How to Hide a Slide in PowerPoint (Keep It Without Showing It)
Got a slide you might need but probably won't? Hide it. It stays in the file, keeps its place, and is skipped during the show. If someone asks the question it answers, you can still jump to it.
Quick reference
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Hide a slide | Right-click the thumbnail → Hide Slide |
| Unhide it | Right-click → Hide Slide again |
| Hide several | Ctrl + click the thumbnails, then right-click → Hide Slide |
| Jump to a hidden slide during the show | Type its number and press Enter |
| Different sets of slides for different audiences | Slide Show → Custom Slide Show |
1. Hide a slide
1. Right-click the slide's thumbnail in the left pane.
2. Click Hide Slide.
2. Click Hide Slide.
The slide number gets a line through it and the thumbnail goes faint. It's also on the Slide Show tab as a button.
2. Hide several at once
Hold Ctrl and click each thumbnail, or click the first and Shift + click the last. Then right-click → Hide Slide.
3. Unhide
Right-click the hidden slide → Hide Slide again. The button is a toggle.
4. Show a hidden slide if you need it
During the show:
• Type the slide's number and press Enter, or
• Right-click → See All Slides and click it. Hidden slides appear faint but clickable.
• Right-click → See All Slides and click it. Hidden slides appear faint but clickable.
After it, the show carries on from the next unhidden slide.
5. Hidden slides and printing
Hidden slides are printed by default. To leave them out, go to File → Print → Print All Slides and untick Print Hidden Slides. The same setting is in the PDF export options.
6. Custom shows for different audiences
If you regularly show different subsets of the same deck, don't hide and unhide every time:
1. Slide Show → Custom Slide Show → Custom Shows → New.
2. Name it, add the slides you want, click OK.
3. Start it from Slide Show → Custom Slide Show.
2. Name it, add the slides you want, click OK.
3. Start it from Slide Show → Custom Slide Show.
You might have a 10-minute version and a 30-minute version of the same file.
Troubleshooting
The slide still shows. You've selected it in the main window rather than the thumbnail pane, or you're using a custom show that includes it.
I can't tell which slides are hidden. Look for the struck-through number in the thumbnail pane, or switch to View → Slide Sorter where they're easier to spot.
Hidden slides are in my PDF. Untick Print Hidden Slides in the print or export options.
Wrapping up
Right-click → Hide Slide to park a slide you might need. Type its number during the show to bring it out. For regularly different audiences, a Custom Slide Show saves the fiddling.
