If you want to create a reference to certain content or display your company name or date, you can use a footnote in Google Slides. This allows you to include additional details without distracting from the main content.
You can insert a footnote on one slide for a reference or on multiple slides for consistency throughout your presentation. We’ll show you how to add footnotes in Google Slides along with how to create consistent presentations with Plus AI.
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What is a footnote?
You generally see footnotes in essays and research papers as a way to add supplemental information. This could be a reference to a website to obtain further details or an important note to accompany the content.
The footnote is at the bottom of the page, usually in smaller print, and the footnote indicator is a number or symbol next to the referenced content, normally in superscript.
In Google Slides, you can add footnotes to your slides. Whether you want to include those extra details without distracting from the content or simply insert your company name, the date, or a logo.
Add a footnote to a single slide
If you want to use a footnote as a reference to content on a single slide, you can do this in just a few steps.
- Select the slide where you want the footnote and click Text box in the toolbar or go to Insert > Text box in the menu.
- When your cursor changes to a plus sign, drag to create the text box in the size you want and enter your text. Remember, if this is for a reference, you’ll want to place the number or symbol before the text to match the footnote indicator.
- Move the text box to the bottom of the slide and align it if necessary. A reference footnote is usually aligned to the left margin, but you can place it anywhere at the bottom you like.
To make the font smaller, select the text box and use the Decrease font size button (minus sign) in the toolbar and to make the number or symbol superscript, go to Format > Text > Superscript in the menu.
Related: Want to cross out text? Learn how to do strikethrough in Google Slides.
Add a footnote indicator
Once you have your footnote, you can add the footnote indicator to your content.
- Place your cursor to the right of the text you’re referencing and enter the number or symbol you want to use. For our example, we’ll use the number 1.
- Select the number or symbol and go to Format > Text > Superscript in the menu.
- You’ll then have your footnote indicator to match your footnote reference at the bottom of the slide.
If you add additional references in the footnote text box with the subsequent numbers or symbols, simply follow the same steps to insert those indicators in your content.
Tip: To make sure you accurately select the number or symbol, look at how to zoom in on Google Slides.
Add footnotes to several or all slides
Maybe you’d like to place a footnote on multiple or all slides in your presentation. This could be for your company name or logo. You can certainly add the footnote text box to each slide, but there’s a simpler way.
By editing the theme, you can automatically include the footnote on several or all slides.
- Select Slide > Edit theme in the menu.
- When the theme editor opens, you’ll see the layouts for all slides in your presentation. Do one of the following:some text
- To add the footnote to all slides, select the first slide thumbnail below Theme on the left.
- To add the footnote to multiple slides, select the layout for those slides on the left. This then highlights the slides using that theme on the far left.
- Click Insert text placeholder in the top toolbar and choose Text box or go to Insert > Text box in the menu.
- Drag to create the footnote, insert the text, and then move the footnote to the bottom of the slide.
- If you scroll through the slides on the left, you should see the footnote added.
- Use the X on the top right of the editor to close it and then review your presentation slides to see the footnotes.
You can return to the editor using Slide > Edit theme if you want to change or remove the footnote.
Related: Check out how to create a custom template in Google Slides for consistent presentations.
Create custom themes with Plus AI
If you build presentations often for your company or organization, you likely want a consistent look and feel for the slides. This could include everything from your logo in a footer to the color scheme and font style. Using Plus AI for Google Slides and Docs, you can create a custom theme with these types of details and then reuse it for all of your slideshows.
You can start with an existing theme and then give your custom theme a name. Choose the styles for the title, headings, and body text, select your brand colors, and optionally upload your logo. You can then reuse the theme for future Google Slides presentations.
Along with creating a custom theme with Plus AI, you can pick from an attractive collection of templates. These include colors, fonts, and layouts that make putting together a professional presentation super easy.
Conclusion
Footnotes are handy tools for including references to websites or articles or supplementary details in your presentation. But they can also be useful for names, dates, disclaimers, privacy statements, or whatever is necessary.
And keep in mind that you can use the custom themes in Plus AI for consistency with content along with the slideshow appearance in Google Slides.
FAQs
How do you format a footer in Slides?
If you want to do things like change the font color or the size or position of the footnote, start by selecting it. Choose Format options in the top toolbar to open the sidebar with the available actions.
How to do a footnote in Google Docs?
Because footnotes are more common in documents than slideshows, Google Docs gives you a way to add one easily. Go to Insert > Headers & footers and choose Footer. Enter your text and use the Options drop-down menu to customize it.
How do I add a header in Google Slides?
You can add a header the same way as a footer, or footnote, in Google Slides. Insert a text box, enter the text, and then drag the text box to the top of the slide.
