Google Slides is a popular presentation software included in Google’s G Suite office productivity tools. With Google Slides, you can easily create, edit, collaborate, and share presentations online.
Sharing your Google Slides makes it easy to collaborate with others or present your slides to an audience. There are a few simple ways to share Google Slides. Follow these 3 key steps:
1. Get Link to Share Slides
The easiest way to share Google Slides is to get a link to the file. Here is how:
- Open the Google Slides presentation you want to share
- Click File > Share
- Under Get link, click Copy link
- This copies a link you can share to access the Slides file
Once you’ve copied the link, you can paste it into an email, chat or document to share access to your Slides.
Benefits:
- Simple to get and share link
- Viewers can see latest version of Slides
- Works for anyone with the link
Downsides:
- No control over editing privileges
- Anyone with link can access Slides
2. Share Google Slides File
For more control and options over sharing, you can share the actual Google Slides file. Here is how:
- Open the presentation
- Click Share in top right
- A box pops up with sharing options:
- Get link – Gives view/edit link to file
- Change permissions – Set editing privileges
- Preview – See what it looks like to recipients
- Send via email – Directly email file to others
- Select your preferred sharing method
Benefits:
- More control over editing privileges
- Can set open or restricted access
- Email Slides file directly to others
Downsides:
- More steps than simply getting link
- Recipient needs Google account to view/edit
3. Export and Share Slides
Another way to share Google Slides is by exporting to a separate file format like PowerPoint or PDF. Here is how:
- Open the Google Slides presentation
- Click File > Download
- Select format to export to:
- Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx)
- PDF document (.pdf)
- Image (.jpg, .png, etc)
- Click Download
- Share saved file via email, cloud drive, etc
Benefits:
- Share as common file type (.pptx, .pdf)
- Recipient doesn’t need Google account
- Maintain formatting and images
Downsides:
- Extra steps to export and share file
- Manual re-upload to update content
- Loses some Google Slides features
So those are 3 easy ways to share Google Slides – by link, file, or export. Choose the method that best suits your needs. The key is making your presentations easy for others to access, view and collaborate on.
Summary of Sharing Options
Here is a table summarizing the main options for sharing Google Slides:
| Sharing Method | How To | Benefits | Downsides |
|-|-|-|-|
| Link | File > Share > Copy link | Simple, updates automatically | No edit control, fully public |
| File | Share button > Set permissions | Edit control, email directly | Recipient needs Google account |
| Export | File > Download > PDF, PPTX, etc | Share common file types | Manual export/update, loses some features |
5 Tips for Sharing Slides
When sharing your Google Slide presentations, keep these tips in mind:
- Check permissions: Review editing privileges before widely sharing
- Preview first: Quickly preview how it will look to recipients
- Share to Slides: Use “Share to Slides” to smoothly transition presentations
- Check links: Test access links to ensure they work properly
- Update frequently: Change link when you update content to prevent confusion
Following these tips will allow you to seamlessly share your slides!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about sharing Google Slides:
Can I prevent others from copying my Slides?
Unfortunately, no. Anyone you share Slides with view privileges can copy content. Best option is to limit sharing only to trusted recipients.
What’s the easiest way to present Slides live?
Use Google Slides live presentation mode. Go to File > Present live. This shows slides in full screen to an audience.
Can I see who viewed my Slides?
Yes. Open the presentation and click Share > Advanced > Access history to see view history.
What is the best format to export to?
PDF maintains all formatting and is universal, but doesn’t allow editing. PPTX lets recipients edit but may lose some formatting. Choose based on intended use.
Conclusion
Sharing your great presentations and collaborative documents is vital. Following these 3 key steps will allow you to seamlessly share Google slides:
- Get shareable link
- Share entire file
- Export and share presentation
