How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint

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Phoebe Sanchez

Featured Image How to Add Speaker Notes in Powerpoint

Presenting a detailed PowerPoint slide show can be overwhelming. You might forget to mention key points of your presentation or may deliver it without proper order. Using speaker notes on PowerPoint will help you remember your talking points during your presentation. This guide shows you how to add speaker notes to a presentation in all versions of PowerPoint. There are two ways to add Speaker notes to a presentation:

  • Adding speaker notes using the Normal View
  • Adding speaker notes using the Status Bar

Add speaker notes using Normal View

  1. After opening your presentation, go to the Ribbon Bar and select the View tab in the top menu.

    Power Point Ribbon View Tab
    Click on View Tab to access the Normal View option

  2. Select Normal View.

    Power Point Normal Presentation View
    Click on Normal View to launch the Speaker Notes panel

  3. A panel will appear at the bottom of the screen with the prompt “Click to add notes.” Click on it and type your notes.

    Microsoft Power Point blank speaker notes panel
    The Speaker Notes panel will be located here on every slide.

Option 2: Add speaker notes using the status bar

  1. Open a slide and check the status bar at the bottom of the window for the Notes tab.

    Microsoft Office Power Point Status bar Notes icon
    Click the Notes tab to launch the Speaker Notes panel

  2. The panel will open, and you can type in your speaker notes.

    Microsoft Power Point speaker notes panel with sample notes
    Type the Speaker Notes into the panel.

Note: Each slide has its own Speaker notes.

How to view Speaker Notes during a presentation

The notes added in the Speaker Notes Panel can be viewed during a presentation using the Presenter View option. Follow these steps to launch Presenter View:

  1. Click on the Slideshow tab on the Ribbon bar.

    Microsoft Power Point Slideshow Tab on the ribbon
    Click on Slide Show Tab to access the Presenter View tool.

  2. In the “Monitors” section, select Use Presenter View.

    Microsoft Power Point Use Presenter View check box
    Click the Use Presenter View checkbox.

  3. Let’s start our presentation and see how our speaker notes look like in the Presenter View. While still in the Slideshow tab, go to the “Start Slide Show” section (on the left) and select From Beginning.Microsoft Power Point Start slide show using From Begining option with Presenter View Check that Presenter View is enabled and start the slideshow with From Begining option.
  4. The slideshow will run while showing speaker notes on the primary computer.

    Speaker Notes in Presenter View
    Only the speaker will be able to view the notes.

You can also activate Presenter View during your presentation:

  1. After starting your slideshow, right-click anywhere on your slide. Then, select Presenter View from the drop-down list.

    Microsoft Power Point SLide show presenter view
    Right-click on the Slide and click on Show Presenter View

  2. While in Presenter View, the Speaker Notes appear alongside the Slide Show.

    Microsoft Power Point SLide Show in Presenter View Speaker notes
    The Notes can be read and adjusted during the Slide Show.

Note: Speaker Notes are read-only in Presenter View, and therefore you cannot edit what’s written. The presenter can only change the text size to make it easier to read while giving the presentation.

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Phoebe Sanchez

Phoebe works in HR Administration for IBM and other tech companies, and graduated with a BA in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Utah. She is a chief editor at TechObservatory.

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