Create a template from a presentation

Provide instructions for users of your template

If you create templates for others to use, you can overwrite the text in the default placeholders by adding ‘custom placeholder text’, which describes or specifies the types of information that you want the users of your template to enter.

1. Click View > Slide Master.

2. In the pane that contains the slide master and layouts, click the layout that you want to add a text placeholder to.

3. Click Slide Master > Insert Placeholder >Text.

4. Use the mouse pointer to drag and draw the size of your text placeholder.

5. Highlight the default text in the placeholder and replace it with your own instructional text. If an unwanted bullet appears before your instructional text, click the Home tab, and in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to Bullets, and then click None.

6. Click Slide Master > Close Master View. If you edit a layout in Slide Master View, for example by adding instructional text, or some other layout-altering action, you must reapply the layout to the slides in your presentation when you return to Normal view. This ensures that the slides in your presentation will contain your most recent updates to the layout.

Save your presentation as a PowerPoint template (.potx)

1. To save your template, click File > Save As.

2. Under Save, click Browse. Save your templates to the Templates folder at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\to make them easier to locate.

3. In the Save Asdialog box, in the File namebox, type a file name, or do nothing to accept the suggested file name.

4. In the Save as typelist, click PowerPoint Template (.potx), and click Save.

Want more?

Create and save a template

Use slide masters to customize a presentation

Apply and change a theme