Adding slide numbers to your PowerPoint presentations can be extremely useful for both you as the presenter and your audience. However, there may also be times when you need to remove slide numbers that were previously added. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to add and remove slide numbers in PowerPoint.

Why Add Slide Numbers?

Here are some of the key reasons why you may want to add slide numbers to your PowerPoint slides:

Navigation – Slide numbers make it easier to jump to specific slides when presenting. You can simply call out “go to slide 5” instead of trying to describe the content on that slide.

Organization – Numbered slides help you organize your presentation better and ensure all slides are accounted for.
Referencing – Slide numbers make it easy for your audience to reference certain slides for questions, notes, etc.
Printing – If you print handouts of your presentation, slide numbers make the handouts easier to follow.

How to Add Slide Numbers

Adding slide numbers only takes a few clicks:

Open your PowerPoint presentation.
Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon.

In the Text section, click on Slide Number.
Check the box next to Slide Number to turn on numbering.
Click Apply to All to add slide numbers to all slides.

That’s it! Slide numbers will now appear in the footer of each slide.

Customizing Slide Numbers

You can customize the look and location of slide numbers:

Click on Format Slide Number to open formatting options.

Choose font style, size, color, etc.
Uncheck Don’t Show on Title Slide if you want the title slide numbered.
Click Apply to All again to apply formatting changes.

Pro Tip: For more advanced formatting, click on Slide Master to edit the slide master template.

When to Remove Slide Numbers

There are a few cases when you may want to remove slide numbers:

The numbers are distracting or unnecessary

You only used numbers for organizing but don’t need them anymore
You are no longer presenting the slides

Removing slide numbers is just as easy as adding them.

How to Remove Slide Numbers

Follow these quick steps to remove slide numbers:

Click on the Insert tab and select Slide Number.
Uncheck the Slide Number box to turn off numbering.

Click Apply to All.

The slide number footer will immediately disappear from all slides.

And that’s it! With just a few clicks, you can easily add or remove slide numbers in PowerPoint whenever needed.

Tips for Using Slide Numbers Effectively

Here are some best practices for leveraging slide numbers:

Keep numbering consistent from start to finish.
Make numbers large and easy to see.

Put numbers in the footer to avoid cluttering content.
Restart numbering for distinct sections.
Refer to numbers when presenting to aid navigation.

Using slide numbers effectively takes some finesse, but it’s worth the effort to boost presentation clarity for both you and your audiences!

So try adding slide numbers to your next PowerPoint presentation. Don’t be afraid to remove them if you change your mind. Mastering slide numbers can take your presentations to the next level.