Just like giving a speech where you use note cards for your talking points, you can use speaker notes when presenting a slideshow in PowerPoint. By adding notes to your slides, you can expand on a topic, further explain a process, or mention helpful resources.
Our guide walks you through inserting notes when creating or editing your slideshow as well as during the presentation when those last-minute thoughts pop up.
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Method 1: Add notes when creating the slideshow
As you build your slideshow in PowerPoint, you can add speaker notes to the bottom of each slide. Because the feature is so flexible, you can continue to insert as many notes as you need and then format them if you like.
Select a slide where you want to add notes. If you don’t see the Notes section at the bottom of the slide, do one of the following to display it:
- Place your cursor near the bottom of the window. When the double-sided arrow appears, drag up.
- Click Notes in the Task Bar at the bottom of the window. If you don’t see it, right-click the bar and pick Notes to place a checkmark next to it.
- Open the View tab and choose Notes Page. You’ll see a text box to add your note.
Type your text in the Notes section below the slide or text box in the Notes Page view.
To hide the speaker notes section later, drag down until it’s out of sight, click Notes in the Task Bar, or choose Normal on the View tab.
Format the speaker notes in PowerPoint
If you want to make certain text in your note stand out or create a list, you can format your notes in PowerPoint like text on a slide.
Select the text in your note that you want to format. Then, go to the Home tab and use the tools in the Font and Paragraph sections of the ribbon.
You can make the text bold or italic, change the case, or turn it into a bulleted or numbered list.
See the notes in Presenter View
In order to see your speaker notes when presenting your slideshow, you’ll use what’s called Presenter View. PowerPoint automatically assembles this view for you to display your notes, help you to move through the slides, and use pointer tools, and more.
Note: Only you can see your speaker notes while using Presenter View, not your audience.
Go to the Slide Show tab and check the box for Use Presenter View in the Monitors section.
When you start the presentation, you’ll see Presenter View on your screen with the speaker notes below each slide on the right side. If you have lengthy notes, just use the scroll bar to move down.
Method 2: Add speaker notes when presenting the slideshow
A nice feature that Microsoft added to PowerPoint in 2022 is the ability to add notes during a presentation. This is useful if you think of additional notes on the fly, your audience mentions something you want to address, or you’re practicing the presentation and want to add the notes then.
Make sure that Presenter View is enabled as described above and start your presentation as normal. Place your cursor in the note section below the slide and simply type your text.
If you want to increase or decrease the font size of a note, just use the Font buttons at the bottom.
Improve your slide content with Plus AI
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Along with editing existing PowerPoint presentations, you can create new ones with Plus AI using attractive templates and descriptive prompts. You can also build a slideshow with a PDF file, paste in text, or use a video, giving you flexibility and control over your slides.
For more, give Plus AI a try and see how it can enhance both the content and appearance of your next PowerPoint or Google Slides creation.
Conclusion
Speaker notes are more than handy, they’re essential for your slideshow. Make sure that you take advantage of this built-in PowerPoint feature for a successful presentation.
FAQs
How do you add audio notes to PowerPoint?
If you have an audio notes file, you can add it to a PowerPoint slide like any other. While you can’t insert the file in the Notes section, you can place it on a slide to play during the presentation.
Go to Insert, open the Audio menu, and choose Audio on My PC. Locate the file and click Insert.
How do I add comments to PowerPoint?
To communicate with collaborators on your slideshow, you can use the Comments feature. Click the Comments icon on the top right. When the sidebar opens, you can add and view your comments and those from others.
How to write on PPT slides while presenting?
When you use Presenter View in PowerPoint, you have access to a Pen tool. With it, you can write on your slides or make annotations.
Click the Pen and Laser Tools button on the left and choose Pen. Make your markings on the slide. When the slideshow ends, you have the option to keep or discard the annotations.
