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How to use speaker notes in powerpoint.

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Adding speaker notes to a PowerPoint presentation provides reference material for the speaker when they're presenting a slideshow, allowing them to stay on track without forgetting key message points. Here’s how to add and use speaker notes.

To add speaker notes in PowerPoint, you’ll first need to be in the Normal view. If you’re not already there, you can switch to Normal view by going to the “View” tab and then selecting “Normal” in the “Presentation Views” group.

Next, in the pane on left, select the slide where you'd like to add speaker notes.

Next, click the “Notes” button at the bottom of the window.

A small box reading “Tap to Add Notes” will appear beneath the slide. For Mac users, this will say “Click to Add Notes.”

Now, simply type the speaker notes for that slide. Repeat this process for each slide you'd like to add notes to.

There are two ways to use speaker notes during a presentation: by presenting on a secondary monitor or by printing out the speaker notes .

Using a Secondary Monitor

It’s safe to assume that most presentations will be presented on a secondary monitor. If this is the case for you, there’s not a whole lot you really need to do.

Related: How to Add an Extra Monitor to Your Laptop

The first thing you need to do is change the view to Slide Show. You can do this by selecting the Slide Show icon at the bottom-right corner of the window.

In this view, the audience will see only the slides as you’re going through the presentation. However, on your primary monitor, you’ll see the current slide, a preview of the upcoming slide, and your speaker notes for the current slide.

This is a convenient way to have a virtual copy of the speaker notes while you’re giving a presentation, but it never hurts to have a hard copy.

Printing the Speaker Notes

To print the speaker notes of your presentation, first select the “File” tab in the Ribbon.

Related: How to Print Multiple PowerPoint Slides to Each Piece of Paper

In the pane on left, select the “Print" button.

In the “Settings” group, select the option that says “Full Page Slides.”

A drop-down menu will appear. Here, select “Notes Pages” in the “Print Layout” group.

Finally, click “Print.”

You’ll now have a physical copy of your speaker notes.

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Everything you need to know about using speaker notes in PowerPoint®

Chariti Canny

Through preparing for our Slide Design training , we realized there’s a feature that many presenters don’t realize plays a key role in slide design and speaker support: speaker notes in PowerPoint®.

To use your  speaker notes in PowerPoint most effectively during your next talk, follow the tips below.

What are speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint help presenters recall important points, such as key messages or stats, as they give a presentation. Some presenters even upload their whole script in there!

Even if you aren’t writing a complete script, using speaker notes for the high-level points of your script will help you match your talk track to what’s happening on the current slide you’re on.

It can also be handy for other purposes, such as:

• Adding nuanced information about a slide’s graphics
• Giving instructions for how to click through an animation
• Adding links to important files
• Providing stage directions
• Giving reminders of when to pause or give an anecdote
• Setting up triggers for gestures to a co-host or the audience
• General note-taking – just like if someone would use a scratch piece of paper

What are the benefits of speaker notes in PowerPoint?

You are the storyteller, and your slides are your support, forming the atmosphere and emphasizing your key points. Because there’s a limit to how much information people can process at one time — they will either listen to you or read your slides — it’s important to show only information essential for your story.

Speaker notes in PowerPoint allow you to move nonessential text and stats off your slides so that your audience can fully absorb your message. Having the info in the speaker notes allows you to be ready should your audience ask questions about your data , or other points in your presentation that may require additional information.

Though speaker notes should be a somewhat simplified version of what you are saying, using them for the high-level points of your script will help you match your talk track to what’s happening as you move through your presentation.

Spending a little time structuring speaker notes in PowerPoint can also be an easy way to turn your presentation into a dual-purpose file. Not only can you use your file to present, you can also use it as a standalone document that can be effectively shared without you presenting. This more advanced feature is described below.

How do I add speaker notes in PowerPoint?

There are two ways to add speaker notes in PowerPoint.

Method no. 1

Directly edit in slide editing mode (aka Normal View). Click the “Notes” section of the window and begin typing. If the “Notes” section is hidden, click the “Notes” button found in “Options” on the bottom right of the PowerPoint screen.

Method no. 2

Edit your notes in “Notes View.” Click on the “View” tab in the ribbon and click “Notes Page.” Here you have more room on the screen to write your notes and adjust the font size and layout.

How should you write speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Although some people feel more comfortable putting their complete script into the speaker notes section, one could also be brief in the notes, allowing them to sound more authentic when presenting. I have worked on a lot of high-stakes presentations and have seen this done both ways with success. So, it depends on your comfort level and ability with public speaking .

The first bullet point of your speaker notes can convey the overarching idea for the slide, and your other points can support it. I call these speaking touchpoints, and often they are short words or phrases that will remind me of what I want to say.

If one of your supporting concepts involves telling an anecdote or story (which we teach and recommend in all of our workshops, by the way!) you can trigger your memory by leaving a note to yourself in brackets. For example, you could type:

• As a company, we’ve been through difficult times before
• [Story: 2008 financial crisis]

It’s also important to keep these simple because the space to view them is limited. Though, there are times when a more elaborate note needs to be included. I’ve found that including a very important phrase in full is one of my favorite things about speaker notes. We often spend a lot of time crafting that pivotal moment, the pace of it, and the wording. Leave room to easily see it in presenter view.

Once, I sat through a presentation where the presenter stayed on one slide for quite some time. He was telling a long story that was coming back to resolve and tie together various points of information on the slide. To help himself stay on track, he wrote about six key speaking touchpoints in a list in the speaker notes, duplicated the slide (so it looked the same to the audience), then completed his next few speaking touchpoints for the slide. When he reached the bottom of the first six touchpoints he clicked the slide without missing a beat and continued the talk track. The audience had no idea that he just moved slides and he was able to use his notes, even though they were long.

The speaker notes are also an opportunity to include “stage directions.” These can be anything from reminding yourself to click and advance an animation, gesture to a co-speaker or member of the audience, or even take a breath and pause.

How do you project speaker notes in PowerPoint during a presentation?

PowerPoint is set up to show notes only to the speaker when a presentation is connected to another output, such as a monitor, a projector, a video conferencing app, etc. Just select the “Slide Show” tab and click “Presenter View” to enable a display that only you can see on your computer.

You’ll see your slides, speaker notes, and even a timer, but your audience will only see slides projected on a monitor or screen.

How else can I use my speaker notes in PowerPoint?

I mentioned that you can structure the Notes pages to act as a standalone document that can be shared without you presenting. This is a more advanced way to use notes, but extremely valuable.

Let’s say your presentation wowed your audience so much that they requested copies of your slides so they can reference them later, or share with others. Because you created a presentation meant to be shown, not read, chances are that your file won’t make sense to someone who wasn’t in the room.

Unless, of course, they can read and make sense of your speaker notes. Speaker notes can be used to create beautiful presentation artifacts for your audiences. By giving people a physical reminder of your presentation content, they’ll keep thinking about your talk long after you give it, and they’ll more easily share your message with others.

We recommend you do this with Slidedocs ®, a skimmable visual document that is a version of your slides meant to standalone. It’s great for pre-reads before meetings, leave-behinds at a presentation, or of course, a summary of your great presentation without your messy speaker notes and stage directions in there!

David Allen, the author of the bestselling series  Getting Things Done , leaves information behind after his talks to ensure that his audience remembers his key principles and methodologies.

After we created a cinematic presentation for David, we translated the rich, evocative images and layouts of his presentation into handouts using our Slidedocs® methodology so that anyone could read and understand his message even if they didn’t attend his presentation.

How can I use speaker notes in PowerPoint to create handouts?

Step 1: First, make the overall changes to the Notes master, such as how you want the slide image to appear and how much space you want your notes to have.

Step 3: Next, make changes to the layout in the Notes Master, keeping in mind that changes here will be reflected on all the notes pages.

In the image below, an example of a default Notes Master is shown at left, with a redesigned Notes Master on the right. In the modified version on the right, the slide image was resized and moved to the top left, and the notes box was reformatted and moved.

Not only can the Notes Master be adjusted, but each Notes Page itself can have text, charts, quotes, and images added as separate and additional content to augment what’s on the surface slide.

You can scale your slide thumbnail to any size and place it anywhere on the master. Headers, footers, and the note placeholder can be moved into any position you’d like. You can add objects to the Notes Master, but remember that objects added in Notes Master will appear on every slide’s notes page.

Thus, you must be strategic about what you add. To that point, adding a logo or some other universal image would make sense in the Notes Master.

Step 4: Once the Notes Master has been restructured, return to Notes Page View: View tab > Notes Page. You’ll see that the notes format matches the changes you made in the Notes Master.*

Step 5: For each page, add any custom graphics, data, text, or other items that relate to that slide. Remember, these will not appear on the slides. They will only appear in these notes.

In the layouts we created for David Allen below, we placed a small image of the slide on the top left of the page and a graphic and quote at the top right.

How do I print speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Perhaps you’d rather print out your notes instead of viewing them digitally on a monitor. Or maybe you’ve gone the extra step and customized your notes and now you’re ready to distribute them to your audience.

Step 1: Click the File tab and select Print to open the print dialog.

Step 2: Pull down the second menu within the Settings options. PowerPoint defaults to the Full Page Slides option, and you’ll need to switch it to Notes Pages option.

Now you can print the file in Notes Page View to give a hard copy to your audience.

Note: Image resolutions may be slightly less in printed or PDF Notes View. Text and shapes will remain the same.

By putting thought into how you prepare, use, and re-use your speaker notes, you ensure that your message resonates long after you and your audience leave the room.

How to get expert PowerPoint help the easy way

If you have a big, high-stakes presentation coming up, and would like additional help on crafting your speech, delivering your keynote, designing your slides, or engaging an audience to take an action, our Consulting services are here to help!

Talk to a Solution Architect about your needs, we’ve done the presentations, keynotes, and speeches for the big stages like HubSpot’s INBOUND , Salesforce’s Dreamforce , and many other events in between.

If you’d like to train up your team on better presentation design skills, we recommend talking to a Training Concierge about building a custom learning journey for your needs.

And if you’d like help today for your presentation fast approaching, take our 90-minute on-demand course on Slidedocs ® along with Slide:ology ®. Then you’ll be properly equipped to download our free Slidedocs® PowerPoint templates so you can get started on the path to nailing your next presentation immediately!

*A technical footnote: If your Notes Page view doesn’t change when you make changes to your Notes Master, you may need to reset your Notes Page view. Unfortunately, the following instruction only works on Windows. For resetting notes when on MacOS you will need to use the Developer Tab, which is not covered in this article. Open Notes Page view. On an empty spot of the notes page, right click and select Notes Layout. Select the box “Reapply Master”. This will remove any previous formatting that was on the notes and reset it to the current Notes Master. This will need to be done on each slide that may cling to the old Notes Page master format.

This article was originally published on March 23, 2020. It has been updated in August 2024 for relevancy.

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How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint (Tutorial)

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can be a lifesaver for presenters who need a quick reference during their talk. Instead of struggling to remember key points or losing your place during a presentation, you can have your notes right in front of you.

Whether you're a seasoned presenter or new to public speaking, this tutorial will help you feel more confident and prepared for your next presentation. With insights and practical tips from our in-house presentation designers , you'll have all the tools you need for success.

Let's dive in and explore how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint, taking your presentations to the next level!

In this tutorial, we’ll cover the following topics :

• Starting with the basics: How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint
• Ready to Captivate Your Audience? Let’s see how to view speaker notes while presenting
• From PCs to Macs, learn how to print speaker notes in PowerPoint
• Get answers to your FAQs and unlock tips for better presentations

Let’s start with the basics - or feel free to skip to your preferred section using the list above.

Adding speaker notes in PowerPoint

Adding notes to PPT is a reasonably straightforward process, regardless of your operating system. Here's how to add notes in PowerPoint:

• Select a slide you want to add notes to.
• View the Notes pane located beneath each slide. If it's not visible, you can make it appear by clicking Notes on the bottom taskbar.
• You will see a blank space with the prompt "Click to add notes." That's where you can enter your speaker notes.

Pro tip: Add Notes Via Notes Page view

Are you looking to give an impeccably organized presentation? Feronika Wulandari , design manager from 24 Slides, has a pro tip for you!

"For presentations that will be copied or distributed to the audience as a reference later, it is crucial to provide detailed speaker notes. Merely looking at our presentation slides may leave the audience struggling to grasp the context.”

If you're aiming for an impeccably organized and informative presentation, Feronika's advice is invaluable. Take your presentations to the next level by utilizing the powerful Notes Page view in PowerPoint . This feature allows you to incorporate comprehensive speaker notes into your slides, ensuring your audience can fully grasp the context after the presentation.

In the Notes Page view, you have complete control over the content of your speaker notes. Customize the font size, and enrich the notes with images, shapes, charts, and more. You can even tailor the background color to suit your preferences or corporate branding. As Feronika says:

“In the notes view, we can include ample text to facilitate the audience's understanding of the presentation's context. It also is an excellent tool for attaching references and citations, particularly for content-heavy presentations like scientific ones.”

Ready to try it out? Here's how you access the Notes Page view:

• Click View .
• Look for the Presentation Views section .
• Select Notes Page .

If you want even more control over how you want your notes to look, you can check out the Notes Master . This is how you can try it out:

• Look for the Master Views section .
• Select Notes Master.

Here you can choose the design and layout of the notes page and select options for your page setup. This is what the Notes Master looks like:

Now that you know how to add notes to PowerPoint, let's see how to present PowerPoint with notes.

Ready for your next presentation? Check out how to see speaker notes while presenting

To prepare for your next presentation, follow these steps so you can have your notes on hand without your audience being able to see them. First, click on the Slide Show tab , and select the box Use Presenter View . This is what the Presenter View in PPT looks like:

To access the presenter view, start your slideshow and then click on the left button of your mouse. From the options that appear, select Show Presenter View .

And last, learn how to print notes in PowerPoint

Printing PowerPoint presenter notes can be done in different ways, depending on your operating system. Let's look at each one of them.

How to print Speaker Notes (PowerPoint - Windows)

• Click File in the top left corner.
• Choose Notes Pages from the Settings dropdown menu.
• Adjust any other printer settings.
• Click Print .

How to print Speaker Notes (PowerPoint - macOS)

• Click File .

3. Click Show Details .

4. Select Notes from the Layout dropdown menu.

5. Adjust any other printer settings.

6. Click Print .

You may also want to know: How to print notes without slides?

If you want to print speaker notes only, this is what you should do:

• Go to the View tab and click Notes Page . On each page, you’ll see a thumbnail of the slide and the notes it has.

2. Select the thumbnail on each page and press delete . Repeat this step for each notes page.

3. Finally, go to the File tab and click Print. Now, repeat the note-printing process shown in the section above.

How to print PowerPoint slides with notes: Multiple per page

If you want to print multiple slides on the same page, including the notes, follow these steps: 1. Open the File menu, select Export , and click on Create Handouts.

2. Select Notes next to slides , and click OK.

This will begin the export to Word, where you can finish printing your slides and notes as a document.

Customer Frequently Asked Questions

What are speaker notes in powerpoint.

Speaker notes on PowerPoint presentations are a feature that allows presenters to add additional information that won't appear in the presentation slides.

PowerPoint notes can be used to provide additional context and details about the content on the slide, such as statistics or critical messages. They can also help emphasize specific points without cluttering their slides with too much information. They are a valuable tool for presenters to keep essential points at hand while giving a presentation.

These are some examples of speaker notes in PowerPoint:

Benefits of using speaker notes in PowerPoint

Why add speaker notes to PowerPoint? Learning how to use notes can be a game-changer , it can benefit you in many ways.

Speaker notes on PowerPoint can help you recall important points and key messages as you give a presentation. They also provide a security blanket, giving you the confidence to deliver your speech without worrying about forgetting something.

Remember, not worrying about memorization can help you prioritize inflection and tone and make you look more professional and connected with your audience.

How do I edit slide Notes?

A good thing to remember is that you can edit your speaker notes anytime you want. So, if there is a last-minute change or a new detail you would like to consider, you can follow these steps:

• Select the slide where you want to edit notes.

You will be able to see the Notes written in the Notes Pane . Click inside it so you can edit de content. Click outside the Notes Pane to save your changes.

What is the use of Notes Page view?

The Notes Page view is a PowerPoint feature that can help you upgrade your note-taking experience . Rather than presenting your notes in a simple text format, this feature presents them as individual pages with diverse layouts, colors, and formatting options for you to explore and customize.

If you would like to check out this feature, check out our Notes Page View section .

What is the advantage of the Notes Page view?

So, why is this feature impressive? Well, the Notes Page view offers several advantages that simplify the management of your notes:

• Organization: When it comes to giving presentations, being organized is essential. You can't afford to waste time deciphering your notes. With the Notes Page view, you effortlessly organize them into distinct pages, sections, or categories, allowing you to find what you need quickly.
• Personalization: The Notes Page view also puts you in complete control. It lets you customize the appearance and layout of your notes according to your preferences. You can explore a wide array of templates, themes, and styles, making your note-taking experience unique.

What is the difference between Slide Sorter view and Notes Page view?

The Slide Sorter view and Notes Page view are two different viewing options in PowerPoint .

The Slide Sorter view in PowerPoint provides a condensed and sequential display of all the slides in your presentation. It presents miniature versions of each slide in a grid layout, allowing you to manage the order and structure of your presentation easily.

This view is beneficial when you need to reorganize your content or gain a quick understanding of your entire presentation at a glance.

On the other hand, the Notes Page view allows you to see your slides along with any accompanying speaker notes . It is ideal for creating and reviewing speaker notes, providing a dedicated area to jot down the additional information you want to reference during your presentation.

You can customize and format your notes as needed, making them a valuable resource for guiding your delivery or providing more in-depth explanations.

Get outstanding presentations that make you stand out from the crowd!

If you want to improve your presentation skills and give a more professional image to your business, this tutorial can help. However, the design for your presentation is crucial, and that's where our presentation design solutions come in.

At 24Slides , we transform presentations from "good" to "extraordinary," saving you time and effort. Say goodbye to long working hours on PowerPoint and let our design experts amaze you overnight!

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint? A Quick Guide with Video Tutorials

It can be hard to remember all the information you intend to discuss during a presentation. To avoid text-heavy slides and missing out on important information, some presenters use notes or flashcards. A more elegant method of presenting your slides is to use speaker notes in PowerPoint .

What are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are hidden notes in your PowerPoint slides that can be added to help you remember bits of information. Speaker notes are only visible to the presenter and can also be printed with slides for reference. You can use the printed version of speaker notes for yourself or the audience for later reading.

Speaker notes are visible to the presenter during Presenter View, which enables viewing the slide and notes side by side. This enables the presenter to show the audience only the slides, as he/she presents with the aid of notes visible on their screen.

What are the Benefits of using Speaker Notes?

Speaker notes can have a number of benefits and can enable you to not only appear more confident as you present but to also better organize your slides.

1. Speaker Notes Help Avoid Text-Heavy Slides

One of the benefits of using speaker notes is that you can avoid adding too much text to your slides and insert related points as Speaker Notes. This can provide your audience with a clutter-free view of your slides, as you use the notes to ensure you remember all the important bits of information during the presentation.

2. Speaker Notes can Help Replace Paper Notes

Flashcards or paper notes can look inelegant and can cause confusion if they get mixed up. Many presenters end up stuttering or scrambling their notes during a presentation due to this very problem. Presenters can avoid this hassle by simply using speaker notes in PowerPoint.

3. Speaker Notes can be Helpful in Recalling Information

Speaker notes can be helpful in remembering important information when you find it difficult to recall the information. In such a case the notes can be added as a precaution so that you can quickly recall that important piece of information when you have a hard time recalling something.

4. Speaker Notes can Enable You to Stay on Point

With a presentation with a bit of text and an elaborate theme, a presenter can easily lose focus. To stay on point, you can add speaker notes to set the right sequence for you to follow as you present your slides.

5. Speaker Notes can Help you Appear More Confident

The audience appreciates a presenter when he/she has the confidence to look them in the eye and speak their heart out. Presenters who scramble for notes or keep looking at their flashcards can appear less confident.

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint?

Adding speaker notes in PowerPoint is very simple. In this short tutorial we explain how to add notes to PowerPoint depending on your preferred platform.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for Windows?

Step 1. Select the Slide you want to add speaker notes to.

Step 2. Select Notes in the bottom right section of your screen.

Step 3. Add the notes you want below the PowerPoint slide.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for macOS?

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint for web?

PowerPoint in the web version lets you create Speaker Notes but does not let you view them when you are presenting.

Which option is used to create speaker notes in the PowerPoint Slide?

On the View tab of the ribbon, in the Show group, select Notes.

The pane appears across the bottom portion of the PowerPoint window, with the cursor blinking, ready for you to begin typing.

Also, you can add speaker notes in PowerPoint by clicking the Notes option at the bottom of the slide to open the notes pane. The option can be used to open or hide the pane anytime.

Expand Notes Pane: To expand the notes pane, hover your mouse to reveal the vertical scroll bar and drag to adjust the size of the pane according to need.

How to View Speaker Notes in PowerPoint while Presenting?

How to present with speaker notes? Now that you know how to add notes to PowerPoint, you can use this feature to deliver your presentation while visualizing the speaker notes as a presenter. Here we will see how to view speaker notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View.

Enable Presenter View: You can view Speaker Notes in PowerPoint in Presenter View . To make sure this option is enabled in PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab, and check Use Presenter View .

Select Monitor Settings: From the Slide Show tab, you can also select which monitor you want your presentation to appear on. This can help you ensure that the monitor selected for the speaker notes does not swap with the monitor screen intended for the audience. Usually, setting the monitor settings to Automatic should automatically show speaker notes on your laptop and the view with only your slides to the audience. However, checking these settings beforehand can help you avoid swapping the screens.

Adjust Text Size for Notes: When in Presenter View, you can also expand or reduce the size of the text using the buttons on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Navigate Slides: The arrow keys enable you to move between slides in Presenter View.

Annotate Slides: You can enable the Pen tool or highlighter to annotate slides during your presentation or use the Laser Pointer to focus on parts of your slide using an onscreen laser tool. These options are available via the Pen and Laser Pointer Tools option at the bottom of the Presenter View menu.

Zoom Slides: You can zoom in to a specific slide by selecting the Zoom option and then clicking on a specific section of the slide that you intend to zoom in.

Switch to a Specific Slide: You can also jump to a specific slide via the See all slides option. This can help you instantly change your slide in a single click, without moving back and forth to find it.

Black or Unblack Slideshow: You can hide or unhide a slide by using the Black/Unblack Slideshow option.

Toggle Subtitles: In a previous post, we showed you how to enable subtitles and captions in PowerPoint . The subtitle button in Presenter View enables you to toggle the subtitles on or off.

Hide Presenter View: To turn off Presenter View anytime, you can select Hide Presenter View from the More slideshow options button.

How to print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes?

Print PowerPoint with Speaker Notes is very simple:

Printing Speaker Notes with Slide Thumbnails: You can print speaker notes directly in PowerPoint by going to File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Printing Speaker notes without Slide Thumbnails: If you would like to print the notes without thumbnails, go to View – > Notes Pages, delete the thumbnails for each slide, and then print your notes via File -> Print -> Settings -> Notes Pages.

Creating and Printing Handouts using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

You can create handouts from your speaker notes by exporting them to a Microsoft Word file or printing them directly from PowerPoint.

Export Handouts to Word

To export your handouts to Word, go to File -> Export -> Create Handouts .

This will provide you with the option to select whether you would like to export notes next to slides or export blank lines next to slides, notes below slides, blank lines below slides, or the outline only.

Below is an example of handouts exported to Microsoft Word from PowerPoint. You can print these handouts from Word anytime via File -> Print.

Final Words

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can help presenters create uncluttered slides and present information without worrying about messy paper notes or missing out information because of an oversight. Speaker notes provide much needed support to cater to the needs of the modern presenter, with the added advantage of printing or providing handouts to the audience after the presentation, such as citations and links for further reading.

If it’s your first time presenting with speaker notes in PowerPoint, you should try to acquaint yourself with the necessary settings and features of speaker notes to avoid getting confused when using them for the first time. Sometimes, monitor settings can flip, especially amidst an online presentation via Zoom or other video calling apps. To prevent that from happening, you can have a mock call with a colleague to make sure speaker notes aren’t visible. To do that, you can rehearse your presentation by adjusting your screen share view while hiding speaker notes.

Discover our step-by-step guide on how to make a presentation .

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• PowerPoint Tutorials

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

Speaker notes can be very useful to highlight the ideas you want to talk about during your presentation. In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll learn how to enter speaker notes , how to activate the Presenter View and how to use its tools .

Adding Speaker Notes

Presenting with speaker notes, using the presenter view.

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
• At the bottom of the screen there’s a text field with the message “Click to add notes”. The text that you enter here will be visible for you during your presentation, but not for your audience.
• If you can’t see this text field, click View → Notes. You can also click the Notes button located at the bottom of the screen.
• To display the speaker notes, you must have two screens: one for the presentation and another for the notes.
• Go to the Slide Show tab.
• In the Monitors group, check “Use Presenter View”. If you have two screens, this box will be automatically checked. Your presentation will be displayed on the secondary screen and the Presenter View will be on the main screen. You can change this by selecting a different option from the Monitor drop-down list.
• Click the Slideshow button located at the bottom of the screen. As an alternative, you can click From Beginning, on the Slide Show tab, or just press F5. Your presentation will start in Presenter View.

There are different options at your disposal during your presentation. Some of them are exclusive of this view, so let’s talk about this. 

• Current slide and Next slide: The current slide and the next one will always be visible for you.
• Slide number: At the bottom of the screen, click the left arrow to go back to the previous slide, or click the right arrow to move on to the next one.
• Pen and laser pointer Tools: You can activate the pen to draw on the slides, or the laser pointer to highlight the contents of the slide.
• See all slides: If you click this button, you’ll see all the slides of your presentation.
• Zoom into the slides: You can zoom into any part of the screen.
• Black or unblack slide show: This allows you to hide or unhide the current slide.
• Toggle subtitles: If you click this button, the subtitles will appear on the screen. This button is only available in Office 365 and newer versions.
• Zoom: Under the speaker notes you’ll find two buttons that allow you to increase or decrease the size of the text.
• More slide show options: These include hiding the slide, changing the position of the subtitles and disabling the speaker notes.
• At the top of the screen you’ll find three buttons that allow you to access the taskbar, change the main screen or end the presentation.

Do you find this article useful?

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Google Slides, like PowerPoint, has different presentation modes that can come in handy when you’re presenting and you want your slideshow to look smooth. Whether you’re looking for slides only, speaker notes or the Q&A feature, in this new Google Slides tutorial, you’ll learn about these and their respective settings. Ready? Then let’s explore the presenter view! 

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How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint

• By Belinda Anderson
• 9 November 2016
• Updated: 6 December 2023
• No Comments

When creating a presentation it can be daunting trying to remember what needs to be said and when. You may also encounter the odd occasion when a presentation will be shared between multiple presenters. There can be confusion in knowing what to say and when. These cases are perfect examples of when you can add speaker notes to your PowerPoint presentation allowing all involved to see what needs to be discussed during each slide.

If you are new to presenting or plan to share your presentation with others you will find the use of speaker notes very effective. PowerPoint even provides a special Presenter View which lets you see your slides and your speaker notes whilst those viewing your presentation will only see the slide information – no notes.

Today I will show you how to add speaker notes to each slide within your presentation. You can then utilise the Presenter View features within Microsoft PowerPoint to deliver your presentation.

Add speaker notes to your presentation

The first step in this process is to add speaker notes to each individual slide within your presentation. To add speaker notes to individual slides, follow these steps:

• Open Microsoft PowerPoint .
• From the Start screen , select Open Other Presentation , or select a presentation from the Recent list .
• Ensure that Slide 1 is currently displayed. This is generally your opening title slide.
• If you cannot see the Notes area displayed underneath the slide area, click the Notes button located in the Status bar:

• Place your cursor in the notes area at the bottom of the screen where it says Click to add notes :

• Directly type any notes for Slide 1 into the notes area. For this exercise write a few lines on how you might introduce the presentation to the audience or possibly give them a brief introduction about yourself.
• Speaker notes should be brief bullet points or key information you want to discuss. I generally don’t recommend writing word-for-word exactly what you want to say as your presentation should feel natural and not scripted.
• You can use all font formatting options to make your notes easier to read, including the use of bullet or numbered lists.
• Select Slide 2 from the navigation pane.
• You will notice the notes area is empty.
• Repeat the process and enter some notes for Slide 2.
• Repeat this process until all slides contain speaker notes.
• You have now entered speaker notes.

View Speaker Notes

To view the speaker notes page, follow these steps:

• Click View > Notes Page .
• The presentation will now be displayed in notes view. This gives you a snapshot of the slide and displays the notes at the bottom of the page:

• Use the up and down scroll bar to move between each slide.
• Select View > Normal to return to the normal view.

View speaker notes during a presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to run a presentation and view your speaker notes at the same time. This provides guidance whilst the audience can only see the slides being projected. This features is referred to as Presenter view.

Presenter view works on any operating system that supports multiple displays, such as Microsoft Windows 7 or higher. It allows you to run your presentation from one monitor and let the audience view it on another monitor or a data projector.

NOTE : The computer must have multiple monitor capability— check with the manufacturer if you are unsure. Usually, desktop computers require two video cards in order to have multiple monitor capability; laptops often have the capability built in.

For the most part, you just need to connect the monitor and/or data projector and PowerPoint automatically sets it up. If you are creating your presentation on a computer with a single monitor and you want to use Presenter view, you can still do this. I always recommend testing Presenter View on the computer you will be presented with prior to your live presentation. This will ensure you can iron out any technical issues you may encounter prior and also makes for a less stressful start to your presentation.

To enable Presenter View, follow these steps:

• Select Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show .
• Under the Multiple monitors heading select the checkbox for Use Presenter View .

• Press F5 to view the slide show in Presenter View.
• Microsoft PowerPoint will now display your slide show in Presenter View:

• Meanwhile, if a data project is plugged into your computer, you will automatically see Presenter View displayed on your computer screen.
• If you are using PowerPoint on a computer with a single monitor, launch your presentation and then click the More button and choose Show Presenter View :

Congratulations, you have now added speaker notes to your presentation and displayed it using Presenter View. I highly recommend checking out my post on how to use the Rehearse Timings in PowerPoint along with my 10 tips for highly effective presentations .

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How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

Speaker notes keep a presenter on track during a presentation

• Brock University

What to Know

• To add a note, go to Slide pane > select slide's thumbnail > enter notes into Notes pane.
• To see notes during presentation, go to Slide Show > Use Presenter View .

Here's how to use and print PowerPoint notes, accompanied thumbnail versions of the appropriate slides, as a handy reference when making an oral presentation. Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint for Mac, and PowerPoint Online.

How to Add Notes in PowerPoint

Keep on track during your slideshow by adding speaker notes to each slide of your presentation. You don't need to write down everything you want to say, just add enough information to keep your speech flowing.

Go to View and select Normal . In PowerPoint Online, toggle the notes pane on and off by selecting View > Notes .

In the Slide pane, select the thumbnail of the slide you want to add a note.

Place the cursor in the Notes pane. The text in the Notes pane reads, Click to add notes .

If you don't see the Notes pane, go to View and select Notes . On a Mac, drag the bar below the slide upward to reveal the notes section.

Type or paste your notes into the Notes pane.

Save the changes to your presentation.

How to See Your Notes During a Presentation

If your computer is connected to another monitor or projector, you can enable Presenter View in PowerPoint 2016, 2013, and 2010.

Go to Slide Show and select Use Presenter View .

Select the monitor that you want to use to view your speaker notes in the Display Settings dialog box. Place a check next to This is my main monitor .

If available, select From Current Slide , Custom Slide Show , Present Online , or Broadcast Slide Show . Each of these views displays your slideshow notes during the presentation.

PowerPoint for Mac works a little differently than the Windows version. To see your notes during a presentation, go to Slide Show and select Presenter View .

PowerPoint Online is unable to open a presentation in Presenter View because it can't connect to an additional monitor.

Tips and More Information on PowerPoint Notes

Speaker notes are notes added to PowerPoint presentation slides as a reference for the presenter . Notes in a PowerPoint slide are hidden during the presentation and only visible to the one presenting the slides.

Presenter View works only if your computer is connected to another display. The purpose of Presenter View is to show something different on your screen than on the one your viewers are watching.

While in Presenter View, you'll see the current slide, the upcoming slide, and your notes. Presenter View includes a timer and a clock that shows if your presentation is running too short or too long.

To exit Presenter View, and end the presentation, select End Slide Show at the top of the screen. If you don't see that option, right-click the slideshow and select End Show .

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• Presentations

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint Quickly and Easily

• العربية/عربي

Are you having trouble staying on track as you give your presentation? PowerPoint speaker notes are a great way to add reminders of what you should say when giving your presentation. 

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint. It's the key to keeping essential details nearby while presenting. When you know how to insert notes in PowerPoint, you can recall those key cues during a presentation.

Knowing how to insert notes in PowerPoint is a key skill that elevates your presentations. It makes you confident and helps you ensure that you remember key points. And it’s amazingly easy to do. Let's learn how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint - and use them to their max.

Download Our FREE eBook and Make Great Presentations Today!

Want to start building amazing slide decks in PowerPoint? We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial, to help you do exactly that. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . Grab it now before you read on.

Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint (Quickstart Guide)

A great way to learn how to insert notes in PowerPoint is with the help of a screencast. We've recorded all the steps you need to master this skill. Check out the screencast below to learn the art of adding notes to PPT.

If you want a written guide that teaches you how to add notes on PowerPoint, we've got you covered. Read on for an illustrated tutorial to master PPT with speaker notes techniques.

Jump to content in this section:

How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

Learn more great powerpoint tips and tricks (for 2024), more powerpoint templates (for amazing slide designs in 2024), the top source for the very best speaker notes powerpoint templates (for 2024).

Knowing how to add notes on PowerPoint is a great skill to have. Why?

Because it helps you present with more confidence. You can leave helpful PowerPoint speaker notes that only you can see. This way, you can refer to a “ cheat sheet ” without the awkwardness of reading off a printed page, for example.

In today’s tutorial, we’ll use the popular Green Modern Presentation template from Envato Elements. Download it today to follow along.

Elements is an all-you-can-download service that offers great presentation templates. And it's the perfect supplement as we learn how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint.

Let’s learn how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint. Once you know how, you’ll be adding notes to PPT every time you present.

1. Open the PowerPoint Notes Panel

In PowerPoint, let's click on Notes on the bottom of the app to open the Notes Panel . These notes will show up only on your screen when presenting. Or you can have them on your slides when you print them.

A PPT with speaker notes is the perfect way to ensure you never forget what to say. Think of speaker notes in PowerPoint as cue cards that remind you what to say. 

2. Add Your Presenter Notes to Individual Slides

When you're adding notes to PPT, remember that they work on a slide-by-slide basis. In other words, every slide has its own set of speaker notes. 

You can type notes down here as a reminder of what to say when you're presenting. The notes will be added to the slide when you're finished. 

Add speaker notes when you need those important cues about what to say. I like to add my key talking points here to help me stay on message when speaking. That's how speaker notes in PowerPoint help you stay on track too. 

3. Switch to Presenter View to Use Your Notes

A PPT with speaker notes really shines when you use Presenter View. To open Presenter View click on the Slide Show option in the ribbon. Then click on the Presenter View icon.

This works anytime you’re connected to a second display, like a monitor or projector. Because of this, learning how to add notes on PowerPoint gives you more confidence!

When you use Presenter View, you’ll see a different view from your audience. They’ll see only your slides in full screen. You’ll see your current and next slide. And, most importantly, your PowerPoint speaker notes will be on display.

I love to use speaker notes in PowerPoint with Presenter View. It really keeps me focused, and I avoid forgetting key details in the moment as I share with my audience.

How to Use PPT With Speaker Notes

You can add speaker notes PowerPoint to all the slides in your presentation. That way, when you're giving your talk, you'll have handy notes to refer to if you get stuck. The audience won't see them. Instead, they're just available to help you stay on track during your presentation. 

You can also print your slides and have those presenter notes at hand. That's great if you prefer to have a paper copy of your speaker notes PowerPoint to reference. Learn how in this quick video tutorial: 

Envato Tuts+ has a vast collection of helpful PowerPoint tutorials . With them, you can elevate your presentation skills in just moments! 

You’ve learned how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint. But what slide designs will you choose? Envato Elements templates are your best bet. Here are several collections of the very best to help you choose:

Envato Elements is the top source for the best speaker notes PowerPoint presentation designs. The vast library has thousands of PPT templates to choose from , with more added every day.

You can add speaker notes in PowerPoint to any of them. It’s a surefire way to make a great impression when you present.

The Elements offer is powerful: unlimited downloads. For a flat monthly rate, you can download and use as many premium Microsoft PowerPoint templates as you want.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Elements includes millions more digital assets. Among these are fonts, stock photos, music, and more. They’re the perfect companions to your next PPT presentation.

Find PowerPoint Templates

Choose a premium Elements slide deck and enjoy:

• Creative features and layouts
• Easy-to-use designs
• Drag-and-drop placeholders
• Sleek charts, infographics, and more

Envato Elements also has an AI-assisted search tool . So, you can find exactly what you're looking for quickly.

As you can see, Envato Elements is the best value for creatives in 2024. Join today  and start exploring! 

Make Great Presentations (Free PDF eBook Download)

We have the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. 

Download our new eBook:  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It's available for free with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

Start Using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint Today

In this tutorial, you learned how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint. Think of it as the ultimate way to ensure success when presenting. Gone are worries about forgetting key details or losing your place.

Speaker notes PowerPoint are a breeze to add, and you can place them on every slide in your deck. When combined with Presenter View, they’re your helpful companion as you share slides with your audience.

So, what are you waiting for? Choose a stunning PowerPoint presentation template today. Then, build out your slides and add speaker notes. Knowing how to insert notes in PowerPoint is the best way to stay on track and master your presentation content. Try it now. 

Editor's Note: This tutorial has been completely reviewed and revised by Andrew Childress to make sure that it's accurate and relevant.

PowerPoint Speaker Notes - The Ultimate Guide

DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ THE ARTICLE? DON’T WORRY, LET ME SEND YOU A COPY

Have you ever heard of PowerPoint speaker notes ?  

You probably have. 

They are those notes that the speaker used to write down on a piece of paper to keep at hand in old presentations.  

So, PowerPoint decided to make available a feature that allows you to add speaker notes directly into your presentation.  

Why is it worthwhile to talk about such a simple topic?  

PowerPoint’s speaker notes have many different facets and, when used correctly, can support you in different contexts allowing you to create effective presentations. 

What are speaker notes in PowerPoint?  

That’s right; let’s start with the basics and quickly clarify what we’re talking about.  

PowerPoint allows you to add speaker notes in every slide, or to be precise, below every slide.  

This way, every time you scroll through the slides you will always have available the notes related to the slide you are commenting on.  

Convenient, isn’t it?  

Indeed, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.  

Don’t just assume that this is the only way to use PowerPoint speaker notes, because I’m about to show you that there’s much, much more to it than that.  

Are you with me?  

Then let’s begin right away by appreciating its benefits.  

What are the pros of using speaker notes in PowerPoint? 

Have you ever had the fear of not remembering what to say during your next presentation?  

If so, PowerPoint speaker notes are a powerful ally for you.  

They allow you to jot down key information , numbers, or even sources and all kinds of information that you shouldn’t forget. 

This is the main reason why the average user discovers the existence of this tool.  

Is it wrong, Maurizio?  

Absolutely not, it’s perfectly fine to use speaker notes to support your argument , especially if they give you peace of mind.  

However, you must avoid getting caught reading the notes.   

I remember a speaker at a business meeting who decided to share his presentation using the projector in the meeting room, but spent the entire meeting reading speaker notes on his laptop. 

If this were to happen to you, you would communicate unpreparedness and your audience would struggle to focus on the projected slides because you would be constantly looking at your laptop screen. 

If you follow my blog or have read my  Lean Presentation Design book , you know how much I care about building an empathetic relationship with the audience.  

So, you can clearly see that giving a presentation by looking at your PowerPoint speaker notes on your laptop without looking at your audience is not an empathetically effective approach.  

How do you do it, then?  

Use the PowerPoint speaker notes as a support , a safety net, but make sure you always know your topic well and don’t need to read your entire speech.  

You should only need to peek at them here and there during your presentation.  

Let’s get technical.  

How do I add speaker notes in PowerPoint?

This is actually really easy! 

Go to PowerPoint and look below your current slide.  

You’ll see that there’s an edge that you can drag upwards.  

Did you find it?  

When you drag it, you’ll notice that it opens a panel within which you can enter text.   

In that panel you can insert PowerPoint speaker notes.  

Have you noticed that the speaker notes panel looks like a simple text editor?   

The logic of slide freedom doesn’t apply, you can only write in there.  

After all, you need this panel to free you from the constraints of design (alignments, distributions, font size and style) and focus on the content – what you need to write.  

For now, I’ll just insert some sample text with the =lorem() function to show you how to use notes.  

As you can see, you have plenty of space to write freely in the notes field. 

How do I use speaker notes in PowerPoint during a presentation?

Okay, you’ve set up your notes by entering key information that you don’t want to risk forgetting while you’re speaking.  

How can you view them during your presentation? 

The typical mistake is to have your PowerPoint run full screen with the F5 key.  

How? I shouldn’t be presenting in full screen, Maurizio?  

I didn’t say that.  

You should certainly present full-screen, but that’s the visual you should offer your audience – you should see the “behind the scenes” of the presentation.  

I don’t understand, I am not following you.  

I’ll give you an example.  

If you switch to full screen presenter mode, you will see this.  

I used my presentation on the  Lean Presentation Design eCourse  as an example.  

What you should see instead is PowerPoint’s speaker mode.  

This way you will have a clear overview of the slide you are projecting , the slide that will follow , and your PowerPoint notes.   

Where are the notes?  

I am highlighting them in the following image. 

With PowerPoint speaker mode you’ll have your notes conveniently placed under the following slide.  

How do you achieve this effect?  

In a live presentation, simply connect your laptop t o a projector with an HDMI or VGA cable to extend the screen.  

Remember, it’s important to extend the screen and not duplicate it because you want to have two different visuals on the two screens.  

To extend your screen on Windows just use the shortcut WIN+P. This will open the side panel shown in the next figure, where you’ll have to choose the extend mode.  

Be careful: if you use a wireless screen sharing tool, such as Clickshare , then you might have difficulties in extending the desktop since these tools are designed for screen duplication.  

In case you need it, I’ve written a short guide where I explain how to set an extended screen mode with Clickshare as well:  How to activate the PowerPoint Presenter view with Clickshare . 

This is a powerful technique because it allows you to always have your eyes on your notes and the next slide without ever having to turn to look at the screen.  

Please, don’t tell me you’re one of those speakers who turns to look at their slides at every screen to remember what to say.  

If you were, from now on you will know how to change and devote 100% of your attention to look at and interact with your audience, rather than the projector.  

Naturally, I expect you to grasp the information you need at a glance from a laptop that will be strategically placed between you and your audience. 

If you lose yourself looking at your laptop and stop looking at your audience then you are making a common, serious mistake and will end up losing all contact with your audience.  

How to use speaker notes in PowerPoint during a virtual presentation?

Although so heavily judged, online presentations offer a great opportunity when it comes to advanced management of live direction.  

By being behind a screen and having your own location you can exploit notes in a much more effective way than if you were in person.  

In what sense, Maurizio?  

I’ll give you an example right now.  

Check out my setup during an online presentation.  

I have Microsoft Teams on the left, while on the right I have PowerPoint in speaker mode with the speaker notes.  

This way I can monitor the chat and interact with my audience, but at the same time I have control over the direction of the presentation.   

What will your audience see when you share the screen, Maurizio?  

They will only see the full-screen slide because you will only share the slideshow.  

Sorry Mauri, but I’m a little confused by this complex setup.  

If that’s the case, I understand, and that’s why I recorded a short video where I show you how to do it. 

Got it?  

Now stop reading, launch a PowerPoint presentation and try this new way of presenting right away. 

If you can’t figure it out, ask me for an explanation using the comments on the YouTube video so that I will get an email right away as soon as you submit yours. 

Can you see how nice it is to have your notes at your fingertips while you’re speaking?  

When you deliver your online presentation, if you do it right, no one will even know you’re using them, and they’ll guarantee you a better performance and more peace of mind during your presentation.  

What should speaker notes include?  

But what should you include in these PowerPoint speaker notes?  

Let me tell you about one use I make of them during my training activities.  

There is a Pixar story case study that I usually tell in English during my  Lean Presentation Design  courses.  

Obviously, using the original words while telling the story in the original words makes a big difference and that’s why, on the very slide where I talk about it, I keep the exact words and actually read the story.  

Clearly, I only do this virtually – in person I can’t, otherwise I’d have to get close to my laptop and dive my head in while reading, it wouldn’t look good at all. 

So, if you’re delivering presentations in a foreign language, it can help to write down the text of the speech or maybe a few words that you have a harder time remembering.  

Another occasion when I recommend you use notes is to write down numbers, statistics, or other quantitative evidence that you would have trouble remembering during the presentation, but that you know would enrich your speech.  

I also often write the speech underneath each slide when I’m designing a presentation for others. Sometimes I also include all the information about the speaker change during the event, so that with a simple PowerPoint every speaker on stage knows what to do.  

Sometimes it can help to write down the sources you need to mention during your presentation to build credibility for your argument. 

How do I use speaker notes in PowerPoint to create handouts? 

Of all the ways to use speaker notes in PowerPoint, this one deserves a dedicated paragraph because of its strategic importance.   

Traditionally, a presentation is created either to be presented or to be  read  and, depending on the case, you need to manage content density differently.  

If you are creating a report presentation that you are not going to present, you need to make it  self-standing , and therefore you need more content on the slides.  

Clearly, you don’t want to be presenting all that content, otherwise you risk having an audience that doesn’t listen to you but ends up reading your slides.  

Following the rules of traditional presentation design, I would suggest you make two versions of the same presentation , a slim one to present and a full one to share so that it can be read, as we usually call them.  

Sorry Maurizio, won’t that take me twice as long?  

Exactly! 

For this reason,  Lean Presentation Design  is a methodology that maximizes effectiveness , but never at the expense of efficiency.  

Here’s where it makes sense to use notes to create handouts.  

What are handouts?  

Imagine designing the presentation in a slim version, so that it will be presented, but writing the whole speech in the notes slide by slide.  

Now go to the print options and select: “print with notes on page”. 

Here’s PowerPoint interpreting the slide as an A4 document with your notes right below.  

Okay, but what do I do now, do I print?  

No, wait.  

Now change the printer with the Microsoft Print to PDF.  

At last, you can now go to print.  

The result will be an A4 presentation with the slides on top and the comments below. 

Can you see the power of this approach?  

You’ve got a slim presentation to present with lightweight slides and a self-standing PDF presentation to read in one document.  

The only thing you must pay attention to is that you have to write the notes connecting well one slide with the other , because as you are not the one who decides when to move to the next slide, it will be your audience who will move freely within the document.  

My advice is to always leave a space before the last line and use it to create the sentence connecting the next slide.  

This way, when the reader gets to the last sentence of the commentary , he or she will understand that it’s time to turn the page and will follow along in his or her reading experience in a natural way.  

How do you write speaker notes for a presentation?  

The great thing about writing in PowerPoint’s speaker notes field is that y ou don’t have to pay attention to the design and font style, because they are for your own use or will eventually be printed in PDF. 

In any case, you won’t have any problems with overflowing text boxes that overlap with the slide and that you have to adapt by reducing the font size.  

In fact, you’ll be able to write in the notes focusing solely on the content.  

Maurizio, why are you telling me this, is there a “but” coming?  

Yes, there is a “but”! 

Remember that in  Lean Presentation Design  we don’t design a presentation, we design the experience of using the document for our audience.  

So, if you’re writing for handouts, it’s clear that you’ll need to highlight keywords, write in a font that’s comfortable to read, and maybe leave some paragraph space to improve usability. 

How do I print speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Earlier I showed you how to create a handout document, that is, with notes below the slides.  

To do this we used a PDF printout of the PowerPoint with the notes on the page.  

Now I’ll show you that there is already a handout export feature, and it also offers several interesting options:  

You can place the speaker notes next to the slide thumbnails, below the slide or export them without slides.  

In this case, you will get a word document with the collection of all the speaker notes of your presentation.  

Finally, you just need to print the word document to print the notes.   

How do I delete speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Cleaning up a PowerPoint presentation from all the notes slide by slide can be very time consuming. 

I’m sure there’s a trick, right Maurizio?  

Indeed, there is! 

Open the File > PowerPoint Info menu and follow Check for Issues > Inspect Document. Scroll down the panel that appears and at the bottom you will find the presentation notes.  

Now launch the inspection by clicking on Inspect and you will see a Remove All button appear next to the presentation notes:  

Be careful, because once you click it, there’s no going back . 

How to hide speaker notes in PowerPoint  

Viewing or hiding PowerPoint’s speaker notes is a convenient option as you work. To view the panel, you can drag it up as I showed you earlier, or even click on Notes.   

It doesn’t get any easier than that! 

Examples of speaker notes in PowerPoint  

To sum up, there are several application cases of notes in PowerPoint. You could use them to keep an eye on important numbers with their sources, when present.  

Another example of PowerPoint speaker notes is the full speech written below the slide.  

Of course, I expect you not to read your notes blindly but to use them as handout support in case you need to share your PowerPoint.  

I’ll leave it to you to come up with the next example of how to use speaker notes in PowerPoint; leave a comment to this post.  

PowerPoint Speaker Notes: Conclusions 

PowerPoint speaker notes are a powerful ally whether you need to create a slim and full presentation at the same time or if you just need a placeholder so that you don’t forget something during your next presentation.  

To add PowerPoint notes, simply drag up the panel at the bottom of the slide as shown above.  

How do you use PowerPoint speaker mode?  

Sources   

Add speaker notes to your slides  

Add speaker notes  

Everything You Need to Know About Using Speaker Notes in PowerPoint  

How to add speaker notes to your PowerPoint presentation  

How to Use Speaker Notes in PowerPoint  

Maurizio La Cava

About Maurizio

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• Writing Tips

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

4-minute read

• 31st January 2024

Adding speaker notes to your PowerPoint allows you to present with confidence while avoiding information overload in your slides. This means an engaged audience! But how do you add speaker notes? Read on for our simple step-by-step guide.

What Are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint?

There’s nothing worse than sitting through a PowerPoint presentation with slides so full of information that you miss what the speaker is saying while you try to read them. And as a presenter, you can come across as dull if you simply read the slides.

These problems can be avoided by having a separate set of prompts to keep you on track – speaker notes in PowerPoint are the on-screen version of those.

Just like hand-held notes, speaker notes in PowerPoint are visible to the speaker (hence the name), but not displayed in the slideshow.

You can also use speaker notes to jot down any issues that come up during a presentation. And if you need to ask someone else to help operate the PowerPoint, you can use speaker notes to add instructions so it all runs smoothly.

How to Add Speaker Notes to Your PowerPoint

To add speaker notes to your PowerPoint presentation, follow these steps.

1. Select the Relevant Slide

Click on the slide where you want to add the notes. 

2. Click to Add Notes

To add your speaker notes to the slide, you have two options:

• You may see a prompt at the bottom of the screen that says, “Click to add notes.” Click in that section and type away!
• If you can’t see it, click Notes in the bottom ribbon to reveal it.

View Your Speaker Notes

If your notes are long, a scroll bar will appear at the side so you can navigate through them.

You can also increase the size of the notes section. Hover your cursor along the top of the section until it looks like a horizontal line with up and down arrows. Click and drag to change the size of the notes section.

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Edit Speaker Notes While Presenting Your PowerPoint

It always happens, however well you’ve prepared: someone will ask a question you weren’t expecting, or you’ll notice something you missed. Never fear! You can still edit your speaker notes while presenting your PowerPoint. It’s simple, and your audience don’t need to know. Here’s how.

1. Select Presenter View

This should start automatically when you connect to a projector and start your slideshow. If it doesn’t, then you can select it by clicking on Presenter View in the Slideshow tab on the ribbon.

2. Add Your Notes

The notes section is on the right of the current slide. This contains any speaker notes you’ve already added. You can add and delete notes in that section while presenting.

All your audience will see is the slideshow.

Finishing Up

Congratulations! Your speaker notes are now ready for you to present your PowerPoint. You can even print them for your audience to take away, leaving them free to enjoy your presentation. Simply click on Print in the File menu and then select Notes from the dropdown list in the print dialog box.

Adding speaker notes to your PowerPoint is a simple way to keep on track during your presentation and allow your audience to take in your slides.

Of course, you’ll also need to make sure that the other elements of your presentation are on point – you don’t want your hard work derailed by spelling and grammar issues. We can help with that! Our team of expert editors and proofreaders are available 24/7 to polish your PowerPoint presentation . And you can try it for free .

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Speaker Notes in PowerPoint and How to Use Them

Last updated on June 27th, 2023

Speaker notes are a powerful feature in Microsoft PowerPoint that allow presenters to add additional information, reminders, and cues to their presentation. These notes are not visible to the audience and are intended solely for the presenter’s reference. In this article, we will explore the importance of speaker notes, what they are, and five possible use cases for speaker notes. Speaker notes is a concept used in presentations and Microsoft PowerPoint has a special section in the slide that you can use for speaker notes.

What are Speaker Notes?

Speaker notes are a feature in Microsoft PowerPoint that allow presenters to add notes to each slide of their presentation. These notes are intended to help the presenter remember key points, provide additional information, and keep the presentation on track. Speaker notes can be added to a slide by selecting the “Notes” pane at the bottom of the PowerPoint window.

Speaker notes are also known as Notes Pages in recent versions of PowerPoint. The speaker notes or notes pages are a reserved space for each slide in your presentation that is intended to be used by the presenter for many different purpose.

Why are Speaker Notes Important? 3 Reasons

Speaker notes are important for a number of reasons.

Reason #1: Speaker Notes help the presenter to stay on track and remember key points

First, they can help the presenter stay on track and remember key points. This is especially important for longer presentations or presentations that cover complex topics.

Reason #2: Speaker Notes provide additional information

Second, speaker notes can help the presenter provide additional information that may not be included on the slide itself. This can help the audience better understand the content being presented.

Reason #3: Speaker Notes help presenters feel more confident

Finally, speaker notes can help the presenter feel more confident and prepared, which can lead to a more successful presentation.

The presenter can add some key points that he want to cover during a PowerPoint presentation or meeting, and don’t want to miss. The following figure shows a sample PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes in the slide.

The speaker notes can be printed separately or there is additional software that you can use to display the notes in a separate screen for example in front of the presenter, while the audience is watching the presentation at the background of the presenter. You can also learn how to print notes in PowerPoint here.

Entering speaker notes for each slide is easy, just need to locate the bottom area of the slide and start entering text there.

How to view Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

In order to view your speaker notes or notes pages in a better view or prepare it for printing you can change the view in your PowerPoint presentation.

• Open your PowerPoint file or start a new presentation
• Click on View tab and then choose Notes Page

You can click on the notes area and start typing or changing your existing notes.

So here you learned how to use the Speaker Notes and how to add the key points that you want to remember during your presentation. You can download free sample PowerPoint templates and free PowerPoint slides for Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

BONUS: Possible Use Cases of Speaker Notes

Here are some possible use cases for speaker notes:

• Reminders: Speaker notes can be used to remind the presenter of key points or to-do items during the presentation. For example, if the presenter needs to remember to ask for questions at the end of the presentation, they can add a reminder to their speaker notes.
• Additional Information: Speaker notes can be used to provide additional information that may not be included on the slide itself. For example, if the presenter is discussing a graph or chart, they can use the speaker notes to explain the data in more detail.
• Timing: Speaker notes can be used to help the presenter keep track of time during the presentation. For example, if the presenter has a limited amount of time to present, they can use the speaker notes to remind themselves to move on to the next slide at a specific time. With the help of Presenter View, Speaker notes can boost your productivity.
• Script: Speaker notes can be used to create a script for the presentation. This can be especially helpful for presenters who are new to presenting or who are presenting in a language that is not their first language.
• Cues: Speaker notes can be used to provide cues to the presenter during the presentation. For example, if the presenter needs to change the tone of their voice or emphasize a certain point, they can add a cue to their speaker notes to remind themselves to do so.

Final Words

In conclusion, speaker notes are an important feature in Microsoft PowerPoint that can help presenters stay on track, provide additional information, and feel more confident during their presentation. By using speaker notes effectively, presenters can create more successful and engaging presentations.

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How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Shortcuts & Hacks
• April 8, 2019

In this article, you will learn the ins and outs of how to add speaker notes in PowerPoint. This includes printing, presenting, deleting, and formatting your speaker notes so that your handouts look professional.

If you are brand new to adding notes to your PowerPoint presentations, there are three common ways professionals use speaker notes in PowerPoint.

#1. Presenter View: Use your speaker notes as prompts during your presentation. This is the most common use case for adding speaker notes in PowerPoint. You present your slide on a monitor, and you have your main points bulleted out in the Presenter View of PowerPoint.

#2. Normal View: Use your notes as reference documentation for your slides. Instead of listing out the main points for your slides, some professionals use the Notes Pane to capture where their information came from. In this case, you never present or print your speaker notes, you simply keep the links or references to your materials in the Notes Pane.

#3. Notes Page View: use your notes as the final client deliverable like a Word document. The Notes Page View displays your slide at the top of the page and all your speaker notes below it, detailing your comments, recommendations, or action steps like a Word document. While the Notes Page View is NOT as easy to use as Microsoft Word, the fact that the notes stay with each PowerPoint slide makes this very convenient.

How to add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

There are two different places where you can type your speaker notes in PowerPoint. You can either type them in the Notes Pane at the bottom of your PowerPoint Window, your you can type them in the Notes Page view.

Which of these two views is better? It depends on what level of formatting you want to see your speaker notes in.

The main difference between using these two views when working on your speaker notes is the level of formatting that is displayed. The Notes Pane only displays plain text formatting, whereas the Notes Page View displays all formatting just like Microsoft Word.

Notes added in either view are both viewable and editable in the other view. So, you can flip back and forth between the views depending on what you are doing.

Note: You can only add text as your speaker notes in PowerPoint. You cannot add pictures, charts, tables, etc.  Any picture, chart, or graphic you want to reference in your notes must remain on your slide.

#1. The Notes Pane in the Normal View

#2. The Notes Page View

The other way you can add and edit your speaker notes in PowerPoint is using the Notes Page View. The advantage of this view is it displays all your text formatting including font size and font color.

There are four different ways you can open the Notes Pane to add your notes in PowerPoint listed below (and referenced in the picture above).

• Navigate to the View tab and click the Notes command.
• Hit Ctrl+Shift+H on your keyboard to open the Notes Pane.
• Click the Notes command at the bottom of your PowerPoint workspace.
• With your mouse, click and drag the Notes Pane up from the bottom of the PowerPoint workspace.

Regardless of how you open the Notes Pane, once it is open, you can directly type or edit your speaker notes into it. As you will see in the formatting section below, the Notes Pane only displays plain text formatting like bold, italics, numbered lists, bulleted lists, etc.

To add or edit your speaker notes using the Notes Page view in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the View tab
• Select the Notes Page view
• Click into the input box to type or edit your notes

Note: If you type a lot of text in this view, your notes will run off the bottom of the page. You do not have to worry about losing any of these notes. Any runoff notes will properly display in the Notes Pane and will print properly on the correct number of pages as needed.

Formatting Speaker Notes in PowerPoint

You can apply formatting to your notes in both the Notes Pane and the Notes Page view. That said, not all your formatting properly displays in the Notes Pane .

For example, in the picture below, the red font color I applied in the Notes Pane only displays in the Notes Page view. In this way, only the Notes Page view fully displays all the formatting that has been applied to your speaker notes, so make sure to check this view before you print your notes.

The Notes Pane and the Presenter View only display simple formatting like bold, italics, underlines, bulleted lists, etc. On top of that, these views do not display Font Size. Instead, they only display a zoom level. If you zoom in or out within the Notes Pane or the Presenter View , your Font Size appears to change, but it is only the zoom level changing, not your Font Size.

If you need to see all the formatting applied to your speaker notes in PowerPoint before you print them, the best place to do that is the Notes Page view. See section above for opening the Notes Page view in PowerPoint.

How to remove all your speaker notes at once

You can remove all your speaker notes (known in PowerPoint as Presentation Notes) before you share your presentation with someone using the Inspect Document feature . To remove all your notes at once, simply:

• Navigate to the File menu
• Click the Info
• Open the Check for Issues drop down
• Select Inspect document (select Yes if a dialog box opens)
• Make sure the Presentation Notes option is selected
• Click Inspect
• For Presentation notes, select Remove all

After you select Remove All , all your speaker notes will be removed from your presentation. Just keep in mind that once you remove them, you cannot undo this selection.

So, if you want to keep a copy of your notes, you should first save a copy of your presentation.

How to view your speaker notes in Presenter View

Regardless of how you add your speaker notes to PowerPoint, you can view them in the Presenter View of PowerPoint. You can access this view using shortcuts, or you can set it to run automatically if you are connected to a second monitor.

To set up the Presenter View to run automatically when you connect to an overhead projector or monitor, simply.

1. Navigate to the Slide Show tab 2. Put a checkmark next to Use Presenter View

After selecting Presenter View, the next time you hook up to a monitor or overhead projector and run your presentation, your slides will display on the screen and the Presenter view will display on your computer.

You can alternatively launch the Presenter View at any time using the Alt+Shift+F5 shortcut. To expand your knowledge and learn a variety of ways to present a PowerPoint slideshow (including hidden shortcuts), read our guide here .

How to print your PowerPoint with notes as handouts

To print your PowerPoint speaker notes as handouts, simply:

• Select File then Print (or hit Ctrl+P)
• Change the slides dropdown to Notes Pages
• Click Print

If you want to print your speaker notes next to your slide, you’ll need to first export your slides to Microsoft Word (discussed below).

To expand your knowledge and learn other nuances and tips for printing PowerPoint with notes, read our guide here .

To learn how to print your presentation with multiples per page as handouts, read our guide here .

Below are some important things to keep in mind as you start to print your PowerPoint notes as handouts.

1. Slide Numbers are different than page numbers

The number you see in the lower right-hand corner in the print preview are your slide numbers, not the actual page numbers. This can cause a lot of confusion when you are printing your slides with lots of notes, like when using your speaker notes as the client deliverable.

For example, in the picture below, notice that the number is the same on both pages. That is again because it is the slide number, not the page number. So, if you have five pages of notes for slide number 2, the number for all five pages of printing speaker notes will be 2.

Slide numbers in PowerPoint are notoriously tricky to get right. They are much more difficult than managing page numbers in Microsoft Word. If you need help adding and managing your slide numbers in PowerPoint, read our guide here .

2. Slide thumbnails only display on the first page of notes

When printing speaker notes, the slide thumbnail only displays on the first page of your notes. So, if you have four pages of notes for a single slide, your thumbnail only displays on the first page (as pictured above).

3. Formatting your Notes Master for professional handouts

If you want your printed speaker notes to look professional, you will need to format your Notes Master. Notice in the picture below the difference in professionalism between formatted and non-formatting handouts.

If your presentation is important, I highly recommend formatting your Notes Master with your company logo, website address, etc. That way when you print your slides as handouts, they will look sharp, clean, and professional.

To navigate to your Notes Master to format your handouts, simply:

• Click the Notes Master command.

You can add anything you like to your Notes Master just as you would add it to a PowerPoint slide. At a bare minimum, I recommend adding your company logo (as a PNG) and website address. If you are holding a training seminar, I also recommend adding your contact details too.

How to export your speaker notes to Microsoft Word

Another option for printing and editing your notes is to first push them to Microsoft Word.

This gives you the additional option to have your speaker notes on the right of your slides. On top of that, once in Word, you can format and edit your speaker notes in the full Microsoft Word editing environment.

To convert your speaker notes into Microsoft Word document, simply:

• Navigate to the File tab
• Click the Export command
• Select Create Handouts once
• Select Create Handouts a second time
• Pick either Notes next to slide or Notes below slide

Clicking okay, your slides and speaker notes are pushed to a new Microsoft Word document where you can edit them.

Special note when exporting to Microsoft Word. The Create Handouts dialog box gives you the option to Paste Link . In my experience this linking feature is unreliable and rarely works the way you’d expect it to. So, I do not recommend using it.

To expand your knowledge and learn how to convert Microsoft Word to PowerPoint, and some of the common pitfalls that can take place, read our guide here .

How long should your speaker notes be?

Although you can add as much information as you want to your notes, if you are using them as presentation prompts, I recommend keeping them short and punchy. Just enough to remind you of your next topic, or your key points.

Most people hate it if you stand up on stage and read your slides aloud, right? Well, the same is true if you stand on stage and read your speaker notes to them. This is the classic death by PowerPoint.

In addition, hiding behind your computer during your presentation creates an awkward relationship between you and your audience. So, if you are using your notes as speaking guides for your presentation, then use them sparingly.  Instead of writing long sentences or paragraphs, try adding short prompts or highlights to jog your memory.

If you are looking for ideas on how to start your presentation with a bang, read our guide here .

If you need help ending your presentation on a high note, read our guide here .

Speaker notes in PowerPoint can be used in a variety of ways depending on what you are using PowerPoint for. Some use them as presentation prompts, others for research documentation, and others as the final client deliverable. Thankfully, PowerPoint gives you the flexibility to use your speaker notes any way you like.

Just remeber that the formatting of your notes appears differently in the different PowerPoint views.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training courses and other useful resources here .

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May 9, 2022

Edit your notes in Presenter view in PowerPoint

Victoria Tran

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Hey, Officer Insiders! My name is Victoria Tran, and I’m a Program Manager on the PowerPoint team. I’m thrilled to share that you can now edit notes in Presenter view in PowerPoint for Windows. No more switching to Editor view to type or change your notes, even during a presentation!

Edit notes in Presenter view

Accessing and editing your slide content whenever the need arises is a key part of the PowerPoint workflow. Whether you’re making an important edit to your speaker notes during a presentation rehearsal or jotting down feedback during your presentation, the ability to edit notes in Presenter view increases your productivity and eliminates the need to toggle between views.

We are excited to add this highly requested feature and expand the use of PowerPoint notes. In the future, we’ll continue to add support for editing notes in other views, such as Teleprompter view.

How it works

Ready to edit notes in Presenter view?

NOTE:  You can also press the F6 key to select the Notes pane in Presenter view. When a white outline appears around the pane, press Enter and start typing to make any updates you want.

Known issues

Presenter view currently only allows basic formatting of notes, such as bold, italics, and underlining (via keyboard shortcuts). Formatting such as text color, highlighting, and other options aren’t yet available.

Tips and tricks

• If you are using keyboard commands to navigate through your slides during a presentation, make sure the text insertion point is not showing in the Notes pane. If it is, the arrow keys will move the insertion point around in the pane instead of navigating the slides.
• If you have two monitors, a full-screen slide will show on one monitor and Presenter view on the other monitor, featuring a view of the next slide, your speaker notes, a timer, and more. If you have just one monitor, you can press Alt + F5 to try out Presenter view.

Availability

We will be rolling the edit notes in Presenter view feature out to Office Insiders running Beta Channel Version 2204 (Build 15225.20000) or later.

Don’t have it yet? It’s probably us, not you.

Features are released over some time to ensure things are working smoothly. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Sometimes we remove elements to further improve them based on your feedback. Though this is rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product, even if you, as an Insider, have had the opportunity to try it.

We want to hear from you! Please click Help > Feedback to submit your feedback about this feature.

Learn what  other information you should include in your feedback  to ensure it’s actionable and reaches the right people. We’re excited to hear from you!

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Use a screen reader to read or add speaker notes and comments in PowerPoint

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support  content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit  Microsoft Support .

Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and a screen reader to add and read speaker notes in your PowerPoint presentation. We've tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to use speaker notes to add reminders or talking points for the presenter, and use comments to give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program .

To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365 .

In this topic

Add speaker notes, read speaker notes, add a comment, read comments.

Add speaker notes in your presentation to tell a story to your audience beyond the slide content. You can use the speaker notes as private reminders of the slide content, too.

To display the Notes pane, in the Normal view, press Alt+W, P, N.

On the slide where you want to add notes, press F6 until you hear: "Slide notes."

Type your notes.

To exit the Notes pane, press F6.

You can hear whether a slide has notes and listen to the notes.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear: "Thumbnails."

Press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title or number of the slide and its position in the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has notes.”

To display the Notes pane, press Alt+W, P, N.

Press F6 until you hear “Slide notes,” and then press the SR key+R to listen to the note.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, reviewing someone else's work.

If you want to comment on a specific piece of text or an object, select it first. To find out how to select in PowerPoint using keyboard shortcuts, refer to Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations .

On a slide, in the Normal view, when you hear a piece of text or an object you want to comment on, press Alt+R, C. The Comments pane opens.

Type your comment and press Ctrl+Enter to save it.

To exit the Comments pane, press Esc.

To close the Comments pane, press Alt+R, P, P.

You can hear whether a slide has comments and listen to the comments.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear: "Thumbnails."

Press F6 and the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the title or number of the slide and its position in the list of slides. If there are comments on the slide, you hear: “Has comments.”

To open the Comments pane, press Alt+R, P, P. You hear: “Comments on slide.”

If the Comments pane is already open, press F6 or Shift+F6 until you hear: "Comments on slide."

Press the SR key+Right or Left arrow key to move through the comments. Your screen reader reads the comments as you land on them.

Use a screen reader to add and format text in PowerPoint

Use a screen reader to save your presentation in PowerPoint

Use a screen reader to show your presentation with PowerPoint

Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations

Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations

Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to add and read speaker notes and comments in your presentation.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide .

Add comments

Reply to a comment, resolve comments.

Add speaker notes in your presentation to tell a story to your audience beyond the slide content. You can use the speaker notes as private reminders of the slide content, too. You can add the speaker notes in the Normal view if you're adding only short notes, or in the Notes Page view if you're planning to write more notes per slide.

Add speaker notes in the Normal view

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, press Shift+F6 until you hear: "Notes pane."

Type your speaker notes for the slide.

Add speaker notes in the Notes Page view

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, in the Normal view, press Command+3. You hear: "Notes page, checked."

In the Notes Page view, press the Tab key until you hear: "Entering slides notes text box, Edit text." Then type your speaker notes.

To move to the notes on another slide, in the Notes Page view, press Option+Control+Shift+Up arrow key until you hear: "Out of notes page view, layout area." Press Esc once, and then press Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear the slide you want.

To return to the Normal view, press Command+1.

You can listen to the notes on your headset and then deliver them verbally to your audience, or let VoiceOver read the notes out loud. You can listen to the speaker notes either in the Normal view or the Notes Page view when you're creating or editing your presentation. When you're delivering a slide show, you can use the Presenter View .

Read speaker notes in the Normal view

On the slide, press Shift+F6 until you hear: "Notes pane."

In the Notes Pane , press Control+Command+Right arrow key. You hear "Edit text, insertion at beginning of text," followed by the speaker notes text.

Read speaker notes on a Notes Page view

On a slide, press Command+3. You hear: "Notes page, checked."

In the Notes Page view, press the Tab key until you hear "Edit text," followed by the speaker notes text.

Read speaker notes in the Presenter View

To switch to the Presenter View , on a slide in the Normal view, press Option+Return. You hear: "Now in PowerPoint presenter view."

In the Presenter View , press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear: "Notes pane, layout area."

To read the notes text, in the Notes pane, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key. VoiceOver reads the speaker notes text. To stop reading, press Control once.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, working together with others on a presentation or you're reviewing someone else's work.

On the slide where you want to add comments, press F6 until you hear the name of the current tab on the ribbon.

Press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear "Review tab," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

On the Review tab, press the Tab key until you hear "New comment button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. The Comments pane opens, and the focus moves to the comment text field in the pane.

Type your comment.

To insert your comment, press Command+Return.

Reply to a comment 

Open the Comments pane and read the comments as instructed in  Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Reply, edit text," and then type your reply.

To insert your reply, press Command+Return.

When on a comment you want to resolve, press the Tab key until you hear "More thread actions button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

To resolve the comment, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Resolve thread," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

You can use VoiceOver to listen to others' comments and to check who's commented on your presentation and when.

In the Normal view, press F6 until you hear the current tab on the ribbon.

Press Control+Option+Left or Right arrow key until you hear "Review tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

On the Review tab, press the Tab key until you hear: "Show comments menu button."

To open the Comments pane, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear "Comments pane," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. If you hear "Check mark, Comments pane," the Comments pane is already open. In that case, press Esc and proceed to the next step.

On a slide, press F6 until you hear: "Comments, selected tab."

In the Comments pane, press the Tab key until you hear: "Entering comment thread." The focus is now on the first comment of the thread. To read the comment, press the Tab key. VoiceOver also announces the time when the comment was added and who wrote it.

To move to the next comment thread, press Option+Control+Shift+Up arrow key. You hear: "Out of comment thread." Then press the Down arrow key until you hear the next thread.

Use PowerPoint with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to add and read speaker notes and comments in your presentation.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility .

Resolve a comment

When you open a presentation in PowerPoint, it opens in the Normal view where VoiceOver can read the speaker notes.

To navigate to a slide that has speaker notes, swipe right until you hear the slide number and title, followed by "Has notes." Double-tap the screen to select the slide.

To open the Notes pane, swipe left until you hear "Notes button," and double-tap the screen.

The Notes  pane opens. To read the notes, swipe left until you hear "Slide notes, text box," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

To close the Notes pane, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and double-tap the screen.

You can use speaker notes as private reminders of what to say when presenting your slides to the audience.

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, swipe right until you hear: "Notes, button." Then double-tap the screen. The Notes pane opens.

Note:  If you hear "Notes" instead of "Notes button," the Notes pane is already open.

To go to the notes text field, swipe right until you hear: "Slide notes, text box, text field."

Double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to type your notes.

To close the keyboard, swipe right until you hear "Hide keyboard," and then double-tap the screen.

Read comments 

When you open a presentation in PowerPoint, it opens in the Normal view where VoiceOver can read the comments.

To navigate to a slide that has comments, swipe right until you hear the slide number and title, followed by "Has comments." Double-tap the screen to select the slide.

To open the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Comments button," and double-tap the screen.

The comment pane opens. To read the comment, swipe left or right until you hear "Threaded comment," followed by the name of the person who wrote the root comment and the contents of the comment.

To read the replies to the root comment, swipe right until you hear "Reply," followed by the name of the person who wrote the reply and the contents of the reply.

To navigate to the next comment, swipe left until you hear "Next comment," and double-tap the screen. To return to the previous comment, swipe left until you hear "Previous comment," and double-tap the screen.

To close the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Close the comment pane, button," and double-tap the screen.

On the slide where you want to add a comment, tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab.

Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert tab," and double-tap the screen.

Swipe right until you hear "Insert a comment," and double-tap the screen. You hear: "At mention or comment." The focus is on the comment text field.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comment.

To insert your comment, swipe right until you hear "Post comment, button," and then double-tap the screen. The comment pane opens. You hear: "Close the comment pane."

To close the comment pane, double-tap the screen.

Open the comment pane and read the comments as instructed in  Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, swipe right until you hear "At mention or reply," and then double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your reply.

To insert your reply, swipe left until you hear "Post reply," and double-tap the screen.

When on a comment you want to resolve, swipe right until you hear "More thread actions," and then double-tap the screen.

To resolve the comment, swipe right until you hear "Resolve thread," and double-tap the screen.

Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to add and read speaker notes or comments in a presentation. With speaker notes, you can add reminders or talking points for the presenter. With comments, you can give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility .

On the slide where you want to add speaker notes, swipe left or right until you hear: "Notes, switch." Then double-tap the screen. The Notes text field opens.

To go to the text field, swipe right until you hear "Slide notes," and then double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your notes.

To close the Notes  text field when you're done, swipe down-then-left.

When you're browsing the list of slides in the Reading  view, TalkBack tells you if the slide has notes. You hear the number and title of the slide, followed by "Has notes." To read the notes, you need to open the slide in the Editing view. When you're delivering a slide show, you can use the Presenter View to read your notes.

Read speaker notes in Editing view

In the Reading view, navigate to a slide that has speaker notes, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Edit button." Double-tap the screen. The slide opens in the Editing view.

Swipe left or right until you hear "Notes, switch," and then double-tap the screen.

The Notes text field opens. To read the notes, swipe right until you hear "Selected, Slide notes," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

To close the Notes  text field, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Read speaker notes while delivering a slide show

In the Reading or Editing view, swipe left or right until you hear "Present button," and then double-tap the screen. The landscape mode activates. Rotate your device to landscape mode.

Swipe right until you hear the slide you want, and then double-tap the screen.

To read the speaker notes, rotate your device to portrait mode, swipe right until you hear "Selected, Slide notes," followed by the speaker notes for the slide.

You can add comments on slides if you're, for example, working with others on a presentation or you're reviewing someone else's work.

On the slide content area where you want to add comments, double-tap the screen. The context sensitive menu opens. You hear: "Cut button."

Swipe right until you hear "New comment, button," and then double-tap the screen. The  @mention or comment  text field opens, and the focus moves to the beginning of the text field.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your comments. When you're done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

To insert your comment, swipe right until you hear "Post comment," and then double-tap the screen. The comment pane opens. You hear: "Close the comment pane." To close the comment pane, double-tap the screen.

When you're browsing the list of slides in the Reading  view, TalkBack tells you if the slide has comments. You hear the number and title of the slide, followed by "Has comments." To read the comments, you need to open the slide in the Editing view.

In the Reading view, navigate to a slide that has comments, and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Edit button." Double-tap the screen. The slide opens in the Editing view.

Swipe left or right until you hear "Comments, switch," and then double-tap the screen.

The comment pane opens. To read the comments, swipe right until you hear "Comment thread," and double-tap the screen.

Swipe right until you hear "Threaded comment," followed by the name of the person who wrote the comment and the comment content.

To read the replies to the comment, swipe right until you hear "Reply," followed by the name of the person who wrote the reply and the reply content.

To navigate to the next comment thread, swipe right until TalkBack announces the number of the next slide, followed by "Threaded comment." To navigate to the previous comment thread, swipe left until you hear the number of the previous slide, followed by "Threaded comment."

To close the comment pane, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and then double-tap the screen.

Navigate to and read the comments as instructed in Read comments .

When on a comment you want to reply to, swipe right until you hear "At mention or reply," and double-tap the screen.

Use the on-screen keyboard to type your reply. When done, swipe down-then-left to close the on-screen keyboard.

To insert your reply, swipe right until you hear "Post reply," and double-tap the screen.

When on a comment you want to resolve, swipe right until you hear "More thread actions button," and double-tap the screen.

To resolve the thread, swipe right until you hear "Resolve thread," and double-tap the screen.

Use a screen reader to insert and edit pictures and tables in PowerPoint

Use PowerPoint for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to add and read speaker notes or comments in a presentation. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to use speaker notes, to add reminders or talking points for the presenter, and use comments to give your colleagues feedback about their presentations.

If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update .

When you use PowerPoint for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because PowerPoint for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not PowerPoint for the web.

To display the Notes pane, in the Normal view, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, P, N.

On the slide where you want to add notes, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: "Slide notes."

To exit the Notes pane, press Ctrl+F6.

In the Normal view, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the number of a slide and its position in the list of slides.

Press the Up or Down arrow key to browse through the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has notes.”

To display the Notes pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, W, P, N.

Press Ctrl+F6 until you hear “Slide notes,” and then press the SR key+R to listen to the note.

On a slide, in the Normal view, when you hear a piece of text or an object you want to comment on, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, C, 1. The Comments pane opens. You hear: "@mention or comment, edit."

Type your comment. You can press Enter to start a new line.

To save the comment, press the Tab key until you hear "Post," and then press Enter.

To exit the Comments pane, press Ctrl+F6.

To close the Comments pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, P, P.

Press the Up or Down arrow key to browse through the list of slides. If there are speaker notes on the slide, you hear: “Has comments.”

To open the Comments pane, press Alt+Windows logo key, R, P, P. You hear: “Comments pane.”

If the Comments pane is already open, press Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Shift+F6 until you hear: "Comments pane."

Press the Tab key until you hear: "Comment card." Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between comment cards, and the Left and Right arrow keys to move through the comments within each card. Your screen reader reads the comments as you land on them.

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk .

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