Converting a PowerPoint presentation into a Word document allows you to edit the content more easily, incorporate the information into other documents, and share the content with others who may not have PowerPoint. Fortunately, there are several straightforward methods for saving a PowerPoint file as a Word document.

Export PowerPoint File to Word Using PowerPoint

The easiest way to convert a PowerPoint presentation to Word is by using PowerPoint’s built-in export feature:

Open your PowerPoint presentation and click on the File tab

Select Export from the left sidebar and then click on Create Handouts
In the Send to Microsoft Word dialog box, select the desired page layout

The page layout options allow you to configure slide and note positioning

Under Add slides to Microsoft Word document, choose whether you want to paste or paste link
- Paste inserts a snapshot of the slides that won’t update with PowerPoint changes
- Paste link creates a dynamic link so Word content updates when PowerPoint content changes

Click OK and the presentation will open as an editable Word document

You can now work with the document, edit content, add information, customize formatting, and more. Finally, save the Word file in the .docx format.

Use Save As in PowerPoint

The Save As feature in PowerPoint provides another route for exporting a presentation as a Word document:

Open the PowerPoint file and select File > Save As
In the save location dialog box, use the dropdown menu to change the Save as type to Word Document (.docx)
Enter a file name and change other save options as desired

Click Save to convert the PowerPoint to an editable Word document

The Save As approach saves the native PowerPoint content into the Word .docx format in one step. You can then work with the document in Word.

Copy and Paste Slides

For quick conversion of a few PowerPoint slides, you can copy and paste into Word:

Open both the PowerPoint presentation and a blank Word document
In PowerPoint, click on a slide to select it and press Ctrl + C to copy
Switch over to Word and press Ctrl + V to paste the slide

Repeat for each slide you want to convert to Word

This manual copy-paste method allows you to quickly convert select slides. However, you’ll need to redo it if you want to convert additional slides later.

Use Third-Party Conversion Tools

There are various free online tools available to instantly convert PowerPoint presentations into Word documents:

Upload the PowerPoint file to the tool’s website
Select Word (.docx) as the desired converted format
Download the converted Word document

These tools provide a quick, hassle-free way to change PowerPoint files into Word. However, the formatting may not always come out perfectly.

Insert PowerPoint Slides Directly

PowerPoint and Word allow you to insert an entire presentation into a Word document with an active link back to the source:

In Word, place your cursor where you want the slides inserted

Go to the Insert tab and click on Object > Object
Select Create from File and choose your PowerPoint presentation
Check the Link to file box

Click OK, and the slides will be inserted as objects you can edit

This option retains the connection between the documents. Any changes made to the original PowerPoint file will automatically appear in Word.

Tips for Converting Presentations to Word

Follow these tips for best results when exporting PowerPoint files to Word:

Simplify presentations first by removing complex animations, 3D effects, etc. that won’t convert well
Paste links instead of pasting to retain a connection between the PowerPoint and Word documents for updates
Review formatting carefully after conversion and adjust as needed

Update links or break links later if needed to manage updates between documents

Converting presentations to Word provides more editing flexibility and options for repurposing slide content. Using PowerPoint’s Export to Word capabilities or Save As feature makes conversion simple.