Managing PowerPoint Slides

As your PowerPoint presentation grows, keeping it organized can be tricky. Thankfully, PowerPoint has tools that help you manage your slides and get ready to present.

Download our practice presentation

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Slide Views in PowerPoint

PowerPoint has four main slide views. Each helps you do different tasks.

1. Normal View
This is the default view. It lets you create and edit slides. Use the Slide Navigation pane on the left to move slides around.

2. Slide Sorter View
This view shows small versions of each slide. You can quickly drag and drop slides to rearrange them.

3. Reading View
Reading View fills the window with your presentation. Navigation buttons at the bottom help you go through slides easily.

4. Slide Show View
This is the view used for presenting. It starts from the current slide. Press F5 to start from the beginning. A small menu appears when you move your mouse during the show.

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Outline View

Outline View shows all your slide text in one place. It helps you review and edit content fast.

To open it:

• Go to the View tab.
• Click Outline View.
  
  
  
• Edit slide text directly in the left pane.
  
  
  

This view is great for checking your presentation flow.

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Using Slide Notes

Slide notes help you remember key points while speaking.

To add notes:

• Click the Notes button at the bottom.
  
  
  
• Type your notes in the pane that appears.
  
  
  
• Drag the pane’s edge to make it larger if needed.
  
  
  

You can also open Notes Page View from the View tab to see slides and notes together.

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Organize with Slide Sections

If your presentation is long, divide it into sections.

To create a section:

1. Select the slide where a new section should begin.
   
   
   
2. Go to the Home tab. Click Section, then choose Add Section.
   
   
   
3. An “Untitled Section” appears.
   
   
   
4. Click Section again, then choose Rename Section.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Enter a name and click Rename.

You can collapse or expand sections using the arrow beside each name. To remove a section, click Section and choose Remove Section. You can also remove all sections at once.

Use the right view for the task you’re doing. Add sections and notes to stay organized. These small steps make a big difference when you're ready to present.