Linking PowerPoint presentations allows you to connect multiple files together for a more cohesive and interactive experience. There are a few easy ways to link PowerPoint presentations, whether you want to link to a specific slide, another presentation file, a website, or even start an email.
Step 1: Link to Another Slide Within the Same Presentation
The easiest type of link to create is one that jumps to another slide within the same PowerPoint presentation. Here’s how:
- Open the PowerPoint presentation and select the text, shape, or image you want to be clickable.
- On the Insert tab, click Hyperlink.
- In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, choose “Place in This Document” on the left.
- Select the slide you want to link to from the list on the right.
- Click OK.
Now when presenting the PowerPoint, clicking that text or image will immediately send the viewer to the selected slide.
Step 2: Link to Another PowerPoint Presentation
You can also link one PowerPoint presentation to an entirely separate PowerPoint file. Follow these steps:
- Open the presentation and select the link text/image.
- On the Insert tab, click Hyperlink.
- Choose “Existing File or Web Page” on the left.
- Click Browse and locate the PowerPoint file you want to link to. Select it and click OK.
- Click OK again to apply the link.
When the link is clicked during a presentation, the selected PowerPoint presentation will open.
Step 3: Link to a Website
To link to a website or web page, follow a process similar to linking presentations:
- Select the link text or object.
- Go to Insert > Hyperlink.
- Choose “Existing File or Web Page” and enter the full URL of the website in the Address field, such as https://www.example.com.
- Click OK.
Now clicking the link will open the default web browser to that page.
Step 4: Link to an Email Address
Creating a link that automatically opens and populates a new email is easy in PowerPoint:
- Select the text or object to contain the email link.
- Go to Insert > Hyperlink.
- Choose “E-mail Address” on the left side.
- Enter the recipient’s email address. This will automatically populate the Subject and Body fields too.
- Click OK.
When the link is clicked in slideshow mode, it will open the computer’s default email program and begin a new message to the entered address.
Step 5: Manage and Format Hyperlinks
After inserting hyperlinks, you can edit and manage them in PowerPoint by right-clicking the link text/object and choosing Edit Hyperlink. This will reopen the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.
To change the appearance of links, right-click the link and choose Hyperlink Settings to:
- Change link colors
- Add underlines
- Show link ScreenTips on hover
- And more
It’s also possible to remove a link by right-clicking it and selecting Remove Hyperlink.
Step 6: Present Links Seamlessly
With the proper slide transitions and presentation flow, clicking from one PowerPoint presentation to another can feel seamless to the audience.
Some tips:
- Use subtle, simple transitions like fades instead of flashy, distracting transitions between major links.
- Ensure linked presentations use the same slide theme for visual consistency.
- Carry over some matching imagery/icons from the end of one presentation into the beginning of the next for visual continuity.
- Link at logical stopping points instead of abruptly changing subjects mid-presentation.
With clean transitions and thoughtful presentation connections, your links between PowerPoints will engage viewers.
And that covers the basics of linking between PowerPoint presentations, slides, web pages, email, and more! Use links judiciously to connect supporting materials and additional information without distracting from the core presentation.