How to Link Slides in Google Slides

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Linking slides in Google Slides allows you to create an interactive presentation that captivates your audience. With just a few clicks, you can transform a static slideshow into an engaging experience where viewers can seamlessly navigate between topics.

Why Link Slides in Google Slides

Here are some of the key benefits of linking slides in your Google Slides presentations:

Enhanced Navigation

Linking between slides enables smooth navigation, allowing you to quickly jump to other slides without having to manually search through the entire deck. This is extremely useful for long or complex presentations.

Improved Organization

Linking related content across slides helps group information together in a logical way. This further enhances the flow and structure of your presentation.

Increased Engagement

Hyperlinks make presentations more interactive. For example, you can link slides to additional information, other files or documents, external websites, and more. This keeps your audience engaged as they can access supplementary resources at the click of a button.

How to Link Slides in Google Slides

Linking slides in Google Slides is easy. Follow these simple steps:

Link to Another Slide

  1. Open your presentation and select the text, shape, image or other object you want to link.
  2. Click Insert > Link from the top menu.
  3. In the box that appears, click Slides in this presentation.
  4. Select the destination slide you want to link to.
  5. Click Apply.

The selected object now functions as a hyperlink to the chosen slide.

Link to an External Resource

To link to a web page, file or other external resource:

  1. Select the object to link.
  2. Click Insert > Link.
  3. Enter the URL of the web page or choose the Google Drive file.
  4. Click Apply.

Link Back to the First Slide

For easy navigation, link back to the first slide from all other slides:

  1. On the second slide onwards, select an object.
  2. Click Insert > Link.
  3. Click Slides in this presentation.
  4. Choose the first slide from the list.

Audience members can now click that object to jump back to the start.

Interactive Presentation Ideas

Here are some creative ways to use linked slides to make your presentations highly interactive:

  • Table of Contents – Link topic titles to the corresponding slides for easy navigation.
  • Navigation Menu – Add clickable shapes linking to various sections.
  • Image Map – Make parts of an image clickable to link to additional info.
  • Expandable Details – Link general statements to slides elaborating on them further.
  • External Links – Link key ideas to external websites or documents for more depth.
  • Feedback Loops – Link a question slide to a previous slide to reiterate a concept.

Best Practices for Linking Slides

Follow these tips to effectively link slides:

  • Ensure links are relevant and add value for viewers.
  • Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text for links.
  • Link judiciously – avoid overuse.
  • Test thoroughly to confirm links work correctly.
  • Inform audience that links are clickable (e.g. using visual cues).

Conclusion

Linking slides boosts presentations by improving flow, organization and interactivity. With Google Slides, you can easily link to other slides, external resources or back to the beginning. Use links strategically to allow effortless navigation between different topics and ideas. Craft engaging, non-linear presentations that captivate your audience from start to finish.

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