How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint (and See Them While You Present)
Speaker notes are the words you say, kept off the slide. Your audience sees a clean slide with a few key points; you see your full reminders on your own screen. They also make a presentation easy to hand to someone else.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Show the notes pane | Click Notes at the bottom of the window |
| Bigger notes area | Drag the line above the pane upwards |
| Full-page notes | View → Notes Page |
| See notes while presenting | Slide Show → Use Presenter View |
| Print them | File → Print → Notes Pages |
1. Add notes to a slide
1. Click Notes at the bottom of the PowerPoint window (next to Comments).
2. A pane opens under the slide that says Click to add notes.
3. Type your notes for that slide.
2. A pane opens under the slide that says Click to add notes.
3. Type your notes for that slide.
Each slide has its own notes. Click a different slide and the pane shows that slide's notes.
2. Make the pane bigger
Drag the thin line above the notes pane upwards. If the text is too small, use View → Zoom while your cursor is in the pane, or hold Ctrl and roll the mouse wheel.
3. Format your notes
Bold, bullets and different sizes all work in the notes pane. For a proper view with the slide at the top and your notes beneath, go to View → Notes Page. You can add pictures there too — handy for a reminder diagram.
4. See your notes while presenting
Connect to the projector or second screen, then on the Slide Show tab tick Use Presenter View and press F5. The audience sees the slides; you see the current slide, the next slide, a timer and your notes.
Only got one screen? Press Alt + F5 to open Presenter View on its own — perfect for rehearsing.
5. Print your notes
Go to File → Print, click the drop-down that says Full Page Slides and choose Notes Pages. Each page has the slide on top and the notes below.
6. Remove all notes before sharing
If the file is going to a client, clear the notes first: File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document, tick Presentation Notes and click Remove All.
Troubleshooting
The Notes button has disappeared. Go to View → Notes to toggle the pane back on.
My notes show on the projector. The screens are mirrored. Press Windows key + P and choose Extend, then in Presenter View click Display Settings → Swap.
Notes aren't in the PDF. Choose Notes Pages in the print layout before saving as PDF.
Wrapping up
Click Notes, type what you'll say, and tick Use Presenter View on the day. Your slides stay clean and you'll never lose your place.
