectrum of graphics specifically designed for presentations across various domains, ensuring you find exactly what you need for your next project.
Crafted with premium quality by skilled designers, our unique and exclusive designs are meticulously optimized for slide formats, guaranteeing to elevate the effectiveness of your presentations. With over 2,530 high-quality templates , PresentationGO offers a vast selection that includes themes and backgrounds, charts and diagrams, text and tables, timelines and planning, as well as graphics and metaphors and maps.
Our fully editable graphics and themes are designed for effortless customization , allowing you to tailor each template to meet your unique needs. Available in both standard and widescreen formats and optimized for light and dark backgrounds , our templates ensure your presentations are visually appealing and professional, without the need for additional adjustments.
In conclusion, PresentationGO provides an all-inclusive resource for Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates , encompassing everything required to create an engaging, visually stunning presentation. Embark on exploring our remarkable collection today to discover the perfect elements that will make your presentation stand out.
Love our templates? Show your support with a coffee!
Thank you for fueling our creativity.
Charts & Diagrams
Text & Tables
Graphics & Metaphors
Timelines & Planning
Best-Ofs & Tips
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Statement
Cookie Policy
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Policy
© Copyright 2024 Ofeex | PRESENTATIONGO® is a registered trademark | All rights reserved.
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.
Thank you for downloading this template!
Remember, you can use it for free but you have to attribute PresentationGO . For example, you can use the following text:
If you really like our free templates and want to thank/help us, you can:
Thank you for your support
- Search Search Search …
Free creative PowerPoint templates and Google Slides themes -Much more than just presentations-
SlidesMania has been recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) as one of the best digital tools for teaching and learning .
Professional
Digital Notebooks
Education Bundles
Choice Boards
Certificates
Multipurpose
Recent Templates
Cloud Storage
Custom Business Email
Video and voice conferencing
Shared Calendars
Word Processing
Spreadsheets
Presentation Builder
Survey builder
Google Workspace
An integrated suit of secure, cloud-native collaboration and productivity apps powered by Google AI.
Tell impactful stories, with Google Slides
Create, present, and collaborate on online presentations in real-time and from any device.
- For my personal use
- For work or my business
Jeffery Clark
T h i s c h a r t h e l p s b r i d g i n g t h e s t o r y !
E s t i m a t e d b u d g e t
Make beautiful presentations, together
Stay in sync in your slides, with easy sharing and real-time editing. Use comments and assign action items to build your ideas together.
Present slideshows with confidence
With easy-to-use presenter view, speaker notes, and live captions, Slides makes presenting your ideas a breeze. You can even present to Google Meet video calls directly from Slides.
Seamlessly connect to your other Google apps
Slides is thoughtfully connected to other Google apps you love, saving you time. Embed charts from Google Sheets or reply to comments directly from Gmail. You can even search the web and Google Drive for relevant content and images directly from Slides.
Extend collaboration and intelligence to PowerPoint files
Easily edit Microsoft PowerPoint presentations online without converting them, and layer on Slides’ enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Compose.
Work on fresh content
With Slides, everyone’s working on the latest version of a presentation. And with edits automatically saved in version history, it’s easy to track or undo changes.
Make slides faster, with built-in intelligence
Assistive features like Smart Compose and autocorrect help you build slides faster with fewer errors.
Stay productive, even offline
You can access, create, and edit Slides even without an internet connection, helping you stay productive from anywhere.
Security, compliance, and privacy
Secure by default
We use industry-leading security measures to keep your data safe, including advanced malware protections. Slides is also cloud-native, eliminating the need for local files and minimizing risk to your devices.
Encryption in transit and at rest
All files uploaded to Google Drive or created in Slides are encrypted in transit and at rest.
Compliance to support regulatory requirements
Our products, including Slides, regularly undergo independent verification of their security, privacy, and compliance controls .
Private by design
Slides adheres to the same robust privacy commitments and data protections as the rest of Google Cloud’s enterprise services .
You control your data.
We never use your slides content for ad purposes., we never sell your personal information to third parties., find the plan that’s right for you, google slides is a part of google workspace.
Every plan includes
Collaborate from anywhere, on any device
Access, create, and edit your presentations wherever you are — from any mobile device, tablet, or computer — even when offline.
Get a head start with templates
Choose from a variety of presentations, reports, and other professionally-designed templates to kick things off quickly..
Photo Album
Book Report
Visit the Slides Template Gallery for more.
Ready to get started?
Build beautiful presentations together
Create and deliver impactful presentations in your browser, from anywhere - no installation required.
Create compelling visuals with Gemini in Slides
Easily generate unique images with a simple prompt, and visualize something that never existed. See what else Gemini can help you do and try Gemini for Google Workspace .
Polished presentations, made easy
Bring your presentations to life in Google Slides with enhancements like videos, animations, smooth transitions, and more.
Get started with templates
Choose from an array of high-quality pre-designed templates with different layouts, images, colors, and fonts.
Stay on brand
This feature is available on some Google Workspace Business and Google Workspace Enterprise plans.
Create with consistency with domain templates that can be applied across your organization, in just a few clicks.
Add flair with GIFs and stickers
Give your presentations a pop of creativity with GIFs and stickers, available directly in Slides.
Flexible collaboration
Stay in sync with live editing and comments, whether you’re working on a presentation with your business partner, your whole team, or even external contacts.
Meet directly in your documents
Collaborate in context by meeting in Google Slides, Docs or Sheets.
Simple sharing controls
Easy-to-manage sharing permissions allows you granular control over who gets to edit, comment, or view your slides.
Live pointers
Follow along with your co-creators and pinpoint important information while collaborating.
Connect with audiences
Land your message with confidence, with the flexibility to present live or record your presentation inside of Slides.
These features are available on some Google Workspace Business and Google Workspace Enterprise plans.
Present like a pro, directly from Google Meet
Access all of your Slides and Meet controls in one place, and enjoy smoother high resolution presentations.
Showcase presenters, front and center
Keep the focus on you with speaker spotlight, which places your video directly into your presentation.
Easily record your presentation
Record and share your presentations so your audience can watch when it works best for them.
Your data is encrypted by default, and an array of safety measures – like advanced client-side encryption , anti-abuse measures, and privacy controls – keep your data private .
Works well with others
Import Microsoft PowerPoint or Canva presentations online, and enhance your collaboration with Slides’ features like comments, action items, and granular sharing controls.
Do more with Google Slides
Work, wherever you are
View, present or collaborate in Slides on your mobile phone or tablet, available in the App Store and Play Store, or connect from your computer.
Stay productive, even offline
Access, create, and edit Slides even without an internet connection, helping you stay productive from anywhere.
Integrate your workflows
Extend the power of Slides to fit your workflows with Slides add-ons, or build your own with a range of developer tools.
Curious about Google Slides?
Take a look at our FAQs to learn more.
Anyone with a Google Account can create in Slides.
However, some features such as Slides recording and speaker spotlight are only available on Google Workspace plans, and Gemini for Workspace features like help me visualize are available as an add-on; see plans and pricing for organizations or Google Workspace Individual .
Yes. You can convert Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into Google Slides format, or you can directly edit PowerPoint presentations, without having to make a copy. The original file will remain intact.
Co-editing means that multiple people can work on the same slide at the same time, without having to send versions back and forth. Sharing settings allows you to control who can view and edit a slide, and revision history enables you to revert to earlier versions. Also available in Google Docs and Sheets .
Create, collaborate, and present with Google Slides
How-To Geek
6 ways to create more interactive powerpoint presentations.
Engage your audience with cool, actionable features.
Quick Links
- Add a QR code
- Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)
- Embed a Live Web Page
- Add Links and Menus
- Add Clickable Images to Give More Info
- Add a Countdown Timer
We've all been to a presentation where the speaker bores you to death with a mundane PowerPoint presentation. Actually, the speaker could have kept you much more engaged by adding some interactive features to their slideshow. Let's look into some of these options.
1. Add a QR code
Adding a QR code can be particularly useful if you want to direct your audience to an online form, website, or video.
Some websites have in-built ways to create a QR code. For example, on Microsoft Forms , when you click "Collect Responses," you'll see the QR code option via the icon highlighted in the screenshot below. You can either right-click the QR code to copy and paste it into your presentation, or click "Download" to add it to your device gallery to insert the QR code as a picture.
In fact, you can easily add a QR code to take your viewer to any website. On Microsoft Edge, right-click anywhere on a web page where there isn't already a link, and left-click "Create QR Code For This Page."
You can also create QR codes in other browsers, such as Chrome.
You can then copy or download the QR code to use wherever you like in your presentation.
2. Embed Microsoft Forms (Education or Business Only)
If you plan to send your PPT presentation to others—for example, if you're a trainer sending step-by-step instruction presentation, a teacher sending an independent learning task to your students, or a campaigner for your local councilor sending a persuasive PPT to constituents—you might want to embed a quiz, questionnaire, pole, or feedback survey in your presentation.
In PowerPoint, open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, and in the Forms group, click "Forms". If you cannot see this option, you can add new buttons to the ribbon .
As at April 2024, this feature is only available for those using their work or school account. We're using a Microsoft 365 Personal account in the screenshot below, which is why the Forms icon is grayed out.
Then, a sidebar will appear on the right-hand side of your screen, where you can either choose a form you have already created or opt to craft a new form.
Now, you can share your PPT presentation with others , who can click the fields and submit their responses when they view the presentation.
3. Embed a Live Web Page
You could always screenshot a web page and paste that into your PPT, but that's not a very interactive addition to your presentation. Instead, you can embed a live web page into your PPT so that people with access to your presentation can interact actively with its contents.
To do this, we will need to add an add-in to our PPT account .
Add-ins are not always reliable or secure. Before installing an add-in to your Microsoft account, check that the author is a reputable company, and type the add-in's name into a search engine to read reviews and other users' experiences.
To embed a web page, add the Web Viewer add-in ( this is an add-in created by Microsoft ).
Go to the relevant slide and open the Web Viewer add-in. Then, copy and paste the secure URL into the field box, and remove https:// from the start of the address. In our example, we will add a selector wheel to our slide. Click "Preview" to see a sample of the web page's appearance in your presentation.
This is how ours will look.
When you or someone with access to your presentation views the slideshow, this web page will be live and interactive.
4. Add Links and Menus
As well as moving from one slide to the next through a keyboard action or mouse click, you can create links within your presentation to direct the audience to specific locations.
To create a link, right-click the outline of the clickable object, and click "Link."
In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click "Place In This Document," choose the landing destination, and click "OK."
What's more, to make it clear that an object is clickable, you can use action buttons. Open the "Insert" tab on the ribbon, click "Shape," and then choose an appropriate action button. Usefully, PPT will automatically prompt you to add a link to these shapes.
You might also want a menu that displays on every slide. Once you have created the menu, add the links using the method outlined above. Then, select all the items, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then use Ctrl+V to paste them in your other slides.
5. Add Clickable Images to Give More Info
Through PowerPoint's animations, you can give your viewer the power to choose what they see and when they see it. This works nicely whether you're planning to send your presentation to others to run through independently or whether you're presenting in front of a group and want your audience to decide which action they want to take.
Start by creating the objects that will be clickable (trigger) and the items that will appear (pop-up).
Then, select all the pop-ups together. When you click "Animations" on the ribbon and choose an appropriate animation for the effect you want to achieve, this will be applied to all objects you have selected.
The next step is to rename the triggers in your presentation. To do this, open the "Home" tab, and in the Editing group, click "Select", and then "Selection Pane."
With the Selection Pane open, select each trigger on your slide individually, and rename them in the Selection Pane, so that they can be easily linked to in the next step.
Finally, go back to the first pop-up. Open the "Animations" tab, and in the Advanced Animation group, click the "Trigger" drop-down arrow. Then, you can set the item to appear when a trigger is clicked in your presentation.
If you want your item to disappear when the trigger is clicked again, select the pop-up, click "Add Animation" in the Advanced Animation group, choose an Exit animation, and follow the same step to link that animation to the trigger button.
6. Add a Countdown Timer
A great way to get your audience to engage with your PPT presentation is to keep them on edge by adding a countdown timer. Whether you're leading a presentation and want to let your audience stop to discuss a topic, or running an online quiz with time-limit questions, having a countdown timer means your audience will keep their eye on your slide throughout.
To do this, you need to animate text boxes or shapes containing your countdown numbers. Choose and format a shape and type the highest number that your countdown clock will need. In our case, we're creating a 10-second timer.
Now, with your shape selected, open the "Animations" tab on the ribbon and click the animation drop-down arrow. Then, in the Exit menu, click "Disappear."
Open the Animation Pane, and click the drop-down arrow next to the animation you've just added. From there, choose "Timing."
Make sure "On Click" is selected in the Start menu, and change the Delay option to "1 second," before clicking "OK."
Then, with this shape still selected, press Ctrl+C (copy), and then Ctrl+V (paste). In the second box, type 9 . With the Animation Pane still open and this second shape selected, click the drop-down arrow and choose "Timing" again. Change the Start option to "After Previous," and make sure the Delay option is 1 second. Then, click "OK."
We can now use this second shape as our template, as when we copy and paste it again, the animations will also duplicate. With this second shape selected, press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, type 8 into the box, and continue to do the same until you get to 0 .
Next, remove the animations from the "0" box, as you don't want this to disappear. To do this, click the shape, and in the Animation Pane drop-down, click "Remove."
You now need to layer them in order. Right-click the box containing number 1, and click "Bring To Front." You will now see that box on the top. Do the same with the other numbers in ascending order.
Finally, you need to align the objects together. Click anywhere on your slide and press Ctrl+A. Then, in the Home tab on the ribbon, click "Arrange." First click "Align Center," and then bring the menu up again, so that you can click "Align Middle."
Press Ctrl+A again to select your timer, and you can then move your timer or copy and paste it elsewhere.
Press F5 to see the presentation in action, and when you get to the slide containing the timer, click anywhere on the slide to see your countdown timer in action!
Now that your PPT presentation is more interactive, make sure you've avoided these eight common presentational mistakes before you present your slides.
Got any suggestions?
We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo
Top searches
Trending searches
11 templates
67 templates
21 templates
environmental science
36 templates
9 templates
holy spirit
The latest google slides themes and powerpoint templates, download our cool powerpoint templates and google slides themes to create attractive designs for your presentations. make the most of the beautiful backgrounds and take advantage of the easy-to-edit resources included..
It seems that you like this template!
Soft palette squiggles school center.
Download the Soft Palette Squiggles School Center presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Are you looking for a way to make your school or academy stand out among the competition? This template is designed to showcase all the fantastic aspects of your center. With perfect slides that allow you to...
Infection Control Training Workshop
Download the Infection Control Training Workshop presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. If you are planning your next workshop and looking for ways to make it memorable for your audience, don’t go anywhere. Because this creative template is just what you need! With its visually stunning design, you can provide...
Simone Veil's Impact on Politics and Women's Rights Thesis Defense
Download the Simone Veil's Impact on Politics and Women's Rights Thesis Defense presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Congratulations, you have finally finished your research and made it to the end of your thesis! But now comes the big moment: the thesis defense. You want to make sure you showcase...
Premium template
Unlock this template and gain unlimited access
Anatomy Poster for High School
Download the Anatomy Poster for High School presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. High school students are approaching adulthood, and therefore, this template’s design reflects the mature nature of their education. Customize the well-defined sections, integrate multimedia and interactive elements and allow space for research or group projects—the possibilities of...
Download the Beans presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You need...
1930s: the Art Deco movement
Download the 1930s: the Art Deco movement presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. The education sector constantly demands dynamic and effective ways to present information. This template is created with that very purpose in mind. Offering the best resources, it allows educators or students to efficiently manage their presentations and...
Online Courses Company Profile
Download the Online Courses Company Profile presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Presenting a comprehensive company profile can be a game-changer for your business. A well-crafted profile connects with potential clients and vendors on another level, giving them a deep understanding of your organization. This company profile template can help...
Inhumanity Inside Concentration Camps
Download the Inhumanity Inside Concentration Camps presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic...
Social Studies Subject for Middle School: Mexico Independence
Download the Social Studies Subject for Middle School: Mexico Independence presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. If you’re looking for a way to motivate and engage students who are undergoing significant physical, social, and emotional development, then you can’t go wrong with an educational template designed for Middle School by...
Rap Singles & Records Music Producer Portfolio
Download the Rap Singles & Records Music Producer Portfolio presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. When a potential client or employer flips through the pages of your portfolio, they're not just looking at your work; they're trying to get a sense of who you are as a person. That's why...
Martial Arts: Karate
Download the Martial Arts: Karate presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources....
Business Consulting in El Salvador
Download the Business Consulting in El Salvador presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Your business demands smart solutions, and this consulting toolkit template is just that! This versatile and ingenious toolkit will provide you with the essential tools you need to shape your strategies and make informed decisions. Whether you...
Art Deco Minitheme
Download the Art Deco Minitheme presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources....
Iracema in Brazilian Literature Thesis Defense
Download the Iracema in Brazilian Literature Thesis Defense presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Congratulations, you have finally finished your research and made it to the end of your thesis! But now comes the big moment: the thesis defense. You want to make sure you showcase your research in the...
Net Promoter Score (NPS) Consulting Toolkit
Download the Net Promoter Score (NPS) Consulting Toolkit presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Your business demands smart solutions, and this consulting toolkit template is just that! This versatile and ingenious toolkit will provide you with the essential tools you need to shape your strategies and make informed decisions. Whether...
Cyber Dating Service Consulting Toolkit
Download the Cyber Dating Service Consulting Toolkit presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Your business demands smart solutions, and this consulting toolkit template is just that! This versatile and ingenious toolkit will provide you with the essential tools you need to shape your strategies and make informed decisions. Whether you...
Colorful Theme
Download the Colorful Theme presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources. You...
- Page 1 of 1341
Great presentations, faster
Slidesgo for Google Slides :
The easy way to wow
How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation?
Table of Contents
PowerPoint presentations are a go-to for clear and informative content delivery. But what if you want your presentation to run on repeat, like at a kiosk or digital sign? The good news is, that PowerPoint has a built-in feature to loop your slideshow, ensuring your message stays on display without interruption.
This blog post will guide you through the simple steps to set your presentation on a loop, keeping your audience engaged and informed around the clock.
What is PowerPoint Looping?
Normally, in a PowerPoint presentation, you have to manually move from one slide to the next by pressing keys on the keyboard or clicking buttons on a mouse or presentation remote.
However, when you enable looping in PowerPoint, the presentation progresses automatically from one slide to the next without requiring manual input. This eliminates the need for the presenter to interact with the computer or mouse during the presentation.
With PowerPoint looping, you can also set each slide to display automatically for a specified duration, determined by you. Once the preset time elapses, the next slide seamlessly appears. Additionally, upon reaching the final slide, the slideshow automatically starts over from the beginning.
Why Do You Need to Loop Your Slideshow in PowerPoint?
There are several reasons why you might want to loop your slideshow in PowerPoint:
- Unattended Presentations: Looping is ideal for situations where the presentation runs without a presenter. This could be at a kiosk, trade show booth, or in a waiting room. Looping ensures the information is continuously displayed for viewers to come and go as they please.
- Automated Playback: Looping allows for a hands-off presentation experience. Once started, the presentation progresses automatically, freeing you up to greet attendees or answer questions.
- Self-Paced Learning: Looping can be useful for self-paced learning environments. Viewers can revisit slides or take breaks without needing someone to control the flow.
- Continuous Engagement: Looping keeps the audience engaged with a constant stream of information. This can be beneficial for displaying menus, directions, or other ongoing updates.
Create presentation slides with AI in Seconds in Google Slides
10M+ Installs
Works with Google Slides
How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation loop?
Ready to loop your presentation? Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Open your PowerPoint and head over to the “Slide Show” tab.
Step 2: Click the button that says “Set Up Slide Show.” A new window will pop up.
Step 3: Under “Show options,” find the magic checkbox that says “Loop continuously until ‘Esc’.” Check that box to make your presentation run on repeat.
Step 4: Want to control how long each slide shows? Look for the option “Automatically advance slides” and check it. Then, use the up and down arrows to set the display time for each slide.
Step 5: Once you’re happy with the settings, click “OK” to save them.
Step 6: Time to loop! Go back to the “Slide Show” tab and click “From Beginning” (or “From Start”). Your presentation will start playing and keep going until you press the “Esc” key.
How To Loop a PowerPoint SlideShow from Selected Slides?
PowerPoint lets you loop a customized selection of slides, creating engaging presentations that run unattended. This eliminates the need for manual slide changes while maintaining audience interest. Here’s how to loop specific slides:
Step 1: Select Slides: In the Slide Sorter view, hold “Shift” and click the first and last slides you want to loop.
Step 2: Enable Looping: Go to the “Slide Show” tab and click “Set Up Show.” Check the box for “Loop continuously until ‘Esc'” and choose “Show slides” from the dropdown menu. Select “From” and enter the slide number where your loop should begin.
Step 3: Create Custom Show (Optional): For easier access, name your looped sequence as a “Custom Show” within the “Set Up Show” dialog.
Step 4: Start Looping: Navigate back to the “Slide Show” tab and choose “Custom Slide Show” to launch your looped presentation.
Closing Thoughts
Looping your PowerPoint presentation is a simple yet powerful technique that unlocks a variety of use cases. By following these steps, you can ensure your message runs continuously, keeping your audience informed and engaged, whether it’s at a kiosk, trade show booth, waiting room, or any other scenario that demands unattended playback.
- No design skills required
- 3 presentations/month free
- Don’t need to learn a new software
Frequently Asked Questions
My presentation has animations and transitions. will they loop as well.
Absolutely! When you loop your presentation, animations and transitions will also repeat continuously, regardless of the looping method you choose.
Does looping affect animation timing?
There’s a possibility. Looping might affect how your animations play out, especially if they have specific timings set. To avoid any hiccups, be sure to thoroughly test your looped presentation. This will ensure your animations sync smoothly with the slide transitions.
Can I loop specific slides in my PowerPoint presentation?
Yes! PowerPoint gives you the flexibility to loop a selected group of slides, creating engaging presentations that run unattended.
How do I stop or pause a looped slideshow in PowerPoint?
Need a break? Simply press the “Esc” key on your keyboard to interrupt the looped slideshow at any time.
Can I customize the duration of each slide in a looped PowerPoint presentation?
Yes, you can! PowerPoint allows you to adjust the slide transition settings for each slide. This lets you control how long each slide displays, creating a tailored and dynamic looping experience.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
One person. Sharing and real-time collaboration. PowerPoint for the web and PowerPoint desktop app for offline use. Premium templates, fonts, icons, and stickers with thousands of options to choose from. Dictation, voice commands, and transcription. Advanced spelling and grammar, in-app learning tips, use in 20+ languages, and more.
Captivate your audience with our collection of professionally-designed PowerPoint and Google Slides templates. Boost your presentations and make a lasting impression! Back All templates. All Templates ... Download your presentation as a PowerPoint template or use it online as a Google Slides theme. 100% free, no registration or download limits. ...
Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation design software that is part of Microsoft 365. This software allows you to design presentations by combining text, images, graphics, video, and animation on slides in a simple and intuitive way. Over time, PowerPoint has evolved and improved its accessibility to users.
Download the Physics Flashcards presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources.
Note: Before you open PowerPoint and start creating your presentation, make sure you've collected your thoughts. If you're going to make your slides compelling, you need to spend some time brainstorming. For help with this, see our article with tips for nailing your business presentation here. The first thing you'll need to do is to open PowerPoint.
Create a blank presentation. Open PowerPoint. Select one of the Blank Presentation and start typing. Note: Microsoft 365 subscribers will find Design Ideas based on the words you type. You can browse and select a new look.
Tip 4: Make use of charts and graphs. We all love a good stat. Charts and graphs are a great way to present quantitative evidence and confirm the legitimacy of your claims. They make your presentation more visually appealing and make your data more memorable too. But don't delve too deep into the details.
How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation. Open the PowerPoint app, select a template and theme, then like "Create.". Click the text box to add your title and subtitle to create your title slide. Click the "Insert" tab, then "New Slide" to add another slide. Choose the type of slide you want to add, then add text and pictures.
To download a PPT template, click on the "PowerPoint" button below the presentation preview to download. Alternatively, click on the Canva button, click "Share", then "More", search for "PowerPoint", and click the PowerPoint icon to download.
Pastel Notebook for group projects, free for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Upgrade your group project presentation from basic to breezy! This free digital notebook template gives your slides a fresh, approachable look. Forget stuffy templates - the pastel colors add a pop of personality without being too formal. This versatile […]
A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.
Free Google Slides themes and Powerpoint templates. Discover the best Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates you can use in your presentations - 100% Free for any use. ... Download your presentation as a PowerPoint template or use it online as a Google Slides theme. 100% free, no registration or download limits. Want to know more?
Layouts are like a starting point for your PowerPoint presentation slides. They contain combinations of placeholders for text boxes, images, and more. Instead of clicking and drawing individual objects onto the slide, use one of these layouts to start your slide off. It's one of the top PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to save time. 12.
Download the "International Mother Earth Day" presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic...
The best Google Slides and Powerpoint presentation templates Here's a selection of the best free & premium Google Slides themes and PowerPoint presentation templates from the previous month. These designs were the most popular among our users, so download them now! The best presentations from May. Filter by. Filters ...
In summary, PresentationGO offers an all-inclusive resource for Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates, providing everything you need to craft an engaging, visually appealing, and professional presentation. Explore our remarkable collection of themes, templates, and graphics to find the perfect elements for your upcoming presentation.
Free creative PowerPoint templates and Google Slides themes -Much more than just presentations-. SlidesMania has been recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) as one of the best digital tools for teaching and learning.
Easily edit Microsoft PowerPoint presentations online without converting them, and layer on Slides' enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Compose ...
Stay in sync with live editing and comments, whether you're working on a presentation with your business partner, your whole team, or even external contacts. ... Import Microsoft PowerPoint or Canva presentations online, and enhance your collaboration with Slides' features like comments, action items, and granular sharing controls. ...
Click anywhere on your slide and press Ctrl+A. Then, in the Home tab on the ribbon, click "Arrange." First click "Align Center," and then bring the menu up again, so that you can click "Align Middle." Press Ctrl+A again to select your timer, and you can then move your timer or copy and paste it elsewhere.
Open PowerPoint: Launch the PowerPoint application on your computer. Create a New Presentation: Click on "File" and select "New" to start a new presentation. Add Slides: Use the "New ...
Download the Beach Slideshow presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides and start impressing your audience with a creative and original design. Slidesgo templates like this one here offer the possibility to convey a concept, idea or topic in a clear, concise and visual way, by using different graphic resources.
Here's how to loop specific slides: Step 1: Select Slides: In the Slide Sorter view, hold "Shift" and click the first and last slides you want to loop. Step 2: Enable Looping: Go to the "Slide Show" tab and click "Set Up Show.". Check the box for "Loop continuously until 'Esc'" and choose "Show slides" from the dropdown ...
Step 3: Add Custom Animations to Your Animated PowerPoint. Your animated PowerPoint templates and all Visme presentation templates have plenty of different styles of animation possibilities. With Visme, add all these types of animations to any element in a slide. Enter Animations. Fade in.
In a video that plays in a split-screen with your work area, your instructor will walk you through these steps: •. Create a presentation structure. •. Add images. •. Apply AI presentation creation and editing skills. •. Transform a Word document into slides content.