Right-click the slide thumbnail and select Delete

The fastest way to delete a slide in Google Slides is to right-click on the slide thumbnail in the left panel and choose Delete slide from the menu that appears. The slide vanishes when ready, and any content on it is gone.

If you are working on a computer with a trackpad instead of a mouse, you can accomplish the same thing by clicking the slide thumbnail with two fingers (or however your trackpad handles a right-click), then selecting Delete slide.

On a mobile device, tap and hold the slide thumbnail until a menu appears, then tap Delete. The behavior is the same — the slide is removed from your presentation right away.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the slide thumbnail on the left side of the screen and select Delete slide to remove it when ready.
  • You can also select the slide and press the Delete key on your keyboard, or use the menu at the top of the page.
  • Deleting a slide cannot be undone with the standard undo button if you close the presentation, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm.
  • If you delete a slide by accident, use Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) right away to bring it back.

Using the keyboard shortcut

If you prefer not to use the mouse, click the slide thumbnail once to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. The slide is removed without any additional confirmation.

This method works the same way on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook. The Delete key is the fastest route if you are moving through a presentation and removing multiple slides in a row.

Deleting a slide from the menu

You can also delete a slide using the menu at the top of the page. Click the slide thumbnail to select it, then click Edit in the menu bar and choose Delete slide. This route takes more steps than right-clicking, so most people use the thumbnail method instead.

The menu approach is useful if you are not sure where the right-click option is, or if you are on a device where right-clicking is difficult. The result is identical — the slide is removed from your presentation.

What happens when you delete a slide

When you delete a slide, Google Slides removes it from your presentation permanently. Any text, images, or other content on that slide is gone. The remaining slides shift up to fill the gap — if you delete slide 3 out of 5, your presentation now has 4 slides, and what was slide 4 becomes slide 3.

If you delete a slide by accident, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) when ready to undo the deletion. This works as long as you have not closed the presentation. If you close the file and reopen it, the undo history is cleared, and the slide cannot be recovered through the undo button.

Recovering a deleted slide

If you closed your presentation after deleting a slide, you may still be able to recover it. Google Slides keeps a version history of your file. Click File at the top, then Version history, and look for a version saved before you deleted the slide. Click on that version to view it, then click Restore this version to bring the entire presentation back to that point in time.

Keep in mind that restoring a version will undo any other changes you made after the deletion, so use this method only if the deleted slide is more important than the work you have done since then. If you have made many changes since the deletion, it may be faster to recreate the slide manually.

Deleting multiple slides at once

If you need to remove several slides, you can select more than one at a time. Click the first slide thumbnail, then hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click the other slides you want to delete. They will be highlighted in blue. Right-click any of the selected slides and choose Delete slide, and all of them will be removed at once.

You can also select a range of consecutive slides by clicking the first one, then holding Shift and clicking the last one. All slides between them will be selected, and you can delete them together using the same right-click method.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a slide deletion after I close the presentation?

Not through the undo button. Once you close the file, the undo history is cleared. However, you can use Google Slides' version history to restore an earlier version of your presentation that includes the deleted slide. Click File, then Version history, and select a version from before the deletion.

What if I delete a slide by accident?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) when ready to undo the deletion. This works as long as the presentation is still open. If you have already closed the file, use version history to restore it.

Does deleting a slide affect the slide numbers of the remaining slides?

Yes. If you delete slide 5 out of 10, your presentation now has 9 slides, and the numbering shifts automatically. Slides that were numbered 6 through 10 become slides 5 through 9.

Can I delete the last slide in a presentation?

No. Google Slides requires that every presentation have at least one slide. If you try to delete the only remaining slide, the delete option will be grayed out or the action will not work.