how to add website link to powerpoint presentation

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How to Put a Hyperlink in Microsoft PowerPoint

Last Updated: June 6, 2024

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 32 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 429,919 times. Learn more...

Do you want to add a link to a website or document to your PowerPoint presentation? Adding hyperlinks to PowerPoint slides is incredibly easy. This wikiHow will teach you how to insert hyperlinks into PowerPoint slides using Windows and macOS.

Select a slide.

Select the hyperlink text.

• You can also make an image a hyperlink—just click the desired image to select it.

Click the "Insert" tab.

Click the "Link" icon.

Add a location or address to link to.

• To link to a file or website, select Existing File or Web Page at the top-left. Then, enter the full URL of the website or select the document.
• To link to another location in your presentation, select Place in This Document , then select a slide title.
• To create an email hyperlink, select E-mail address , then enter an email address. Clicking the link will simply compose a new message to this address.

Click "OK" to create the link.

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Add hyperlinks to slides

Add links to your presentation to show related information on the web, quickly get to a different slide, or start an email message.

Link to a website

Select the text, shape, or picture that you want to use as a hyperlink.

Select Insert > Link . The drop-down menu shows any links copied to your clipboard and recent files.

Choose what you want or select Insert Link at the bottom. 

Select Existing File or Web Page , and add the:

Text to display - Type the text that you want to appear for your hyperlink.

ScreenTip - Type the text that you want to appear when the user hovers over the hyperlink (optional).

Current Folder , Browsed Pages , or Recent Files - Select where you want to link to.

Address - If you haven't already selected a location above, cut and paste, or type the URL for the web site you want to link to.

Note:  If you link to a file on your computer, and move your PowerPoint presentation to another computer, you'll also need to move any linked files.

Select OK .

Link to a place in a document, new document, or email address

Select Insert > Link .

Now, select Insert Link  at the bottom. 

Select an option:

Place in This Document - Link to a specific slide in your presentation.

Create New Document - Link from your presentation to another presentation.

E-mail Address - Link a displayed email address to open up a user's email program.

Fill in the Text to display , ScreenTip , and where you want to link to.

Add a hyperlink to a slide 

Bookmark a slide and link to it from elsewhere in the presentation

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How to Insert Hyperlinks in PowerPoint

Hyperlinks in PowerPoint are easy to implement and can transform your everyday presentations into powerful interactive experiences . In this article, I’ll walk you through some of the basics of adding hyperlinks in PowerPoint. Then, I’ll show you how to change the default colors of your links as well as how to make any object in your slides clickable. So, if you want truly engaging presentations, all you need to do is follow this step-by-step tutorial .

How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint

For starters, PowerPoint has many options to add a hyperlink to your slides depending on your objectives. Do you want to redirect people to a website ? Are you trying to create a non-linear presentation ? Or maybe you want to encourage your audience to send you an e-mail ? Let’s check out the main uses together:

Hyperlink to a website in PowerPoint

• Select the text you want to convert to a hyperlink
• Go to the Insert tab
• Click on the “Link” option
• In the “Insert Hyperlink” window, select “Existing File or Web Page”
• Type the URL in the bar

B. Hyperlink to another slide in PowerPoint

• Select the text you want to change to a hyperlink
• Click on “Link” and a window will pop up
• Select “Place in This Document”
• Pick the slide you want to land on

You can leverage this type of hyperlink in a table of contents for a non-linear presentation. What’s more, if you want to link to another slide to show something and quickly return, tick off the option “Show and return”

C. Hyperlink to an e-mail address in PowerPoint

• Select the text you want to add the hyperlink to.
• Go to the Insert ribbon
• Click on “Link”
• Select the “E-mail address” option
• Type the e-mail you want to link to
• Finally, click “Ok”

Extra: How to Add ScreenTip in PowerPoint

To close the basics on how to hyperlink in PowerPoint, here’s an option to display descriptive texts for your links. They provide quick additional information or instructions for people that hovers over your hyperlink so they know what it is about or what to do immediately. So, once you have opened the “Insert hyperlink” dialog box , do the following:

• Click on the “ScreenTip” button
• Type the text you want to appear when someone hovers over your link
• Click “OK” on the Screentip dialog box
• Click “OK” again to close the hyperlink dialog box.

To check everything is in place, activate Presentation mode ( Shift + F5 ) and hover your mouse over the hyperlink. You should visualize your ScreenTip text.

Now, let’s go to the fun part!

How to Change the Color of a Hyperlink

If you’re adding hyperlinks to a professional presentation, changing the default link color is something you should know. Sometimes your PowerPoint background makes the blue hyperlink barely visible, or it just doesn’t match your presentation color palette, whatever the case, here are the 5 steps you must follow:

• Go to View > Slide Master
• Select Colors > Customize Colors
• A dialog box will open where you can change the “Hyperlink” and “Followed hyperlink” colors to suit the needs of your presentation.
• Close Master View

For a visual explanation, check this out:

How to Make Any Object Clickable in PowerPoint

When it comes to hyperlinks, you don’t have to limit yourself to texts. The truth is you can make any object clickable in PowerPoint, whether it’s a headline, a shape, an image, or a button.

You have the “Link” option to do so - like in the previous sections - but also the “Action” button. So in this part, I’m going to show how to use the second one:

• Select the object in the slide you would like to hyperlink
• Select “Action”
• Click the option “Hyperlink to:” and from the drop-down menu, select where you want the action button to link to. It can be:
• A specific slide within your presentation (Option “Slide…”)
• A web page (Option “URL”)
• Other PowerPoint presentations.

5. Finally, click “Ok”

To test it, start your PowerPoint slideshow ( Shift+F5 on your keyboard ) and click the object with the action button.

Get a Fully Customized Interactive Presentation!

Even if you’re new to PowerPoint, you can quickly add hyperlinks to your slides following this tutorial. But if you want to create a fully interactive presentation to show your work , you might want to learn about our presentation design solutions . At 24Slides, we take presentations from “good” to “extraordinary” saving professionals like you hours of fiddling with PowerPoint. Forget about late-night shifts doing presentations and let our design experts wow you overnight!

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How to Insert a Hyperlink in PowerPoint

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add links to other documents, websites, multimedia resources, email addresses or even other slides in the same presentation . Any of the resources included in the presentation, such as texts, images or shapes, can be linked. 

Adding a Link to a Website

Adding a link to another slide in the same presentation, to another document, to an email address or to a new document.

• Select the resource you want to use as a link.
• On the Insert tab, click Hyperlink. You can also right-click and choose Hyperlink.
• In the “Address” field, enter the URL of the website you want to link to. If you click ScreenTip, you can define the text that will appear on the popup when hovering over the link.
• When you’re done, click OK.
• Select the desired option under “Link to”:

• By clicking the ScreenTip button, you can enter the text that will appear on the popup when hovering over the link.

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How to insert links, hyperlinks or mail links into the PowerPoint slide

Also, you can add hyperlinks for your profile or even e-mail for those who will view your presentation on their own computers.

To add a hyperlink to your presentation, do the following:

   1.   Add any shape or a textbox to the slide:

   2.   Add the text that will be the text of hyperlink:

   3.   Select the text, right-click on it and then select the Link list and then Insert Link... in the popup menu:

   4.   In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box:

   4.1.   To enter the address of some web site:

• Select Existing File or Web Page in the Link to list,
• Typing it in the Address textbox or

• Optionally, change the text for the link in the Text to display textbox,
• Optionally, enter the screen tip using the ScreenTip... button,

   4.2.   To enter the hyperlink to the profile:

   4.3.   To enter the e-mail address:

• Select E-mail Address in the Link to list,
• Enter e-mail address in the E-mail address textbox,
• change the text for the link in the Text to display textbox,
• enter the screen tip using the ScreenTip... button,
• insert the subject for e-mails in the Subject textbox,

See also this tip in French: Comment insérer le lien, le lien hypertexte ou l'adresse courriel dans la diapositive PowerPoint .

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How to add additional information to your presentation

Level Up Your Presentations: How to Insert Hyperlinks in PowerPoint Like a Pro

Table of Contents

Hyperlinks in PowerPoint can be really helpful. They let you link to other websites, slides within your presentation, or multimedia resources, making your presentations more engaging. Whether you want to add interactive elements, simplify navigation, or just make your presentation more dynamic, knowing how to use hyperlinks is important.

In this guide, we’ll explore different ways you can use hyperlinks in PowerPoint to enhance your presentations. You’ll learn how to link to websites and documents, set up navigation, and customize hyperlink colors to make your presentations more visually appealing.

A Closer Look at How to Insert Hyperlinks in PowerPoint

1. hyperlink to a website.

Want to make your PowerPoint presentation more interactive? You can easily add links to websites! Here’s how:

Step 1. Pick What You Want to Link

This could be text, an image, or even a shape. Just click on the slide element you want viewers to click to open the website.

Step 2. Find the Link Menu

Head over to the “Insert” tab. There, you’ll see a button called “Link.” Click it to open the link menu. (If you prefer, you can right-click the element and choose “Hyperlink” from the menu that pops up.)

Step 3. Link to a Website

Choose the option “Existing File or Web Page” since you’re linking to an external website.

Step 4. Type in the Web Address

In the “Address” field, enter the complete URL of the website you want to link to. Remember to include “http://” or “https://” at the beginning.

Step 5. Click “OK” and you’re done!

Now, when you run your presentation and someone clicks the linked element, their web browser will automatically open and take them to the website.

2. Hyperlink to an Existing Document

Want to take your audience deeper into a topic? PowerPoint lets you create hyperlinks that jump to existing documents, adding another layer of interactivity to your web article presentations. Here’s how to do it:

• Select the text or object  you want to turn into a hyperlink.
• Go to the  Insert  tab on the ribbon.
• Click  Link .
• Choose  Existing File or Web Page  under “Link to.”
• Browse  and find the document you want to link to.
• Click  OK .

Now, when you click the hyperlinked text or object during your presentation, it will open the linked document.

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3. Hyperlink to a New Document

In PowerPoint, you can’t directly hyperlink to a new document you haven’t created yet. But you can create a new document and link to it at the same time. Here’s how:

• Pick the text or image on your slide that you want as the hyperlink.
• Go to the “ Insert ” tab on the ribbon.
• Click “ Link ” and then choose “Insert Link” at the bottom.
• Select “ Create New Document. “
• Name your new document and choose where to save it.
• In” When to edit “, choose your preference for “Later” or “Now”.
• Click “ OK .”

4. Hyperlink to an E-mail Address

Creating a hyperlink to an email address in PowerPoint lets viewers easily contact you through email during your presentation. Here’s a quick guide:

• Select the text  you want to turn into the clickable link. This could be your name, “Contact Us,” or any other relevant text.
• Go to the  Insert  tab and click  Link  (or  Hyperlink ).
• In the pop-up window, choose  E-mail Address .
• Enter the email address you want to link to in the  E-mail address  field.
• (Optional) In  Text to display , you can customize the text viewers see for the link. If you leave it blank, the email address itself will be displayed.
• Click  OK  to create the hyperlink.

Now, during your presentation slide show, viewers can click the linked text to open their default email program with the recipient’s address already filled in.

Advanced Hyperlink Techniques

How to create a transparent hyperlink area.

Creating a transparent hyperlink area in PowerPoint allows you to assign hyperlinks to objects without affecting their appearance. This technique is useful for creating interactive presentations, especially for touchscreen applications or online presentations where precise tapping is required.

Step 1. Access the Insert tab on the PowerPoint ribbon and choose Shapes.

Step 2. Opt for a rectangle or another shape that matches your target object.

Step 3. Position the shape over the desired area, such as a video.

Step 4. Right-click the shape and access Format Shape.

Step 5. Within the Format Shape pane, navigate to Fill and adjust transparency to 100%.

Step 6. Proceed to Line and adjust transparency to 100%.

Step 7. Right-click the shape again and choose Hyperlink.

Step 8. Input the desired destination and confirm with OK.

Following these steps will create a transparent shape serving as a hyperlink area over your object.

How to Change Hyperlink Color

Changing the color of hyperlinks in a PowerPoint presentation can help improve visibility and align with your presentation’s color scheme. By following a few simple steps, you can customize the appearance of hyperlinks to enhance the overall design and readability of your slides.

• Select the hyperlink you want to re-color.
• Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
• Click the down arrow next to the Font Color button to open the menu of colors.
• Select the color you want for the hyperlink.

These steps are common across the provided instructions and are neatly ordered for clarity.

How to Create ScreenTip

Adding a ScreenTip to your hyperlinks in PowerPoint can provide additional context or information when users hover over them. By following a simple process, you can enhance the usability and clarity of your presentation.

• In the Edit/Insert Hyperlink window, click the ScreenTip button.
• Type in the text for the ScreenTip in the open window.
• Click OK to apply the ScreenTip.

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Closing Thoughts

We hope this guide has benefited you by showing the power of hyperlinks in PowerPoint. By incorporating these techniques, you can create presentations that are not only informative but also interactive and engaging.

Remember, hyperlinks can link to websites, documents, email addresses, and even other slides within your presentation, making your content richer and more user-friendly. So, go forth and explore the possibilities of hyperlinks in your next presentation!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are hyperlinks used for in powerpoint.

Hyperlinks in PowerPoint are used to link to other slides, websites, or files within your presentation. This can make your presentation more interactive and engaging for your audience.

How can I quickly insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint using keyboard shortcuts?

To quickly add a hyperlink, Select text, then press Ctrl + K (Command + K on Mac) or press Alt+N+I to add a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

How do I add a link to an online Microsoft 365 file in PowerPoint?

To link to an online Microsoft 365 document, select the desired slide object or text. Then, go to the “Insert” tab on the Ribbon, choose ‘Link’ from the drop-down list, and select the online Office 365 document from the “Recent items” list.

If I change the text color of a hyperlink, how do I revert it to the default color?

To reset the hyperlink color, use the “Clear all formatting” tool by highlighting the link and clicking on the “A” with an eraser icon. Alternatively, you can try using the format paintbrush from normal text. Another option is to copy the link to a browser, and then copy it back into PowerPoint.

How to remove a hyperlink in powerpoint?

Right-click the hyperlink and select “Remove Hyperlink”.

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How to Insert Hyperlink in PowerPoint

You may want to insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint slides so that during the presentation you can easily access any specific web page or URL. Besides, it is possible to navigate to or open other files on the computer by inserting file directory links. Instead of browsing manually, it will allow you to show any web pages or files directly from your PowerPoint presentation slide, save time, and give you access.

Types of Links to Insert in PowerPoint

You can insert any external links such as web page URLs, or links to any existing file from your internal storage such as PDF, DOC, PPT, JPG, MP4, etc. Additionally, you have the option to link to other slides within your PowerPoint presentations, link to create another new document, or insert mail addresses as well.

Insert External Web Page Link:

Step 01: find the link option.

Select the object such as the text box, shape, or picture where you want to insert the link. Then, go to the Insert tab and click on the ‘Link’ option. Alternatively, after selecting the object, right-click on it and select ‘Hyperlink’ or you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+K or ⌘ + K as well.

Step 02: Paste the web URL

As you can see, the ‘Insert Hyperlinks’ pop-up box appears. In the address section, paste the web address or URL. Then, click on OK to finish. Now you can see the linked URL on the selected object.

Link to an Internal File or Folder:

You can also link to a specific file or folder that you wish to open or showcase during the presentation. To do so, just browse to that file or folder and click on OK to complete the process.

Link to Another Slide:

One of the most useful features of using hyperlinks in PowerPoint is the ability to link between slides during a presentation. For instance, suppose you are discussing a topic on slide 1 and you want to directly showcase slide 3 without revealing slide 2. In such cases, linking slide 3 to slide 1 allows you to achieve this. It can help to make your presentation more interactive and engaging.

Step 01: Select ‘Place in this document’

When creating a hyperlink between PowerPoint slides, select ‘Place in This Document’ from the ‘Insert Hyperlinks’ menu.

Step 02: Select the slide number

Afterward, select the corresponding slide number that you wish to link and click on OK to complete the process.

Link to Mail and Others:

You can link an email address to easily open your default mail application, allowing you to compose and send emails with just one click. Moreover, you can even create new documents by adding links as well.

How to Open the Inserted Links

During a slideshow in PowerPoint, any link that you have inserted into an object becomes clickable. However, outside of slideshow mode, you can activate the link by holding down CTRL and clicking on it.

Remove the Links in PowerPoint

You can easily remove the links that you have inserted before by clicking on the ‘Remove Link’ option. There are two different methods to remove the links, and you can choose the one you prefer.

Method 01: From the edit hyperlink menu

Select the linked object, go to Insert > Link, or use CTRL+K (Windows) or ⌘ + K (Mac), and then select the ‘Remove Link’ option from the pop-up box.

Method 02: Right-click on the object

Simply, right-click on the object and select ‘ Remove Link ‘ and the links will be removed from that object.

Adding links to a PowerPoint slide can save time and automate the manual process, while also increasing engagement throughout the presentation. For instance, you are no longer required to open the browser and search for the URL in the middle of your presentation. Whereas, you can just insert the hyperlink and it will activate whenever you click on that particular object during the slideshow.

Get a Printable PDF of this Article

Similar to our other PowerPoint how-to articles, you have the option to download a printable PDF of this easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on how to insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we have tried to answer some of your questions about inserting hyperlinks or adding links between PowerPoint slides.

Can I insert a link on a text box in PowerPoint?

Yes! You can insert links on any object such as text boxes, shapes, pictures, charts, icons, etc. Simply select the object, right-click on it, and select the ‘Hyperlink’ option to add a link to it.

Is it possible to link a PDF or Picture in PowerPoint?

Certainly! You can add a link to any file on your computer, regardless of its format – whether it’s a PDF, JPG, DOC, PPT, or any other type. Simply create a hyperlink using the relevant object on your slide. This will make the link clickable and enable it to be opened during the slideshow mode.

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How to hyperlink in PowerPoint (best practices)

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In this post you’ll learn how to hyperlink in PowerPoint.

And the reason that hyperlinking in PowerPoint is important is that it allows you to jump around within your presentation or open documents outside of your presentation without leaving Slideshow Mode.

This allows you to create interactive and non-linear presentations. Common things you might use hyperlinks for in PowerPoint are:

• Hyperlinking to another slide in your presentation
• Opening a document or file on your computer Jumping to a page on the internet
• Open another PowerPoint presentation or slide show
• Create the mouseover text effect in PowerPoint (using ScreenTips)

The other great thing about hyperlinks in PowerPoint is that they automatically convert to the PDF file format. For details on how to convert PowerPoint into the PDF file format, read our guide here .

Table of Contents

What is a hyperlink in powerpoint.

A hyperlink is typically clickable text that jumps you to a location online, opens a file on your computer or performs some other action when you click it.

An online hyperlink can be written in two ways:

• As the full URL address you are jumping to: For example, visit our website www.nutsandboltsspeedtraining.com
• As shortened text with the hyperlink embedded inside the text (which is how it works in the Microsoft Office suite): For example: Visit our website here (with the entire URL address embedded in the text ‘ here ‘).

This is an important distinction to make, as most of the hyperlinks you add in PowerPoint, Word and Excel are clickable text or objects, with the hyperlink embedded within.

You can use hyperlinks in the Microsoft Office suite to do a variety of things like:

• Open a web page online
• Open files or documents on your computer
• Jump to a specific section in your document
• Create new documents (that you can begin editing)
• Start an email message

These hyperlinks can be embedded (as you’ll learn to do below) in text, shapes, pictures, charts, etc., allowing you to create interactive documents.

That is, people can click on things within your document to perform certain tasks, navigate to specific sections of your presentation or even open custom slide shows (if you have already set them up).

NOTE:  In PowerPoint, you can also use clickable objects to trigger animated effects, but these are NOT hyperlinks. To learn how to set up trigger objects to fire your animations (like making objects appear and disappear),  read our guide here .

Take your PPT skills to the next level

How to hyperlink to another slide in powerpoint.

To hyperlink to another slide in PowerPoint, the first thing you need is some text or an object to anchor your hyperlink in. Once you have the object, simply select the text or object and hit Ctrl+K on your keyboard to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

If you do not like keyboard shortcuts, you can alternatively open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box using your Ribbon.

To add a link to an object (or block of text) using the PowerPoint Ribbon, simply:

• Select your text or object that you want to use as the anchor for link
• Click the Insert tab
• Open the Link drop down
• Select Insert Link…

For this example, I have done the following in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box:

• Selected a Place in this Document
• Selected Slide 3 (the slide I want to jump to within this presentation)

You can choose for yourself where you want your hyperlink to link to. Just keep in mind that a hyperlink can only have a single destination. A hyperlink cannot link to multiple locations at the same time.

Instead of using hyperlinks to jump around your presentation, you can also use action buttons. To learn about action buttons, see GFC Global’s blog post here .

Note. To use the Show and Return feature at the bottom of the Slide preview window, you need to hyperlink to a Custom Slideshow.  That is, a smaller subset of your slides that you set up. 

How to trigger a hyperlink

Once you’ve inserted a hyperlink into PowerPoint, there are two ways to trigger it.

#1. Slideshow mode (Presentation View)

When in any of the Presentation Views (like Presenter View), simply hover your mouse over your hyperlink and click it like you would any online link. Triggering the hyperlink then jumps you to the destination you selected (see details above).

To expand your knowledge and learn the different ways to start a PowerPoint slideshow (including how to start Presenter View), read more about it here .

#2. Normal View

In the Normal View in PowerPoint (the standard editing view), you can trigger a hyperlink by holding the Control  key and clicking the hyperlink with your mouse. This creates the same effect as simply clicking a hyperlink in the Presentation View.

Hyperlinking text vso Objects

When given the choice of what to use as your hyperlink trigger, the best practice is to use the object itself, rather than text. That’s because you have little control over the default hyperlink text formatting as pictured below.

All the objects in the graphic above have the same exact hyperlink applied to them. Notice how the hyperlinked text displays formatting, while the hyperlinked objects do not show any formatting.

When you add a hyperlink to text, it not only gets that underlined hyperlink formatting, but it also changes color once you have clicked the hyperlink. In PowerPoint, this is known as the Followed Hyperlink color. On the other hand, when you anchor your hyperlink on an object, the text never displays the hyperlink formatting. This is why most presenters prefer to anchor their hyperlink on their object instead of anchoring it on their text.

If you do decide to use text hyperlinks in your slides, you can always change the used hyperlink formatting by resetting your hyperlinks (see the next section).

When would using text hyperlinks make sense? When you want to see what you’ve already clicked on inside your presentation.  That’s because the Followed Hyperlink color (I’ll show you how to change that in a second) shows you exactly what you have already clicked on.

How to reset a hyperlink's color

If you are using text hyperlinks, as you click them in your presentation, the hyperlink color changes to the Followed Hyperlink color. This is fine if you want them to change colors (demonstrating what you have already clicked on), but it’s annoying if you don’t.

If you are using text hyperlinks, this means that after you have tested them out, you will need to reset the hyperlinks, so they start with the unfollowed hyperlink color.

To reset the color of a text hyperlink in PowerPoint, simply:

• Select the hyperlinked text
• Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box (Ctrl+K)
• Immediately click OK

Clicking OK automatically resets the used hyperlink formatting back to the default unused text hyperlink formatting.

If you do go with text hyperlinks, the used formatting gives you a sense of what you’ve already clicked on. That means you won’t waste time navigating to something you’ve already covered. That said, you will need to reset the text formatting each time before you give your presentation.

How to change your hyperlink color in PowerPoint

To change the colors of your Hyperlinks and Followed Hyperlinks in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the Design tab
• Open the  More option (downward facing arrow)
• Open the Color drop down
• Select  Customize Colors
• Set a new  Hyperlink  and  Followed Hyperlink  color
• Select  Save

Selecting Save saves your new color combination as a PowerPoint Theme and apply it to your current presentation. When selecting your own colors for your hyperlinks, stark colors work best so they stand out from your presentation.

To learn all about creating your PowerPoint template (including selecting your own theme colors, etc.), read our guide here .

Next, you’ll see how to reset your Followed Hyperlink color back to the default color you set.

How to remove a PowerPoint hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink in PowerPoint:

• Select the hyperlinked text or hyperlinked PowerPoint object
• Right-click the object (or text)
• Select Remove Link

Regardless of what the link was pointing to, Remove Link removes the hyperlink formatting and the link. 

New Zoom Transition Hyperlink

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, there is a new way to add hyperlinks to PowerPoint called the Zoom transition. To make it easier to refer to, I will simply call them Zoom slides below.

To create a Zoom transition, simply click and drag a slide from the Thumbnail view on the left of your presentation, onto the slide you are currently using as pictured below.

Once you have created a Zoom slide, selecting it on your slide opens the Zoom Tools Format tab. From this tab, you have a variety of different formatting and transition options to choose from.

For example, do you want your Zoom transition to return to the slide it started on?

If yes, then in the Zoom Tools Format tab Zoom Options, simply select Return to Zoom (see picture below).

Selecting  Return to Zoom  means that after jumping to your Zoom slide, when you advance your slideshow, you will automatically return to the jumping off point within your presentation.

That allows you to create a dashboard like effect within your presentation. For example, you could present your audience with options – have them vote – and then click the link to jump to that section of your presentation.

And while this might seem complicated, you are in fact just creating hyperlinks (with a cool zoom effect).

For a FULL walk through of how to create a Zoom link and everything you can do with it, see the Presentation Guild’s full training online seminar here .

How to troubleshoot hyperlinks that are not working

First off, hyperlinks are meant to work in Slideshow Mode or Presentation View of PowerPoint.

So before troubleshooting your hyperlinks, make sure you have tried them out in the proper view first.

If your hyperlinks are still not working, the probable cause is that your hyperlink is broken. That is, whatever you were hyperlinking to has been deleted or moved. If this is the case, you simply need to reset your hyperlink.

To reset (or fix) a hyperlink in PowerPoint, simply:

• Make sure you have access to the file, slide or location you want to hyperlink to
• Select your hyperlinked text or object
• Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box ( Ctrl+K on your keyboard)
• Set up your hyperlink to the correct slide, document, or location on your computer

Clicking  OK , your hyperlink resets, and will properly take you the slide, document, or location that you set it to.

Hyperlink ScreenTip Trick (the Mouseover Text Effect)

Another way to user hyperlinks in PowerPoint is to leverage the ScreenTip functionality to create the mouse pop-up text effect in PowerPoint that you can see in the picture below.

In this case, you are not using the hyperlink to jump around your presentation. Instead, you are leveraging the ScreenTip functionality, to display text as you hover your mouse over an object in PowerPoint.

To expand your knowledge for creating this effect, see my guide on how to create this mouseover text effect in PowerPoint .

As you can see, there is more to hyperlinking in PowerPoint than just inserting the link. There are considerations on what you anchor your link to, how to change the color of your hyperlinks, and how to reset them as well.

I always hyperlink objects instead of text whenever possible as it creates fewer formatting issues as you click through the slides. That said, if you want a visual cue of which links you’ve already clicked in your presentation, you will want to hyperlink your text directly.

In short, hyperlinks are a great way to create choices within your presentation. That is, giving your audience a choice and then jumping to topics within your presentation that they are most interested in learning more about.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training and free tutorials  here .

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This Post Has One Comment

On a different machine with Powerpoint 2016 Home, my hyperlinks are clickable in Normal Edit View, but on another machine with Powerpoint 2016 Professional I have to view in Slideshow to click the hyperlinks. What gives?

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How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint: 3 Quick Steps

In the realm of presentations, PowerPoint has always reigned supreme. Its versatility and ease of use make it the go-to choice for professionals and students alike.

But as we navigate this digital-centric age, the ability to embed clickable links directly into PowerPoint slides can transform a static presentation into an interactive masterpiece. Whether it’s to reference a website, jump to a specific slide, or even initiate an email, hyperlinks can add depth to your content.

Let’s dive deep into the process of adding hyperlinks in PowerPoint and explore some crucial best practices.

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Step 1: Selecting Your Text or Object

Decide on the text, image, shape, or even chart that you want to turn into a clickable hyperlink. Highlight the text or click once on the object, ensuring it’s selected. A bounding box or highlighted area should appear, indicating your selection.

Once selected, right-click to open a context-sensitive menu. This menu provides various options based on what you’ve selected.

Step 2: Navigating the ‘Hyperlink’ Option

In the right-click menu, locate and select the ‘Hyperlink’ option. The ‘Insert Hyperlink’ dialog box will pop up, presenting several hyperlinking opportunities.

Understanding Link Types:

• Existing File or Web Page: This is perhaps the most commonly used option. Here, you can link to a webpage, a file on your computer, or even a file on a network.
• Place in This Document: A great feature for creating non-linear presentations, this option lets you jump to specific slides within your deck.
• Create New Document: Want your hyperlink to create and open a new document? This option is for you, though it’s less commonly used in presentations.
• Email Address: Initiating an email is as simple as inputting an address here. Once clicked during a presentation, it will open the viewer’s default email client with the chosen address pre-populated.

Step 3: Entering Your Desired Link

Linking to a Website: Under ‘Existing File or Web Page’, input the URL of the website you wish to link to.

Jumping Between Slides: Under ‘Place in This Document’, a list of all your slides will appear. Simply select the desired destination slide.

For New Documents: If you chose ‘Create New Document’, you’d have to name the document and decide whether it should be edited now or later.

Email Links: Under ‘Email Address’, input the email and subject. The subject is optional but can pre-populate the email’s subject line for the viewer.After inputting your link, click ‘OK’. Your selected text or object will now bear the hallmark of a hyperlink, typically underscored and in a contrasting color.

7 Tips and Best Practices for Using Links in PowerPoint

1. visibility is key.

Ensure your hyperlink stands out. Differentiate it with a unique color or underline. But remember, it should still fit aesthetically with your slide’s design.

2. Always Test

Just added a link? Test it! Before presenting, ensure every link directs to the correct location or performs the intended action.

3. Maintain Balance

Hyperlinks can make slides interactive, but don’t overdo it. An overload of links can turn a presentation chaotic and confusing.

4. Descriptive Link Text

Rather than “Click Here”, use text like “Read More About Our Research”. It’s informative and aids in comprehension.

5. Shortcut Know-How

When navigating a presentation, remember that holding the Ctrl key and clicking will activate a hyperlink. This knowledge can come in handy for presenters.

6. Consider Your Audience

Remember, not all viewers may be familiar with hyperlinks in presentations. Provide subtle guidance, either verbally or with on-screen cues.

7. Keep Accessibility in Mind

For those using screen readers, hyperlink text should be descriptive. Avoid raw URLs as the link text and opt for a brief, concise description.

By embedding hyperlinks thoughtfully, you can enrich your PowerPoint presentations, offering an interactive experience and delivering additional value. With this detailed guide and the accompanying best practices, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of hyperlinking in PowerPoint.

How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint (Insert, Remove or Edit Links)

Insert and Manage Links or Hyperlinks to Create Interactive PowerPoint Presentations

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated October 14, 2022

Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can easily add links or hyperlinks in PowerPoint presentations to add interactivity and make it easy for users to click a button or link to jump to another slide in your deck, to another presentation, to an Excel file or to a web site. You can edit hyperlinks at any time and remove hyperlinks if necessary. In PowerPoint, hyperlinks become active when you run a slide show (normally by clicking the Slide Show button on the bottom right of the screen). In newer versions of PowerPoint, the term link is used as an alternative to hyperlink (although the dialog box displays Hyperlink).

Hyperlinks can be displayed as full source URLs or internet addresses such as http://abccompany.ca, as descriptive text, as an image or as a shape.

In this article, we'll be using the Link or Hyperlink command to insert hyperlinks, not Action Settings (an alternative method for adding hyperlinks).

Recommended article: How to Crop a Picture in PowerPoint (4 Ways)

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person classroom PowerPoint courses >

Insert a text hyperlink

If you select text and use it as a hyperlink on a PowerPoint slide, it appears underlined and in a color (normally blue) and coordinates with the color theme in your document. The text color changes automatically after you click hyperlink text in a slide show (again based on color theme settings). Shapes or images with hyperlinks do not change color.

Insert a hyperlink to a slide in the current presentation

To insert a link or hyperlink to a slide in the current presentation:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink. If you are using a shape that contains text, click its edge.
• Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
• In the Links group, click Link or Hyperlink. You can also press Ctrl + K. The Edit Hyperlink dialog appears.
• Under Link to, select Place in This Document.
• Under Select a place in this document, select the slide you'd like to link to.
• If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display box (if necessary).
• Click Slide Show on the bottom right of the screen to run your slide show. You can also press Shift + F5.
• Click the link to test it.
• Press ESC to exit the slide show.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to another slide in the current presentation:

Insert a hyperlink to another PowerPoint presentation

To insert a link or hyperlink to another PowerPoint presentation:

• Under Link to, select Existing File or Web Page.
• Click Browse (yellow file folder icon).
• Navigate to the other presentation and double-click it.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to another presentation:

Insert a hyperlink to an Excel workbook

To insert a link or hyperlink to an Excel workbook:

• Navigate to the Excel workbook and double-click it.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to an Excel workbook:

Use relative or absolute addresses to external files

If you are creating hyperlinks to external files such as another PowerPoint presentation or an Excel workbook, it's important to understand the difference between a relative and absolute address. A relative hyperlink uses the address relative to the address of the containing document whereas an absolute hyperlink uses the full address of the destination document including the drive location.

The following example uses an absolute hyperlink address (full path address):

C:\Documents\January\Budget.docx

The following relative hyperlink contains only the relative address or path to a Budget document in the same folder as the presentation.

January\Budget.docx

You may want to use a relative hyperlink address or path if you want to move or to copy your files to another location such as another server.

Insert a hyperlink to a web site

To insert a link or hyperlink to a web site:

• In the Address box, enter the web address or url. You can also copy the web address from a browser or select from the drop-down menu of recent web sites.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to a web site:

Create a hyperlink using the context menu

Another method of creating or editing hyperlinks is to right-click and use the context menu (you can also press Shift + F10 to display the context menu).

To insert a hyperlink using the context menu:

• Right-click and choose Link or Hyperlink from the dropd-down menu and then select Insert Hyperlink or Insert Link. The hyperlink dialog appears.
• Select the appropriate option under Link to. If you are creating an external link to a webpage or another document, select Existing File or Web Page. If you are creating an internal link within the document, select Place in This Document.
• In the address field, enter or choose the address or location where the link should lead. For external references, enter or copy the URL in the Address field. For place in the same document, select the appropriate item.

Jump to a hyperlink location

Hyperlinks become active when you run a slide show or save your presentation as a PDF (portable document format). Simply click the hyperlink to jump to the hyperlink location.

Edit a hyperlink

To edit a hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink and select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link from the drop-down menu. The Hyperlink dialog box appears.
• Select the desired options.

You can also select a hyperlink and press Ctrl + K to edit it.

Create a screen tip

You can also create a screen tip that will pop up when you hover over a hyperlink during a slide show.

To create a screen tip for an existing hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink.and select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link from the drop-down menu. The Edit Hyperlink dialog box appears.
• Click ScreenTip (on the top right). A dialog box appears.
• Enter a screen tip.
• Click OK twice.

Remove a hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink you want to remove.
• In the context menu, select Remove Hyperlink or Remove Link.

Hyperlinks can add a new dimension of interactivity to your decks and when a PowerPoint file is saved as a PDF, they become active hyperlinks.

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More resources

How to Insert Slide Numbers in PowerPoint

How to Use the Built-in Laser Pointer in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)

How to Cut a Shape Out of an Image in PowerPoint (Mask a Picture)

How to Remove the Background of an Image  in PowerPoint (2 Ways)

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Add Hyperlinks to PowerPoint Presentations

Link to another slide, presentation file, website, or file on your computer

• Brock University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

Insert a Hyperlink

• Add a Hyperlink to a Slide
• Add a Hyperlink to Another File

Add a Hyperlink to a Website

• Add a Screen Tip to a Hyperlink

Create links to quickly access all kinds of things in your presentation. Link to a slide in the same PowerPoint presentation , another presentation file, a website, a file on your computer or network, or an email address. To help explain the purpose of the link, add a screen tip to the hyperlink .

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, PowerPoint 2016 for Mac, and PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.

To use text or a picture as a hyperlink:

Open a file in Powerpoint that you want to add a link to.

Select the text or graphic object that will contain the hyperlink.

Select Insert .

Select Hyperlink or Link. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box opens.

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

Decide what type of link you want to insert. Your options include Existing File or Web Page , Place in This Document , and Email Address .

Add a Hyperlink to a Slide in the Same Presentation

To add a link to a different slide in the same presentation:

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select Place in This Document . The options include:

• First Slide
• Previous Slide
• Slide Titles

Choose the slide that you want to link to. A preview of the slide appears to help you make your choice.

Select OK to close the dialog box and create the link.

If you want to edit the hyperlink, select the link text and select Insert > Link or Insert > Hyperlink to open the Edit Hyperlink dialog box.

Add a Hyperlink to Another File on Your Computer or Network

You are not limited to creating hyperlinks to other PowerPoint slides . Create a hyperlink to any file on your computer or network, no matter what program was used to create the other file.

There are two scenarios available during your slide show presentation:

• If the hyperlink goes to another PowerPoint presentation, the linked presentation opens and is the active presentation on the screen.
• If the hyperlink is to a file created in another program, the linked file opens in its corresponding program. It is then the active program on the screen.

Choose Existing File or Web Page in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

Locate the file on your computer or network that you wish to link to and select it.

If the linked file is located on your local computer, the hyperlink will be broken when showing the presentation on a different device. Keep all files that are needed for a presentation in the same folder as the presentation and copy these files to the other device.

To open a website from your PowerPoint presentation, enter the complete internet address (URL) of the website.

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select Existing File or Web Page .

In the Address text box, enter the URL of the website you want to link to.

Select OK .

To prevent typing errors, copy the URL from the address bar of the web page and paste it into the Address text box.

Add a Screen Tip to a Hyperlink on Your PowerPoint Slide

Screen tips add additional information to hyperlinks on a PowerPoint slide. When the viewer hovers over the hyperlink during the slideshow, the screen tip appears.

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select ScreenTip .

In the Set Hyperlink ScreenTip dialog box, enter the ScreenTip text you want to appear.

Select OK to save the screen tip text and return to the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

Select OK to exit the Insert Hyperlink dialog box and apply the screen tip.

Start a screen show and hover over the link to test the hyperlink screen tip.

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How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint? [The Complete Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you wish to jump a few slides when delivering your PowerPoint presentation, you will need to make use of the “Hyperlink” feature in PowerPoint!

To insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint, first, select and highlight the text or object. Next, right-click and choose the “Link” option. Select the destination of the link. You can link to an existing file, web page, or a specific slide within the presentation. Once the destination is chosen, click “OK”.

In this article, you will get to understand the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint in great detail. I’ll share with you how to add a hyperlink (in further detail), how do you edit a hyperlink, and even how to link to files outside of PowerPoint! That and much more!

So, let’s get started!

1. How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

Let’s get straight to the key reason why you are here reading this article i.e. how do you insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint?

A hyperlink is a link added to a text or image that leads to a new document or a new section within the document when clicked on.

In Microsoft PowerPoint, even though you can add a hyperlink to texts or images, the process of doing so is quite similar for both.

Let’s take a look at the step-by-step process involved in adding a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

Step-1: Select the Text and Click on the “Link” option

The first step is to “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to add the hyperlink. In the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

You can also click on the “Insert” tab in PowerPoint , and click on the “Link” option from the ribbon. You can use any of the three methods, and you will be prompted with the “Insert Hyperlink” window.

Step-2: Choose the Destination of the Link

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, you can either link a file from your computer or an online source by clicking on the “Existing File or Web Page” button. Then, navigate to the folder containing the file, click on the file to select it, and click “ OK “.

Alternatively, you can also click on the “ Place in this document ” option to link to an existing slide. (I shall show the exact steps later in this article).

2. How to Edit Hyperlink Text in PowerPoint?

In PowerPoint, adding a hyperlink does not change the behavior of text or the text box. Thus, the process of editing a hyperlink text is similar to the way you would edit the text in PowerPoint normally.

All you have to do is click inside the text box and delete or add text. You can also change the appearance of the hyperlink text by using the tools in the “Font” section of the “Home” tab in PowerPoint .

3. How to Edit the Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

Once a hyperlink is added to a text or image in a PowerPoint slide, you can go back and edit it. To do so, “Right Click” on the hyperlinked text and select the “Edit Link” option from the dropdown menu.

This will open the familiar “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box that we saw in section 1 of this article. Simply select another file or slide from the presentation in order to edit the link.

4. How to Remove Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can remove the hyperlink from a text or an image with only one click. “Right Click” on the text or image to open the dropdown menu.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Remove Link” option to remove the hyperlink.

5. How to Hyperlink to Another Slide in PowerPoint

As mentioned earlier in the article, you can even link one slide to another within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature. This has great benefits especially when you want to specifically jump to a section in the presentation that you want to show in further detail.

Here’s what you need to do in order to link to another slide within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint –

Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text or image

In the selected slide, “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to link another slide. Then click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu.

You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard. This will open a dialog box.

Step-2: Click on the “Place in This Document” option

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” option from the left sidebar. Then select the slide you want to link.

You can see the selected slide in the “Slide preview” section in the dialog box. Finally, you have to click on the “OK” button to finish the process.

5a. How to Return Back to the Main Slide?

During a presentation, it may be important to return to the main slide in one click after jumping to the linked slide. To do so, you can add a shape and hyperlink it back to the main slide.

Here’s how to create a hyperlink back to the main slide –

Step-1: Click on the “Shapes” option

The first step is to open the linked slide. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Shapes” option and select your preferred shape from the dropdown menu.

Step-2: Edit the shape

Now you can select the shape and click on the “Shape Format” tab from the menu ribbon. In the “Format Shape” sidebar located on the right side of the screen, edit the color and of the shape to visually match the rest of the slide.

I would highly recommend adding a text to the shape something to the effect of “Go back to slide X” (where “X” is the slide number of the main slide you want to return). This will help you and others take note of why a shape exists on the slide and prevent others from deleting it accidentally.

Step-3: “Right Click” on the shape

Now, all we need to do is simply create a hyperlink that links back to the original slide.

Select the shape and “Right Click” on the shape. Then, click on the “Link” option. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard to open the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box.

Step-4: Hyperlink the main slide

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” button from the sidebar located on the left side. Then select the main slide and click on the “OK” button.

Now all you have to do is click on the shape to return to the main slide during the presentation.

Note that this link will only work when you are viewing the presentation in slideshow mode!

6. How to Hyperlink Without Underline?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot hyperlink text without the underline directly. However, there is a workaround.

To add a hyperlink without underlining a text in PowerPoint, you will need to use a transparent shape. Insert a shape over the text. Right-click and add a hyperlink to the shape. Then, select the “No Fill” options to remove the “Fill” and “Line” colors in the “Format Shape” settings.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step process that you will need to follow –

Step-1: Click on the “Remove Link” option

The first step is to remove the hyperlink from the text. “Right Click” on the hyperlink text and select the “Remove Link” option from the dropdown menu.

This will ensure that the underline from the text gets removed.

Step-2: Click on the “Shapes” option

Now click on the “Insert” tab from the menu bar and click on the “Shapes” button in the “Insert” menu. From the dropdown menu, select the “Rectangle” option.

Then insert the rectangle shape over the hyperlink text.

Step-3: Add a hyperlink to the shape

The next step is to add the hyperlink to the shape instead of the text.

“Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, paste the link that was previously on the text (as we did before in the previous sections). Then click on the “OK” button.

Step-4: Click on the “Format Shape” option

Now all you have to do is “Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Format Shape” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu.

This will open a “Format Shape” sidebar located at the right side of the screen.

Step-5: Click on the “No fill” and “No line” options

In the “Format Shape” sidebar, click on the “No fill” option under the “Fill” section. Then click on the “No line” option under the “Line” section.

This will make the shape completely transparent and make the text visible while removing the underline from the text. You can now click on the text and access the hyperlink in the slideshow mode.

7. How to Add a YouTube Link in PowerPoint?

To add a Youtube link in a PowerPoint slide, you have to first open the Youtube video that you want to link and copy the link address. Then follow the 2 quick steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Link” option

First, you have to select the text to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Paste the Youtube link

Click on the “Existing File or Web Page” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. Then paste the Youtube link in the “Address” box at the bottom.

Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button to hyperlink the Youtube video.

8. How to Insert a Website Link in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can hyperlink to any resource available on the web. To insert a website link, you have to first obtain the link from the website. Then follow the 3 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on “Link”

In the open slide, select the text or image which you want to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text or image. Click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Paste the link to the website

The next step is to paste the website link in the “Address” box in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. “Right Click” on the “Address” box and click on the “Paste” option from the dropdown menu.

This will paste the copied website link. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+V” keys on your keyboard.

Step-3: Click on the “OK” option

Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box to insert the link to the website (as shown in the image in step 2).

9. How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to an Excel File?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add both links from the web as well as links to existing files in your computer as a hyperlink. To hyperlink to an Excel file in a slide, follow the 3 simple steps.

Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text

The first step is to select the text or image where you want to insert the link. Then you have to “Right Click” on it. From the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option.

Step-2: Click on the “Browse for File” option

The next step is to click on the “Browse for File” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. It is the third icon at the right side of the “Look in” box and looks like a folder.

This will open another dialog box.

Step-3: Click on the “Search Documents” box

In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search Documents” box located at the top and right corner. Then type in the name of the Excel file you want to hyperlink.

Select the Excel file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box to insert the link to the Excel file.

10.  How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to a PDF File?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can add a hyperlink to a PDF file. This can be an efficient way for you to link to references for your presentation content.

The process is similar to that of adding a link to an excel file. Here’s what you need to do –

You have to first select a text or image and then “Right Click” on it. Click on the “Link” option from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Click on “Browse for File”

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog, click on the “Browse for File” option which is the icon that looks like a folder. It will open the “Link to File” dialog.

Step-3: Click on “Search This PC”

In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search This PC” option and type in the name of the PDF file you want to link.

Then select the PDF file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will hyperlink the PDF file to the presentation.

11. How to Open a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

To open a hyperlink, “Right Click” on the hyperlink text or image. From the dropdown menu click on the “Open Link” option. This will open the hyperlink in a new window.

Alternatively, you can press down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink text or image simultaneously to open the hyperlink.

Using the keyboard shortcut is more practical in the “Slide Show” screen during a presentation.

12. Hyperlink Not Working in PowerPoint

When inserting or accessing a hyperlink in Microsoft PowerPoint, sometimes, you might run into some issues. For instance, the option to hyperlink a text or image may be greyed out and you may not be able to insert a hyperlink.

These and other issues can be solved quite easily.

12a. Hyperlink is Greyed Out

In the “Insert” menu, you may find that the “Link” option is greyed out. But, this problem can be easily fixed! Here’s what you need to do –

Step-1: Click on the “Insert” tab

In the open PowerPoint presentation, click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Links” section of the “Insert” menu, you will notice that the “Link” option is greyed out.

Step-2: Click on an object

The “Link” option is usually greyed out because there are no objects selected yet. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot insert a hyperlink to a slide. You can only insert hyperlinks to an object.

To be able to insert a hyperlink, all you have to do is click on any object in the open slide. You will now see that the “Link” option is no longer grayed out, and you can click on it.

12b. Hyperlink in PowerPoint is Not Clickable

After inserting a hyperlink in a PowerPoint presentation, you will notice that the hyperlink is not clickable. This is because you cannot click on the hyperlink in “Normal View” .

In Microsoft PowerPoint, “Normal View” is the default view where you can edit the slides. You can fix this problem in 3 easy methods.

Method-1: Click on “Ctrl+Save”

In the “Normal View” , you cannot open a hyperlink with a click. Instead, you have to press the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink simultaneously. This will allow you to access the link.

Method-2: Click on the “Slide Show” tab

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “Slide Show” tab. Then click on the “From Current Slide” option in the “Slide Show” menu.

Alternatively, you can press the “Shift+F5” keys on your keyboard. This will start the slideshow where the hyperlink is clickable.

Method-3: Click on the “Reading View” option

In the menu ribbon, click on the “View” tab. Then click on the “Reading View” option from the “Presentation Views” section (as shown in the image in method 2 above).

For the shortcut, all you have to do is click on the “Reading View” option which is the icon that looks like an open book in the status bar located at the bottom of the screen.

This will open the reading view screen where the hyperlinks are clickable.

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

How to Use Hyperlinks and Action Buttons in PowerPoint

If you would like to link to an outside source within your PowerPoint presentation, you have the option of using a hyperlink or action button. These instructions are for Office 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007.

In PowerPoint, you can create a hyperlink using any text within your presentation. When clicked on, a hyperlink can directly link to a specific slide within your presentation, a saved file, a web page, another PowerPoint presentation, or a custom email. To insert a hyperlink into your presentation:

• Open the PowerPoint presentation.
• Highlight the text or object you would like to hyperlink.
• Right-click the highlighted text and select "Hyperlink..."
• For Existing File or Web Page , browse your computer to locate the file you wish to link to.
• For Place in This Document , choose the slide you wish to link to.
• For Create a New Document , type the name of your new PowerPoint presentation and choose when to edit the document.
• For E-mail Addresses , enter the recipient(s) email address and the subject line of the email.
• Click [OK].
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text with the action button.

A PowerPoint hyperlink can link to a file on one of your drives (with the exception of your C: drive, which will not work in any circumstance) only if you are presenting the PowerPoint on campus. If you are off campus, you can use a path to any portable medium you have on hand (e.g. thumb drive, CD, etc.).

Action Button

In PowerPoint, you can create an action button using shapes, images, and text within your presentation. When activated, an action button can link to either a specific slide within your presentation, a web page, or another PowerPoint presentation. In addition, PowerPoint offers action buttons that play sounds when activated. To insert an action button into your presentation:

• Click the [Insert] tab > From the "Links" group, click [Action].
• Select the "Hyperlink to:" radio button > From the drop-down menu, choose where you would like the action button to link to when activated.
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text or image with the action button.

To insert an action button that plays a sound into your presentation:

• Highlight the text or object you would like to play a sound when clicked on.
• If you would like the text or object to link to a slide, web page, or file and play a sound, select the "Hyperlink to:" radio button and choose a destination. If not, select the "None" radio button.
• Check the "Play sound:" box > From the drop-down menu, choose what sound you would like the action button to play when activated > Click [OK].
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text or object with the action button.

You can also create an action button that activates when you hover your mouse over the text or object (as opposed to clicking the action button). In the "Action Settings" dialog box, click the [Mouse Over] tab and choose where you would like the action button to link to.

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7 Gadgets Every Digital Nomad Should Know About

This all-in-one linux distro isn’t for everyone, but it cured my distro-hopping habit, moto tag is an airtag clone for android users, quick links, linking to another slide in the same presentation, using the zoom feature.

If you know you'll be referring to the content of a previously-viewed slide at some point during your presentation, it might be useful to insert a link pointing back to that slide for quick access. Here's how to set it up.

Open your presentation and navigate to the slide that will contain the hyperlink. Once there, highlight the text, object, shape, or image to which you want to attach the link.

Next, head over to the “Insert” tab and click the “Link” button.

In the Insert Hyperlink window that opens, select “Place in This Document” on the “Link To” list on the left.

On the right, under the “Select a place in this document” list, select the destination slide.

The four options at the top of the list let you select the first or last slide in the presentation or the slide that comes right before or after the slide containing the link.

If you need to link to a different slide, expand the “Slide Titles” category. This shows you a list of all the slides in your document. If a slide has a title, the list shows the title. If a slide does not have a title, the list shows it as something like "Slide 7."

Click the slide to which you want to link.

A preview of the selected slide will appear in the window to the right. If you’re unsure which slide it was that you needed to link back to, this will come in handy.

Once you’re finished, click “OK” and PowerPoint will insert your link.

As a matter of good practice, double-check to make sure the link is working properly. To test the link in the regular slide editing view, Ctrl-click the linked object. To test the link when playing your presentation, you don't have to hold the Ctrl key; just click the linked object.

If for some reason you need to remove the hyperlink, right-click the object and then select “Remove Link.”

If you’re using PowerPoint for Office 365 or PowerPoint 2019, then you can take advantage of the new “Zoom” feature, which lets you seamlessly transition to any slide in the presentation by placing it inside another slide.

First, go to the slide that you'll be linking from. Using “Normal View,” click and drag the slide you want to insert from the left-hand pane to the current slide.

Once the slide is inserted, a new “Format” tab will appear. Click it.

In the “Zoom Options” group, check the box next to “Zoom Transition.” You’re also able to specify the duration of the transition, with 01.00 being the default.

Now let’s take a look at what happens when we click that slide during our presentation.

As you can see in the above GIF, clicking the “Introduction” slide that we placed inside our “Information” transitions back to the "Introduction" slide. Clicking again brings us back to the original "Information" slide.

• Microsoft Office
• Office 2016

60 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks (Giant List)

Here's a PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks guide that takes you through how to make a good PowerPoint presentation.

The best PowerPoint presentations shouldn’t be remembered. Instead, they should fall into the background to support you and the message you’re trying to get across.

Unlike good PowerPoint presentations , bad PowerPoint presentations are a distraction. You may remember them, but not in a good way.

You’ve seen them before. They might have millions of lines of text. Or a disjointed flow to the slides. Even worse, some slides feature ugly photos and poor design that detract from the message you’re trying to get across. That can even hurt your credibility as a professional or speaker.

This article will take you from finding your initial topic to learning how to make a great PowerPoint presentation. Our guide covers everything in between so that you learn how to present a PowerPoint like a pro.

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines are organized into sections. So cut straight to the advice you need and come back when you’re ready for the next steps.

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Also, download our Free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It’s the deepest resource for learning effective presentation skills for a PPT.

This eBook covers the complete presentation process. It takes the PowerPoint tips and tricks you learn in this article further. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. It’s another great source for presentation design tips.

Master PowerPoint (Free Course): 15 Essential Tips

This article is full of helpful tips so you can build a powerful presentation. You can also find more PowerPoint tips in this video lesson:

To learn even more about how to make a PowerPoint look good, review the huge list of tips below.

What Makes a PowerPoint Presentation Effective?

Knowing how to use PowerPoint and work within it quickly is helpful. But more important is making a good presentation that hits all your goals. A great PowerPoint presentation is:

• Prepared to Win . Research, plan, and prepare your presentation professionally. It helps you deliver an effective message to your target audience.
• Designed Correctly . Your visual points should stand out without overwhelming your audience. A good PowerPoint visual shouldn’t complicate your message.
• Practiced to Perfection . Rehearse your timing and delivery so that your points land as practiced with a live audience.
• Delivered With Poise . Present with a relaxed inner calm and confident outward projection. Give your audience warmth, excitement, and energy.
• Free From Mistakes . Avoid typos, cheesy clip art, and mistakes like reading directly from your slides.

Consider this your all-inclusive guide to how to make a good presentation. We’ll look at preparing your presentation and explore how to design it in PowerPoint. Plus, we’ll cover how to practice and nail your delivery successfully come presentation time.

We’ll also address what not to do in these tips for PowerPoint presentations—so you can sidestep any big mistakes. Now let’s dig into these tips for effective PowerPoint presentations.

Killer Presentation Preparation Tips to Get Started Right

Before even opening PowerPoint, start by addressing these things. These Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks will ensure that you’re prepared for your presentation:

1. Know Your Stuff

Your presentation isn’t about your slides alone. It’s about the message you want to get across. Before filling in stats, facts and figures, think about the narrative that’ll be discussed, why, and in what order.

2. Write It Out

Start in a Word or Google doc, and storyboard or script the entire presentation. This will give you an idea of how the information presented will flow and how viewers will see it in sequence. Learn the complete writing process .

3. Highlight What’s Most Important

A presentation covers the most crucial pieces only. Whatever you’ve been working on that led to this—a paper, a work project, a new product design—doesn’t need to be shared in its entirety. Pick key points and put the rest in an “Appendix” to refer to during the Q&A session at the end.

4. Know Your Audience

How you talk to a room full of medical professionals should be different from the way you address a room full of young entrepreneurs. Everything, in fact, is different: your topic selection, the language you use, the examples you give to illustrate points. The little bits of humor you include should be tailored specifically with your target audience in mind.

Understand your audience’s needs to create a successful PowerPoint presentation. Customize your content to meet their specific requirements.

5. Rehearse! (Yes, Already)

It’s never too early to get used to the rhythm of your presentation and take note of points you want to emphasize. While saying it out loud, you’ll start to develop a “feel” for the material. You’ll notice that some things work well, while others don’t and might need to be worked around.

6. Rewrite After You Rehearse

As you’re rehearsing your presentation, you’re bound to stumble over sections that don’t quite flow naturally. Instead of reworking your delivery, it might be time to consider the content and rewrite the areas that served as stumbling blocks.

“Editing is hard. ‘It’s good enough,’ is a phrase wannabes use. Leaders take editing seriously.” – Anthony Trendl

The most important part of creating a great presentation is the writing stage. The second most important stage is rewriting.

7. Share With a Friend

If the stakes are high for your presentation, it’s never too early to get feedback from those that you trust. Here’s an article that helps you collaborate as a team on a PowerPoint presentation. Get PowerPoint design tips from those that you trust when you collaborate.

Simple Tips to Design Your PowerPoint Presentation Better

Second only to you (the information you bring and how you present it) is your PowerPoint slides. If not designed well, a PowerPoint can be disengaging or distracting (regardless of the content quality). Here are some presentation design tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

8. Keep Your Slides Simple

This is one of the most important PowerPoint presentation tips to follow when designing your slides. Keep in mind that less is more (effective.) A cluttered slide is distracting. It causes confusion for an audience: Which part of the slide should I focus on? Should I read the slide or pay attention to the presenter?

A simple, visually appealing slide will engage your audience, keeping them on track with your main points. Here’s an example of a simple slide that serves its purpose perfectly:

Minimalist slide templates like Nook can help you resist the urge to clutter your slides.

9. Limit Words on Your Slides

Piggybacking on the last point, less is more effective. If possible, avoid bullets altogether. Otherwise cut them to just a few simple words. The audience should be listening, not reading.

10. Use High-Quality Photos and Graphics

One of the most important tips for quality PowerPoint presentations is to use high-quality photos and graphics.

Earlier in this tutorial, you saw Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service with PPT tips inside of templates. Those pre-built designs are a beginner’s best friend. They’re even better when paired with Elements’ unlimited library of stock photos .

People are more likely to take you seriously if your presentation is visually appealing. Users view attractive design as more usable. Similarly, they’ll view a more attractive PowerPoint as more effective.

11. Use Accurate and Relevant Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs can also be distracting if they’re not used right. Make sure your information design is simple and clean so that the audience doesn’t spend the entire time trying to decipher what your X axis says. Learn more about PPT data presentation .

12. Use High-Quality, Fresh Templates

Have you seen the old PowerPoint template that looks like worn paper and uses ink splashes? Yeah, so has your audience. Templates can be distracting if they’re too basic or if the design feels dated. You need one with great design options.

Costs are always a concern. But when you use Envato Elements, you’ve got everything you need to create a great PowerPoint presentation . That’s thanks to the incredible all-you-can-download subscription package.

The best PowerPoint tips and tricks can hardly compare to the value of using a template while building your presentation.

On Envato Elements, there are thousands of PowerPoint design templates that are ready to use. Instead of designing a presentation from scratch, start with a template! Just add your specifics to the placeholders.

Templates like Galaxi are impressively designed and waiting for your slide specifics.

The best PowerPoint design tips save you time. And there’s no tip more powerful than this one: use a pre-built template . It helps you master how to present a PowerPoint without spending all your time in the app.

13. Choose Appropriate Fonts

Fonts are an important part of engaging your audience. Fonts and typography choices have a subconscious effect on viewers. They can characterize your company’s presentation and brand either positively or negatively. Make sure that you’re choosing fonts that are professional and modern.

14. Choose Color Well

Like font choice, colors cause specific subconscious reactions from viewers. Choosing an outdated color combination for your presentation will render it ineffective.

Below is an example of the Popsicle PowerPoint template , which has a modern presentation color choice:

The Popsicle PowerPoint template highlights how harmonized color palettes can create beautiful slides.

15. Clean + Simple Formatting Makes All the Difference!

We’ve got a full tutorial on how to make a good presentation slide . Give it a read through and review the accompanying video. Just remember, less is more. The focus is you and your message , not your slides.

16. Make Sure All Objects Are Aligned

A simple way to create a well-designed presentation is to make sure all items on a slide are intentionally aligned. To do this, hold down Shift and select all the objects you want to include. Then choose Arrange in the options bar and apply Alignment Type .

17. Limit Punctuation

This isn’t the place for exclamation points. Emphasize your points (while speaking). Don’t enlist punctuation to do this for you. (Leave these at home!!!)

18. Avoid Over-Formatting Your Points

This PowerPoint presentation tip is simple. There’s no need to have every word of every bullet point capitalized, or to have all your bullet points in title case. If possible, drop bullets altogether. Again, the simpler, the better!

Limit your text formatting, including reducing the use of bullets, underline, and other effects. Compare the before example on the left to the revised version on the right.

19. Combine Information With Graphics in PowerPoint

One of the most powerful presentation skills for PPT is using infographics. With the right type of visuals, slides come to life and reduce the text in favor of graphics.

Infographics help combine information with graphics. It’s easier to explain complex ideas when you use visual formats that are intuitive.

Practice Presentation Tips: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!

Delivery is probably more important than the actual content. Here’s how to become more aware of your own unique ticks, and how to present like a polished pro:

20. I’ll Say It Again, Rehearse!

Just do it. Again and again. Experiment with pauses, gestures, and body language. Practice around one hour for every minute of your speech.

21. Practice With a Timer

Consistency is key to an effective PowerPoint presentation. The timing should be similar (ideally the same) each time you rehearse. This one will especially pay off when it’s time to present in front of your audience.

22. Slow It Down

Many of the best speakers today intentionally speak slowly. You’ll have the chance to emphasize, appear more thoughtful, and make your information easier to digest.

23. Pause More Often

Like the prior tip, pausing more often allows your main points to be emphasized and gives time for information to sink in. You need to let key points breathe a little before rushing into the next section.

24. Record Yourself

Use your phone’s voice recorder. Assess and critique yourself. Consider:

• Are your pauses too short or too long?
• Are you speaking slowly enough? Too slow?
• When you’re nervous, does your voice get high like the mice in Cinderella?

It’s always weird to hear your own voice recorded; don’t stress it. Use this as a time to adjust.

25. Choose Three Focal Points in the Room

If you stare at the same spot (or even creepier, the same person) the entire time, your presentation will be ineffective (and awkward.) People will be distracted by you, wondering what you’re staring at.

Try this: pick three points in the room (typically: left, center, right). Take time to direct your delivery toward each physical focal point in the room. Also, focus on the center when making your primary points.

26. Vary Your Sentence Length

This makes you sound more interesting, and it’s easier for your audience to follow. Think short and punchy. Or go long and complex for dramatic effect.

27. Modulate!

Don’t speak in monotone for your whole presentation. Be conscious of raising and lowering your voice tone. Otherwise, people will tune you out, and you’ll come across like the teacher in Charlie Brown.

28. Practice in Front of a Mirror

What you look like is as important as how you sound. Pretend you’re having a normal conversation, and allow your hands to move with your speech to emphasize your points. Just don’t get carried away! (I’m thinking Brene Brown or President Obama , not your Aunt Jamie after a few gin and tonics.)

29. Use “Present Mode” When Rehearsing

When you finally are ready to hit the Present button in PowerPoint, make sure you use the Present Mode option. This allows you (and only you) to view extra notes about each slide—just in case you forget something!

30. Practice With New Audiences

If possible, try doing a few real live test runs as a webinar or even at a local Toastmasters organization to get some feedback from a live audience.

31. Engage the Audience by Asking Questions

There’s no reason that a presentation should be one-sided. Why not invert the format and ask your audience a question?

To learn how to create a slide that kicks off a Q&A, use this article . These PowerPoint design tips help you create an engaging and exciting discussion.

Helpful Tips to Step Up and Deliver Come Presentation Time

When the actual day arrives, there are only a few last PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

32. Take a Deep Breath

Deep breathing is proven to relieve stress. It’s simple, and it’ll help you remain calm and in the moment, even up to the last minute before starting.

33. Lighten Up Your Mood

Tell yourself a joke or watch a funny video clip. Do this before the presentation, of course. Research concludes that happy people are more productive. More productive is more focused and able to perform better.

34. Remind Yourself to Take It Slow

When we’re stressed or nervous (or both), we tend to speak faster. Consciously, take yet another deep breath and remind yourself to take it slow!

35. Read the Room

Every presentation room has a temperature. It’s your job as a speaker to gauge it and tailor your presentation to it.

Here’s a great example. Layoffs are coming at a company, and you’re asked to speak to an audience. Even if the audience isn’t personally affected by the actions, you’ve got to consider the morale of the workforce.

Skilled speakers have a knack for reading the energy of the room and adjusting their presentation on the fly.

The last thing that group will want to hear is how strong the economy is and why the company is the best place to work. That doesn’t mean that you’ve got to align to their uncertainty, but don’t go too far against the grain while presenting.

Robert Kennedy III is a master of bringing energy and aligning a speech to the audience. Here’s his advice for adjusting:

“It can be hard to wake up a “dead” crowd but go for it. Most of all, don’t take their energy personally. Focus on serving them with every bit of your fiber then leave empty.”

36. Fake It ‘Til You Make It!

Go forward with confidence. If you act confident, you’ll start to feel more confident. Move slowly with grace, speak clearly, smile, wear something nice. You’ll appear confident to all attendees (no matter how you feel internally).

PowerPoint Presentation Tips and Tricks to Help Avoid Mistakes (What Not to Do)

Most importantly, focus on what you can do to make your presentation better. There are a few important things not to do that we’ve got to address. Here are a handful of PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to help you avoid missteps.

37. Stop With the Sound Effects

Sound effects are distracting and outdated. In most cases, avoid them. Add audio or music to your presentation to inject interest or highlight an important point, but it’s something to take extra care with. If you insert audio, then make sure your use really connects with your audience and has a fresh approach. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it out.

38. Don’t Use Flashy Slide Transitions

Again, this is distracting and outdated. Use transitions and subtle animations in your PowerPoint presentation. But you need to take care and do it right .

39. Beware of Clip Art

This PowerPoint presentation tip shouldn’t even have to be said. But please, please don’t use clip art. Use professional graphics instead.

40. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Afraid

The fear of public speaking is a real one. Many beginners think that if they’re feeling nervous that a presentation won’t go well or succeed. That might lead them to cancel the presentation.

Here’s a tip from expert Sandra Zimmer, who leads The Self-Expression Center on conquering your fears before you take the stage:

“Get out of your head and into your body. I do this through a grounding exercise that really works to calm nerves and bring you present in the moment.”

If you think that public speaking fears aren’t normal, you might never give your award-winning presentation. So don’t be afraid to be afraid, and acknowledge it’s part of the process!

41. Don’t Read Directly During Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you spend your entire presentation looking at the screen or your note cards, you’re sure to lose your audience’s attention. They’ll disengage from what you’re saying, and your presentation will fall flat.

Reading from your paper or screen also makes it look like you’re not prepared. Many people do it, but no one should. As a general rule, only present something you know well and have, at least mostly, memorized the main points of.

42. Don’t Miss Out on PowerPoint Customizations

Many new PowerPoint users often make significant mistakes when using Envato Elements designs.

The best way to see how to make a good presentation PPT is to start with designs from others. That means using a template, but that doesn’t mean you can’t customize them!

Don’t forget that PowerPoint templates are infinitely customizable. Think of them as guides with built-in presentation design tips.

To see more presentation tips that show you what not to do, make sure to check out our guide .

Work in PowerPoint More Effectively (Tips & Tricks to Level Up Your PPT Skills)

These PowerPoint tips will help you get the most out of the application to level up your next presentation. Let’s dive in.

43. Use the Visual Guides

When you’re designing your next PowerPoint presentation, it helps to create a sense of visual rhythm. Slides that have objects aligned and centered are more likely to resonate with an audience.

44. Use a Few Animations (Tastefully)

Animations in effective PowerPoint presentations are a slippery slope. We’ve all sat through presentations where there were so many objects in motion that it was easy to lose focus on the key ideas in the presentation.

But that’s why animations get an unfairly bad reputation. Use animations to create motion and hold an audience’s attention. Use them sparingly and on key elements on your slide, and you’ll capture that attention properly.

45. Stage Key Content With Animations

You just learned that animations should avoid being distracting. But there’s an important principle to using animations properly. It’s called staging content.

Staging content means that the content appears step by step. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming an audience with all your content at once. But when you stage content, bring it on step by step.

Take it from presentation pro Suzannah Baum :

“If you’re sharing a slide with lots of different points on it, using the animation to reveal those points one at a time is a way to keep the presenter’s content flowing smoothly.”

For more animation presentation tips and tricks, follow our guide .

46. Add a Video to Your PowerPoint

When you’re sharing a big idea in your presentation, it helps to share your perspective from a few different angles. Adding a video to supplement your content can do just that. Luckily, it’s easy to add and embed a YouTube video in your next PowerPoint presentation.

47. Add Charts & Graphs

Charts and graphs can help you tell stories with data. It’s easy for an audience to zone out when you throw a big data table or set of statistics at them.

instead, convert those to charts and graphs. Try out our tutorial to learn how to edit those graphs.

48. Build Your Own Infographics With SmartArt

Earlier in this tutorial, we gave you one of my favorite PowerPoint design tips: use infographic templates.

Here’s another. One of my favorite PowerPoint features is SmartArt, which allows you to build infographics right inside the app.

You don’t have to use another graphic design app like Photoshop or Illustrator to add visuals. Instead, try out SmartArt to help you build graphics that are easy to update.

49. Use Presenter View

Remember that when you use the PowerPoint, you’ re the presentation. The slides are just there to reinforce what you’ve got to say and support your speaking points.

That’s why I always recommend using Presenter view. More often than not, you’re going to have several displays. Presenter view shows your content on your screen, while your presentation is displayed on another screen.

50. Track Your PowerPoint Changes

One of my favorite PowerPoint design tips is to collaborate. Those who know you best will suggest compelling changes that are sure to help you succeed.

As you start collaborating on your presentation, it helps to keep track of proposed and included PowerPoint changes. Use this article to track changes made by others.

10 More Advanced PowerPoint Tips & Tricks

Really need to wow an audience with a good PowerPoint presentation? Give these tips a try to make an unforgettable impression:

51. Engage With an Interactive Quiz

A good PowerPoint presentation gets your audience involved. One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to do that with a quiz. By engaging audiences, a quiz makes your slides memorable.

By adding trivia, you’ll see how to present a PowerPoint in a way that people will love. Channel your inner game-show host today. MIDTEST is a  good PowerPoint presentation  with quiz slides.

52. Illustrate With Custom Image Masks

One of the top PowerPoint tips is to illustrate your slides. But you can go beyond simple, rectangular images on each slide.

The Burte template is full of  PowerPoint tricks , including custom image masks. Image masks shape photos into unique works of art. And thanks to premium templates, you can style photos just like this. Masks overlay your photos onto geometric shapes, instantly elevating your style.

53. Print Handouts With Extra Notes

Wonder how to give a good presentation PPT that audiences will remember? Give them a piece of it to take home.

PowerPoint makes it easy to print handouts with room for notes on the page. This way, audiences can keep copies of your slides, along with their own notes. This is the perfect way to ensure everyone engages with and retains your content.

54. Make Bulk Edits With Master Slides

When you think about how to present a PowerPoint, consider your branding. That means keeping your logo front and center in the eyes of an audience. But if you’re working with a lengthy slide deck, this could seem daunting.

That’s where master slides come in. They’re common in premium layouts, and they’re a leading example of presentation skills for PPT. Master slides let you make bulk edits fast.

55. Shrink File Sizes for Sharing

Many of the top presentation tips involve making your slides more accessible. Often, that involves sharing them with audiences online.

You’ll often find that email clients and cloud services limit the size of files that you share. This can be a problem with large PPT slide decks. But there are a few quick steps you can take to reduce PPT file size. Cut graphics, scale down photos, and more.

56. Map Processes With Flowcharts

As you consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation, think of ease of understanding. After all, you’re trying to explain something to your audience.

The  Flowcharts in Infographics  template seamlessly illustrates ideas and processes. A flowchart maps out a process in a visual way. Instead of resorting to endless narration, try a quick illustration like this. It saves you time and effort, and your audience is sure to thank you.

57. Use Brand-Specific Colors

Using presentation skills for PPT helps form an association between your message and branding. There’s no better way to do that than with your brand colors.

PowerPoint makes it easy to change color themes, adding your brand colors and logo to each slide. This is one of the top PowerPoint tricks for marketing presentations.

58. Build Social Media Posts in PPT

A good PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be shared through a projector. Use the app and templates to build amazing illustrations to use anywhere.

A template like Soffee helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint easily with a pre-built design.

Try using PowerPoint to create social media posts. It helps you engage with your audience, with no need to design custom layouts from scratch.

59. Be Industry-Specific

One of the top presentation tips in 2024 is to be industry-specific. That means avoiding generic layouts and choosing something more customized.

This offers two key advantages. First, you save time by having layouts built for you. Second, you gain design inspiration for your specific topic. Themed templates are truly the best of both worlds.

The Medical and Health template is a good PowerPoint presentation with a set theme.

60. Design for Online (Virtual) Sharing

Last but not least in our list of PowerPoint tips comes virtual presenting. More and more often, slides will be shared with online audiences around the globe.

Why not design your slides for that very purpose? And then learn how to share flawlessly with a global team? It’s one of the top presentation tips for 2024. Embrace it today.

More Great PowerPoint Tutorial Resources

We’ve built a resource for Microsoft PowerPoint that you’re sure to want to try. It includes countless PowerPoint tips and tricks. It’s called How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide) and has all the PowerPoint design tips you need.

Discover More Top PowerPoint Template Designs From Envato Elements for 2024

You’ve just seen our favorite powerful PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to help you improve your speaking. We’ve also mentioned Envato Elements, an incredible all-you-can-download source for top PowerPoint designs .

Here are five of the best PowerPoint templates that you can use to create your best presentation yet:

1. Galaxi PowerPoint Template

Blast off to success with the help of this PowerPoint template! Think of the pre-built slide designs as pro PowerPoint design tips. They’re built by professional graphic designers. All the popular and modern slide styles that are perfect for your next presentation. Use Galaxi’s five styles and 30 designs to create a great presentation.

2. Masmax PowerPoint Template

We selected templates for this article that match the PowerPoint tips and tricks provided. Masmax fits the bill perfectly across its 234 unique slide designs. These slide designs are sure to align with the latest in design expectations.

3. STYLE Multipurpose PowerPoint Template V50

Style is subjective, but we can all agree that this template is stunning! The light and airy slide designs are built with fashion-focused designs in mind. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not perfect for most presentations. When learning to present a PowerPoint, remember that templates can be customized to suit your purpose.

4. Peachme Creative PowerPoint Template

Peachme has image-focused slides with splashy designs. The slides are colorful and perfect for a modern presentation. Don’t worry about remembering all the PowerPoint design tips because they’re included in the pre-built slides. Use Peachme’s designs for your presentation today.

5. Buizi Office Building Rent PowerPoint Template

Buizi markets itself as a real estate focused template. It’s ideal for that purpose because of the minimal, image-focused slide designs. But that also makes it a perfect choice for presentations in many fields.

We’ve just scratched the surface of PowerPoint design tips with these five options. Here are many more, bundled inside of the best roundups on Envato Tuts+:

How to Build a Good PowerPoint Presentation Quickly (In 2024)

You’ve already seen effective presentation skills PPT techniques. But you may be wondering exactly how to do a good PowerPoint presentation. It only takes a few clicks. Let’s learn how in just five steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the Enjoy PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements. You’ll see that it’s a beautiful template that helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint by giving you every object and layout you need.

Let’s get started:

1. Choose Your Slides

As you can see, a template like Enjoy has dozens of unique slides inside. The key to how to give a good presentation PPT is to choose only the slides that you need.

One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to start by selecting slides you wish to use from your template.

In PowerPoint, scroll through the sidebar on the left to view different slide layouts. Right-click and choose Delete to remove unwanted designs. Plus, you can click and drag slide thumbnails to reorder them in the deck.

2. Add Text

Consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation without investing a ton of time. That’s where premium templates come in.

One of our top presentation tips when working with a PPT is to lean on the pre-built text boxes for your content.

To add custom text, simply click and select the contents of any text box on your slide. Then, type in your own words. Repeat as needed throughout your slide deck.

3. Customize Fonts

With text selected, it’s easy to customize fonts on each slide. Find the Font section on PowerPoint’s Home tab. From there, you’ve got a variety of dropdown options.

Another of our top tips for presentation tricks is to use a custom font setting in your template.

Click to change the font, font size, and more. You can also use the buttons on the left to add bolds, italics, and more.

Need more custom font styles? As an Envato Elements subscriber, you’ve got instant access to thousands of custom fonts . Use them in your presentation with ease.

4. Insert Images

Slides like this one contain an image placeholder. That’s another advantage found only with premium templates. These make adding images a breeze.

Add images to your PPTX template for more visually interesting slides.

To get started, find an image file stored on your computer. Then, drag and drop it over the placeholder. PowerPoint will import it, sized and scaled for a perfect fit.

5. Change Colors

One of the top effective presentation skills is changing shape colors. This helps you control the look and feel of each slide.

With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Then, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Click on any thumbnail to apply it to the shape or browse through the Gradient and Texture options.

Start Putting These PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks Into Use Today!

Learning to write, design, and present a PowerPoint presentation is an invaluable skill, no matter where you use it. If you’re a good communicator of important messages, you’ll never go hungry.

Luckily, improving PowerPoint presentations isn’t as hard as it seems. Follow these tips for PowerPoint presentations to design and deliver with greater confidence.

Remember: Less is more (effective) . Use PowerPoint presentation templates for better design and more effective visual impact. And you can customize a PPT template quickly , with the right workflow.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to add citations to your presentation

How to add citations to your presentation

When you craft a formal presentation, you often have to conduct research. Any books, journals, and other forms of media used should be properly cited for your personal reference as well as for your audience. Learn how to create citations in a presentation to appropriately credit different works.

Why should you provide citations?

Information referenced from another source must be clearly cited. Proper citations serve as a roadmap for research, help track ideas, and establish credibility. Citations give credit to the original works and provide transparency for readers and their audience regarding the source.

Readers can access your sources and develop a deeper understanding of your research. They can also explore research from your respective discipline or industry. Additionally, researchers utilize citations to align their work with established experts and bolster the validity of their claims. Without citations, audiences may assume your idea is original, resulting in plagiarism. Acknowledging the intellectual contributions of others with proper citation fosters academic integrity and supports the advancement of ideas amongst scholars and researchers.

How to source citations in a presentations

To source citations effectively in presentations, consider the following:

• Identify your sources: Begin by identifying all the sources you have used in your research, including books, articles, websites, and any other relevant materials. Note the authors, publication dates, publisher, and other relevant information for citations.
• Include in-text citations: Incorporate in-text citations throughout your presentation slides to indicate when you are referencing external sources. This helps your audience understand the basis of your arguments and provides transparency regarding the origin of the information presented.
• Provide a reference list: At the end of your presentation, include a reference list that provides full bibliographic information for each source cited. This allows your audience to locate the original works for further reading and verification. Ensure your reference list adheres to the citation style used with your citations.
• Use visual aids: Consider using visual aids , such as infographics or posters , to display citations alongside the corresponding content. This helps reinforce the connection between the information presented and its original source.

Alternatively, you can also provide the references verbally throughout the presentation. This allows the audience to follow along with your presentation and directly reference sources as you present. If you are creating a presentation for a class, follow the instructions or preferences of your instructor. By doing so, you can ensure your citations are understood and appropriate for your audience.

Citations are a critical component of an effective presentation. Citations provide a roadmap for your research, credit the appropriate authors, and foster academic integrity. They’re easy to include in a presentation as in-text citations on your slides and as a reference list. Include citations to make sure you presentation credits the appropriate authors and strengthens its validity. For more help with preparing sources, research, and crafting presentations, learn more presentation tips .

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