Speaker notes are a great way to remember key talking points during a presentation without putting extra text on your slides. Whether you’re presenting in person or sharing your screen during an online meeting, PowerPoint’s speaker notes can help you stay organized and confident.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add, format, and use speaker notes in Microsoft PowerPoint. You’ll also see how Presenter View works, how to resize your notes, and how to present with notes during an online meeting while your audience only sees your slides.
What You’ll Learn
- How to show the Notes pane
- How to add speaker notes to each slide
- How to format notes with bullets, numbering, and text formatting
- How to resize the Notes pane
- The difference between Notes Pane, Notes Page, and Outline View
- How to use Presenter View
- How to present with speaker notes during an online meeting
- How to share only your slideshow while keeping your notes private
Common Uses
- Giving presentations without memorizing every detail
- Speaking at meetings or conferences
- Teaching classes or workshops
- Recording presentations
- Keeping reminders that aren’t visible to your audience
- Organizing talking points for each slide
Requirements & Compatibility
This tutorial was recorded using a recent version of Microsoft PowerPoint.
The speaker notes feature works similarly in:
- Microsoft 365 PowerPoint
- PowerPoint 2024
- PowerPoint 2021
- PowerPoint 2019
- PowerPoint 2016
Some Presenter View options may vary slightly depending on your version of PowerPoint and the number of monitors connected to your computer.
Practice & Resources
Want to follow along with this tutorial?
The accompanying resources include:
- The PowerPoint presentation used in this tutorial, complete with example speaker notes.
- A printable PDF reference guide showing the same notes and examples discussed in the video.
Click the button below to View Practice & Resources.
Video Tutorial
Breaking Down the Concepts
What Are Speaker Notes?
Speaker notes are private notes that you add to individual slides. They’re designed to help you remember what you want to say without displaying that information to your audience.
Each slide has its own notes section, allowing you to create different talking points throughout your presentation.
Notes Pane vs. Notes Page
PowerPoint actually provides two ways to work with notes.
Notes Pane
The Notes pane appears beneath the current slide in Normal View. This is where you’ll usually type and edit your speaker notes while building your presentation.
Notes Page
Notes Page View displays one slide with all of its notes underneath. This layout is useful when reviewing, editing, or printing your speaker notes because more formatting options are visible.
Presenter View
Presenter View is a special presentation mode that displays additional information only to the presenter.
It can show:
- Your current slide
- Your next slide
- Speaker notes
- A timer
- Presentation controls
Meanwhile, your audience only sees the slideshow.
This makes Presenter View one of the most useful tools for giving polished presentations.
Outline View
Outline View displays the text content from your presentation in an organized outline.
While it doesn’t replace speaker notes, it’s a helpful way to review the overall flow of your presentation and quickly navigate between slides.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add Speaker Notes
- Open your presentation.
- Click the slide where you want to add notes.
- If the Notes pane isn’t visible, click Notes near the bottom of the PowerPoint window.
- Or go to View → Notes.
- Click inside the Notes pane.
- Type your speaker notes.
Repeat these steps for each slide.
Format Your Notes
You can format notes just like regular text.
Options include:
- Bullet lists
- Numbered lists
- Bold
- Italics
- Underline
- Indentation
Using bullets instead of large paragraphs often makes notes easier to follow while presenting.
Resize the Notes Pane
If you need more room:
- Hover over the top edge of the Notes pane.
- When the cursor changes to a double arrow, click and drag upward.
- Release when the pane is the size you want.
Present Using Speaker Notes
- Start your slideshow.
- Presenter View will open (if enabled).
- Your notes appear in the lower-right corner.
- Use the A buttons to increase or decrease note size.
- Navigate your presentation using the arrows.
Share Your Presentation During an Online Meeting
If you’re presenting during Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams:
- Start Presenter View.
- When sharing your screen, choose the PowerPoint Slide Show window—not the Presenter View window.
- Your audience sees only the slideshow while you continue viewing your notes.
Additional Tips
Use Bullet Points Instead of Paragraphs
Short bullet points are much easier to scan during a live presentation than long paragraphs.
Resize Notes Before Presenting
If your notes feel cramped, resize the Notes pane while editing or increase the text size in Presenter View.
Presenter View Isn’t on the Right Monitor?
If Presenter View appears on the wrong screen, use Display Settings → Swap Presenter View and Slide Show to switch them.
Related
How to Record Your Screen Using PowerPoint & Add It to a Slide
Learn how to record your screen directly in Microsoft PowerPoint and insert the recording into a presentation. This tutorial shows how to capture a specific area of your screen, record audio and mouse movements, and create software demonstrations, tutorials, or narrated presentations without additional screen recording software.
How to Change the Orientation in PowerPoint
Learn how to change slide orientation in Microsoft PowerPoint from landscape to portrait. This step-by-step tutorial shows where to find the Slide Size settings, explains the available layout options, and includes tips for preserving your slide content when changing orientations.
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