When preparing a presentation, it’s always a good idea to get feedback before you deliver it. Sometimes you may ask a colleague to review your slides, or you may collaborate with a team to build a presentation together. Just like marking notes in the margins of a printed draft, PowerPoint gives you built-in tools to review, comment, and compare different versions of your slides. Two of the most useful features are Comments and Compare.

These tools make collaboration smoother, helping you share feedback, track suggestions, and merge multiple drafts into a polished final presentation.

Adding and Managing Comments in PowerPoint

When revising slides, you may want to highlight areas for improvement without changing the actual content. Comments are perfect for this because they allow you to share thoughts, suggestions, or reminders directly on a slide.

How to Add a Comment

  1. Select the text, object, or area of the slide where you want to add feedback.

  2. Go to the Review tab and click New Comment.

  3. In the Comments pane, type your note and press Enter.

  4. A small comment icon will appear on the slide.

Viewing and Replying to Comments

  • Open the Comments pane or click the comment icon to see all feedback.

  • You can reply to existing comments, making it easier for teams to have threaded discussions.

  • Multiple reviewers can interact without altering the main slide design.

Editing or Deleting Comments

  • To edit: Select a comment in the pane, make changes, and press Enter.
  • To delete: Use the Delete button in the Review tab. You can remove individual comments, all comments from a slide, or from the entire presentation.

Comparing Two Versions of a Presentation

Sometimes you’ll end up with more than one version of a presentation—maybe you drafted multiple copies, or a collaborator sent back edits. Instead of manually checking slide by slide, PowerPoint’s Compare feature lets you quickly merge and review changes.

How to Compare Presentations

  1. Open the original version of your presentation.
  2. Go to the Review tab and select Compare.

  3. Choose the second version you want to review and click Merge.

  4. The Revisions pane will appear, showing all differences side by side.

This feature allows you to approve or reject edits, ensuring you keep full control over what goes into the final version.

Why Use Comments and Compare in PowerPoint?

  • Faster collaboration – Share feedback without overwriting content.
  • Clearer communication – Keep suggestions organized with threaded comments.
  • Version control – Merge edits from multiple collaborators without confusion.
  • Professional results – Deliver a polished, error-free presentation.

Final Tip: Whether you’re working solo or with a team, using the Comments and Compare tools in PowerPoint helps streamline the review process and ensures your presentation is well-prepared before it reaches your audience.

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