presentation note d'information

How to Add Notes to PowerPoint Presentations: A Comprehensive Guide

Sara Wanasek

Presenting a slideshow can be a daunting task, especially when you’re speaking to a large audience. Thankfully, most presentation software comes equipped with the ability to add notes to your slides, making it easier for you to stay on track and deliver a seamless presentation – no full memorization needed.

In this blog, we will explore two different ways that you can to add notes to PowerPoint:

• Presentation notes that you prepare in advance and only you can see or
• Adding live notes to your presentation for your audience to see

By leveraging these techniques, you’ll be able to engage your audience effectively and deliver memorable presentations. Let’s dive in.

How to Add Presenter Notes in PowerPoint

Presenter Notes in PowerPoint are notes that you can view on your screen while you are presenting. Your audience will not see these notes, just you, so you can stay on track, remember important points, and deliver your information clearly and easily. Presenters, here’s everything you need to know to add notes to PowerPoint.

Add Notes in Edit Mode

Notes can be added to any slide in PowerPoint. Follow these steps:

• Start by clicking on the Notes button located beneath each slide. If you don’t see it, click on the View tab at the top of the screen and then click on Notes Page.
• Begin typing your notes for that slide, providing additional details, reminders, or cues to guide your presentation.
• Repeat the process for each slide you want to add notes to.

Once you’ve added your notes, you’re ready to deliver your presentation with confidence!

Present with Notes

Now that your notes are added to your presentation, let’s learn how to use them during the presentation. Do note that to present with the Presenter Notes, you will need to be connected to another screen or projector.

• First, select the Slide Show tab in the PowerPoint ribbon
• In the Set Up section, click the check box for Presenter View
• Enter Presentation Mode! You should see your presentation on one screen (such as your projector) and your notes displayed on the other screen (such as your laptop).

⚠️ If the Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap this by clicking on the Display Setting on top of the Presenter view screen.

As you move through your slides, your notes will automatically advance with the slides, keeping you right on track.

Print Notes

If you prefer a physical copy of your notes to present with or want to share it with your audience, you can print them from PowerPoint.

To do this go into File → Print → and under Settings , choose Notes Pages . Now, you can Print .

Presenting with notes in your PowerPoint presentation helps you stay on track, maintain confidence, engage your audience, adapt to unexpected situations, and appear professional and organized, ultimately leading to a smoother, more impactful delivery. But what if you want to further explain a concept with notes and annotations during your presentation? You can with annotation tools! →

Add Notes During a Presentation

Need to add notes to aid your presentation and help your audience understand, follow along, and stay engaged? Presenter tools such as annotations are great tools to help your presentation delivery and pace. By interacting with your slide information throughout your presentation, you can encourage active learning and audience participation in the presentation. There are a few ways you can add notes to PowerPoint:

Add Notes to Any Slide

During your presentation, you can add notes in two main ways:

1.You can use PowerPoint’s built-in simple pen and highlighter to add notes to your slide. This is found in the bottom left corner of the screen click on the pen and choose your color to begin drawing.

2. For sightly more advanced pen tools, text boxes, and shapes, you can use the free PowerPoint add-in ClassPoint, to add notes to PowerPoint sides . Once downloaded, ClassPoint , an audience engagement tool, will add a toolbar at the bottom of your presentation screen with these additional annotation & presentation tools .

This gives you different thickness options and color options for the pens , highlighters , shapes , and text boxes on your slide.

Insert Whiteboard Slides

Did you know you can even add a blank whiteboard slide into your PowerPoint presentation while you are presenting? With ClassPoint, it’s true!

Perfect for when you run out of space, want to brainstorm, or have fresh details to convey to the audience.

To add a whiteboard slide to your presentation, click on the Whiteboard icon on the ClassPoint toolbar. From there, choose a template provided, or add your own whiteboard background design . This slide will be opened & inserted right into your presentation and you can begin adding your notes. All annotations added will be saved once you exit out of the presentation mode.

Add disappearing laser ink

With ClassPoint’s presentation toolbar, you can also use the laser pointer to write with disappearing ink!

Although this will not save to your slide, it is a great way to help your audience follow along and make connections to your slide information.

Share Notes

Just like when you printed your Speaker Notes above, you can also share all the notes you added to your PowerPoint slides. Print your presentation, or share it with your audience via a QR code.

Click on the Share PDF icon on the ClassPoint tab in the PowerPoint ribbon. Select to include the whiteboard and annotations that you made and click Generate . A QR code will appear that your audience can scan to access your PowerPoint slides and see all the notes you have added!

Overall, adding annotations to your PowerPoint presentation is a great way to enhance your message, engage your audience, and make your presentation more effective. So if you haven’t tried it before, why not give it a go and see the difference it can make to your next presentation?

Adding notes to your presentation is a simple but effective way to elevate your overall performance. Whether you’re adding notes in edit mode or during your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of tools to help make your presentation a success. Start implementing these strategies with ClassPoint, and watch as your presentations become more engaging and impactful than ever before!

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Managing your Presentation Notes

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When you start to give presentations, you will realise that you also have to work out how to manage your text.

Whether you’re confident enough to speak with very brief notes, or you need a full text, you need to consider how you record it to remind you what you’re going to say.

There are various examples of ways you might choose to manage your text.

These include:

Full Text Notes

Notes on Cue Cards

Keywords on Cue Cards

Full text script.

The main advantage of this method is that the entire text is in front of you so you cannot forget what you want to say.

The disadvantage, however, is that you will pay less attention to the group or audience whilst reading the text.  If you are speaking to a small group, this method might be overly formal, as written text sounds very formal when spoken out loud. If you read a prepared text, you should know what you are going to say very well so that you can maintain eye contact with your listeners whilst not losing your place.

Reading the text is not always an easy option as it can sound stilted and rather unnatural. Remember to engage with your audience as much as you can.

When reading from a full-text script it is also much harder to change what you’re going to say halfway through, if you see that your audience is starting to fidget.

To help, you can use big bold headings to guide your eyes through the text so that you can skip sections if you want.

Notes Pages from a Slide Package

Most presentation packages, including PowerPoint, have an option to create a page of ‘Slide Notes’.

You can use these to write out more or less detailed points about what you plan to say in relation to every slide that you use.

The advantage is that everything that you want to say is tailored to your slides. However, the packages are not very sophisticated: you cannot, for instance, highlight sections, or play with the font size very easily. This means that it can be hard to identify quickly and visually the most important points to make.

You will also end up with a sheaf of papers, which can get a bit flappy and hard to handle. This can come across as somewhat unprofessional.

To use cue cards, write your main points on separate index cards and, underneath each point, write the supporting material in a concise way.

When using Cue Cards...

Use only one side of the card and number the cards so that you can easily reorder them if you drop them.

On the bottom of each cue card, write a link statement to lead you into the next point.

The advantage of using cue cards is that you are speaking directly to the audience, which increases your rapport with them.

Small index cards also look more professional than large sheets of paper which may prove difficult to handle. The disadvantage is that you have to write them by hand since PowerPoint and similar packages don’t offer an option for ‘keycards’, only ‘Notes pages’.

To avoid losing your thread, ensure that you are familiar with the main points of your argument and the links between one idea and the next so that you become less reliant on the cards.

Further simplify the information on the cue cards by drawing out keywords that will remind you of the key points that you wish to convey.

The advantages of using keywords on cue cards are the same as above but their use increases spontaneity and rapport with the audience even further.

However, if you become side-tracked, it is easy to lose the thread and possibly miss key points. It’s best only to use this method if you are very familiar with your subject and feel confident in making the presentation.

Mind maps are diagrams used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and can be used as notes to aid a presentation.

The advantages of using a mind map are similar to those of using keywords on cue words but it is easier to illustrate complex relationships than with keywords.

However, again, using mind maps as a presentation aid requires you to be familiar with the subject material and a confident speaker. When presenting it can be difficult to keep track of your progress through a mind map, but it can be very helpful if you want to interact with your audience, as you can just reorder your points to fit the session.

It’s up to you!

When you’re giving a presentation, it’s up to you to choose a method of handling your notes that works for you.

Whatever you do, someone is sure to judge you on it, so you simply have to make sure that you’re comfortable, and don’t worry what anyone else says.

The important thing is to get your points across confidently and competently, and not to show off.

Continue to: Working with Visual Aids Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Preparing for a Presentation Writing Your Presentation Coping with Presentation Nerves Dealing with Questions

How to Add Notes to a PowerPoint Presentation

Author: Mehjabi Khan

Published 23 July 2024

Learn how to add and effectively use notes in PowerPoint to enhance your presentation skills with this detailed guide.

Step 1: Open Your PowerPoint Presentation

Step 2: Add Notes to Your Slides

• Navigate to the Slide : Click on the specific slide you want to add notes to. This will make it active and ready for editing.
• Find the Notes Pane : At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a section labeled ‘Click to add notes’. Click inside this box.

• Type Your Notes : Start typing your notes directly into this box. These can be as detailed or as brief as you prefer. Remember, these notes won't appear on the slide itself during the presentation but can be viewed by you as the presenter.

Step 3: Edit and Format Your Notes

• Font Adjustments : You can change the font size, style, and color of your notes using the options in the toolbar, similar to editing text in your slides.
• Adding Bullet Points : To organize your notes better, you can add bullet points or numbered lists just as you would in any text editing software.

Step 4: View Your Notes While Presenting

• Presenter View : Enable 'Presenter View' in PowerPoint. This view will show your notes on your screen while displaying only the slides on the projector or other display screens used by your audience. It also provides tools to navigate through your slides and keep track of presentation time.

Step 5: Print Your Notes

• Print Settings : Go to ‘File’, select ‘Print’, and under ‘Settings’, choose ‘Full Page Slides’ for a dropdown menu. Select ‘Notes Pages’ to print slides alongside your notes.

Utilizing Tools Like MagicSlides.app

Tips for writing effective speaker notes.

• Keep It Concise : Your notes should be brief and to the point. Use them as reminders or cues.
• Use Keywords : Instead of full sentences, jot down keywords that will prompt your memory.
• Include Timing Cues : Make notes of when to advance slides or when to introduce new topics.
• Practice with Your Notes : Rehearse your presentation using your notes to ensure they effectively aid your delivery.

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How to Add Notes in PowerPoint?

Table of Contents

Keeping track of everything you want to cover in a presentation can be tough. To avoid cramming too much text onto your slides and to make sure you don’t miss any key points, some presenters use notes or flashcards. Another polished way to present your slides is by using speaker notes in PowerPoint. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to add these notes in PowerPoint. Let’s dive in.

What are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint ?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are like handy reminders you can attach to your slides. They’re there for you to reference during your presentation, but the audience won’t see them. Think of them as bullet points or cues to help you remember what to say, explain the visuals on the slide, or mention interesting details you don’t want to crowd the slide with. This way, you can keep your slides focused and use the notes to deliver a well-rounded presentation.

What are the Benefits of Using Speaker Notes? 

• Clear Slides : Using speaker notes has several benefits, especially in keeping slides clean by avoiding too much text. With speaker notes, presenters can ensure their slides look neat while still having all the important information handy during the presentation.
• Simplifies the Note-Taking Processes : Speaker notes offer a convenient way to take notes without the hassle of paper or flashcards. This can make presentations smoother and less stressful since presenters won’t have to worry about juggling physical notes.
• Enhances Information Retention : Sometimes, it’s hard to remember everything during a presentation. Speaker notes act as a backup, helping presenters recall key points when needed. By having these notes handy, presenters can stay on track and deliver a more organized presentation.
• Structures Presentation Flow : In complex presentations, it’s easy to lose track of the main points. Speaker notes provide a helpful roadmap, guiding presenters through their slides and ensuring they stay focused on the key message.
• Boosts Presenter Confidence : Having confidence is important when presenting, and speaker notes can help presenters feel more prepared and in control. By reducing the need to fumble with notes or rely on external aids, presenters can appear more confident and authoritative in front of their audience.

How to Add Speaker Notes to PowerPoint?

Adding notes in PowerPoint to accompany your slides is a great way to stay on track during presentations. Here’s how to add them on different platforms:

Windows & macOS

The process for adding speaker notes is very similar on both Windows and macOS:

• Open your PowerPoint presentation.
• Select the slide you want to add notes to. You can do this by clicking on the thumbnail image of the slide in the slide pane on the left.
• Windows:  By default, the Notes pane should be visible at the bottom of the PowerPoint window. If it’s hidden, click the  Notes  button on the taskbar at the bottom of the window.
• macOS:  Similar to Windows, the Notes pane is located below the slide. If it’s hidden, click on the  Notes  tab at the bottom right corner of the window.
• Add your notes: In the Notes pane, click where it says “Click to add notes” and type your information. This can include talking points, additional details you don’t want on the slide itself, or even questions you might anticipate from the audience.
• Formatting your notes (Optional): You can format your notes using the standard text formatting options available. This might include making text bold, italicized, or changing the font size.

PowerPoint for the web offers a slightly different way to add speaker notes:

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint for the web.
• Click on the slide  where you want to add notes.
• In the toolbar above the slide, click the  “Speaker Notes”  icon (it looks like a monitor with a speech bubble).
• A  text box will appear  below the slide. Type your speaker notes here.
• You can format your notes using the basic formatting options available in the text box.
• To  hide the speaker notes , click the “Speaker Notes” icon again.

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How to View Speaker Notes in PowerPoint while Presenting? 

1. Enter Presenter View:

• Go to the  Slide Show  tab on the PowerPoint ribbon.
• In the  Start Slide Show  group, click the down arrow next to  From Beginning .
• Select  Presenter View  from the dropdown menu.

Alternatively:

• You can also press the keyboard shortcut  P  (or  Fn + P  on some laptops) to enter Presenter View directly.

2. View Your Notes:

• Once in Presenter View, you will see the current slide you’re presenting on the main screen.
• Below the current slide, you’ll find a pane displaying the speaker notes you’ve added for that particular slide.
• On the right side of the Presenter View window, you’ll see a preview of the next slide in your presentation.

3. Navigate Through Slides:

• Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through your slides during your presentation.
• The  Presenter View  window will update accordingly, showing the current slide, your speaker notes, and a preview of the upcoming slide.

Additional Tips:

• You can adjust the size of the notes pane by dragging the divider between the pane and the slide preview.
• If you’re using multiple monitors, you can choose which monitor displays the Presenter View with your notes and which one shows only the slides for the audience. Look for the  “Display Settings”  button in the Presenter View window to manage this option.

How to Print Speaker Notes in PowerPoint ?

Here are the steps on how to print speaker notes in PowerPoint:

Step 1: Open your presentation and go to the “ File ” tab.

Step 2: Click on “ Print ” in the left-hand sidebar.

Step 3: Under “ Settings ,” you’ll see a dropdown menu next to “ Full Page Slides .” Click the down arrow.

Step 4: In the dropdown menu, choose “ Notes Pages .” This option will show you a preview of your slides with the accompanying speaker notes on the right side.

Step 5: Select your printer and any other printing options you want to adjust (e.g., number of copies).

Step 6 : Click “ Print ” to print your speaker notes.

How to Edit Notes in PowerPoint ?

In the world of PowerPoint, the editing of notes might seem like a minor detail, but its impact on your presentations can be significant. Here’s how you can edit the notes in your PowerPoint presentation:

• Open your presentation and select the slide with the notes you want to edit.
• Make sure you can see the notes beneath the slide. If not, click the “ Notes ” button on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
• Click anywhere within the notes area to start editing the content.
• After making your edits, click  outside the notes  section to save your changes.

How to Hide Notes in PowerPoint ?

Hiding notes in PowerPoint can be useful, especially when you’re showing your screen during a presentation. This way, your audience won’t see any private comments or reminders you’ve written for yourself. Here’s how to hide the notes:

• If you see the notes at the bottom of the screen, click the “Notes” button in the toolbar below. This will collapse the notes section and hide them from view on all slides in the presentation.
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• 3 presentations/month free
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Closing Thoughts

Speaker notes are a powerful tool that can transform your presentations from good to great. By using speaker notes, you can keep your slides clear and concise while ensuring you have all the information you need to deliver a confident and informative presentation. Remember to practice using your speaker notes beforehand to ensure a smooth and engaging delivery.

Related Posts

How to Add Speaker Notes in Google Slides?

Speaker notes in Google Slides can be a valuable tool for improving your presentations. They provide a way to add helpful reminders and extra details that you don’t necessarily want to include on the slides themselves. These notes act like a personal guide, staying hidden from the audience while giving you easy access during your presentation.

How to Add Fonts to PowerPoint?

The font you choose can make a major difference in your PowerPoint presentations. While the default fonts are okay, you might want to add your own for a more specific look. Luckily, adding fonts to PowerPoint is quite easy. This can improve the appearance of your slides and help you get your message across more clearly. In this article, we’ll show you the simple steps to add fonts in PowerPoint, letting you personalize your presentations and keep your audience engaged.

How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation?

PowerPoint presentations are a go-to for clear and informative content delivery. But what if you want your presentation to run on repeat, like at a kiosk or digital sign? The good news is, that PowerPoint has a built-in feature to loop your slideshow, ensuring your message stays on display without interruption.

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• Using notes when presenting – best practice

Successfully persuading an audience

How do you use acronyms in presentations?

This article contains best practice tips and answers to the most common questions related to using notes when presenting.

Using notes within a presentation is a topic that regularly gets asked about during my presentation skills training sessions. (Both novice and experienced speakers have LOTS of questions about when and how to use notes during a presentation!).

To help you use and format your presentation notes in the most useful way, I have collated some of the most common questions (and answers) that I get asked relating to using notes during a presentation or speech.

I hope that you find these best practice tips for using notes when presenting useful, and please keep checking back, as I will add to this article as more questions come up.

Want to watch this article as a video?

Key questions related to using notes when presenting (click each question to jump to it).

Should I use notes when presenting?

What are the benefits of using notes in a presentation.

Do I have to hold presentation notes in my hand?

How should I format my presentation notes?

How do I make cue cards for my next presentation?

Should I have my presentation notes on my phone?

How should I use notes when presenting online?

What is the most important thing to remember when using notes in a presentation?

One of the most common questions asked by speakers that are keen to grow and develop is: “Should I use notes when presenting?”.

Notes should always be used if they increase your ability to deliver your message clearly, confidently and concisely.

Why? Remember your public speaking goals.

For a successful speaker, the goal is always to impart their message in a clear, concise and confident manner. If you do not achieve this, then your message is unlikely to be heard, and your audience will not be able to act upon it.

Think of all of the presentations or speeches that you have attended in your life. It is highly unlikely that you wanted the speaker to become confused, forget their words and not be able to deliver their message. That would have been a waste of time for you and them, and likely   have made you both feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Your audience wants you to succeed. They want to hear your message.

If you need to have notes to successfully deliver your message or presentation, then go for it.

Using notes for your next presentation guarantees that you will be able to recall and deliver your message clearly, confidently and concisely as you will always have something available to refer to, if you get stuck or forget your words.

Your audience wants you to succeed and deliver your message. They would therefore prefer that you have notes and are able to deliver your message, than not have notes and not be able to complete the presentation.

You should always have notes to support you as a speaker, if you feel you need them.

Rich shares his thoughts on this question in this recent video...

Click the video to watch this question answered by Rich Watts, public speaking expert and 2x national public speaking champion.

To view more public speaking tips videos, visit our Rich Public Speaking Instagram account here.

Do I have to hold my presentation notes in my hands?

If you feel confident that you won’t need to consult your notes every few seconds, then you may benefit from having your notes nearby (for if you need them), but not permanently in your hands.

For example, you may wish to have a copy of your notes stored in your jacket or trouser pocket, or on a table nearby. Then, if you need them, they can be easily consulted. However, if you do not need to consult these ‘hidden’ notes, then the audience will never know that they existed, and you will appear as a super confident speaker, with your whole speech or presentation memorised!

Think of this set of hidden notes as a safety net - there if you need them, but hopefully you won’t!

Remember that your cue cards or presentation notes are a visual element of your presentation. Their appearance to the audience can impact your success as a speaker.

Our audience makes conscious and unconscious judgements about our abilities as a speaker, based on our visual appearance. How would you feel about someone wearing mechanics’ overalls undertaking open heart surgery on you? Similarly, how would you feel about a person in a formal suit and tie completing structural works on your home?

Your notes should reflect positively on you as a speaker.

Best practice tips for cue cards for a presentation include:

Ensure that your notes are printed or written on good quality card., the reverse of the card (facing the audience) should be blank..., keep your cards small (a5 size is ideal)..., keep the number of note cards that you have to a minimum..