Where to find the notes section in PowerPoint

PowerPoint has a built-in notes area below every slide where you can type speaker notes, reminders, or talking points. The notes section appears at the bottom of the slide editor by default, but if you do not see it, you need to turn it on.

In PowerPoint on Windows or Mac, click the View tab at the top. Look for a button labeled Notes or Notes Page — the exact name depends on your version. Click it, and the slide will shift to show a large notes area underneath a smaller version of your slide. You can now type directly into that notes field.

If you are using PowerPoint online in a web browser, the notes section works the same way but lives in a different spot. Look for View in the ribbon, then select Notes from the dropdown menu. The notes pane will appear below your slide.

Key Takeaways

  • Notes appear in a dedicated section below your slide when you click View > Notes or Notes Page, and they do not show to your audience during a presentation.
  • You can type directly into the notes area, paste text from other documents, or format your notes with bold, italics, and bullet points using the same tools as your slides.
  • Notes sync across devices if you save your file to OneDrive or SharePoint, so you can add notes on your desktop and see them on your laptop before presenting.
  • During a presentation, you can see your notes on your own screen while your audience sees only the slide, using Presenter View on Windows or the speaker notes feature on Mac.

Typing and formatting notes for each slide

Once you are in Notes view, click inside the notes area and start typing. There is no character limit, so you can write as much or as little as you need for each slide. Many people use notes to write out full sentences they plan to say, bullet points of key ideas, or reminders about timing and transitions.

You can format your notes the same way you format text on your slides. Highlight text and use the Home tab to make it bold, italic, or underlined. You can also create bullet points by pressing the bullet button or using the keyboard shortcut. If you have notes from another document — like a script or outline — you can copy and paste them directly into the notes area.

Each slide has its own separate notes section, so you can customize notes for every single slide or leave some blank. If you want to reuse the same note across multiple slides, you will need to type or paste it into each one individually.

Viewing notes while you present

Your notes never appear on the main screen that your audience sees. Instead, you view them on your own device using Presenter View. On Windows, Presenter View shows your notes, the current slide, the next slide, and a timer all on your screen while your audience sees only the current slide on the projector or shared screen.

To turn on Presenter View in Windows, click the Slide Show tab, then check the box next to Use Presenter View before you start presenting. When you begin the presentation, your notes will appear on your device automatically.

On Mac, Presenter View works slightly differently. Start your presentation, and your notes appear on your Mac screen by default while the slides display on the external monitor or projector. If you do not see your notes, click the View menu during the presentation and select Show Presenter Notes.

Saving and syncing notes across devices

Notes are saved inside your PowerPoint file, so they stay with your presentation whenever you save. If you save your file to your computer's hard drive, the notes stay on that computer unless you manually move the file.

If you want to access your notes from multiple devices — your desktop, laptop, or tablet — save your PowerPoint file to OneDrive or SharePoint instead of your local hard drive. When you do, any notes you add on one device will appear on all your other devices the next time you open the file. This is especially useful if you write notes at your desk but want to review them on your laptop before presenting.

To save to OneDrive, click File, then Save As, and choose your OneDrive folder. For SharePoint, follow the same steps but select your organization's SharePoint site instead.

Moving between notes view and slide view

You can switch between Notes view and Normal view (the standard slide editor) without losing any of your notes. Click the View tab and select Normal to return to the regular slide editing view. Your notes stay saved in the background.

Some people prefer to work in Normal view most of the time and only switch to Notes view when they want to add or edit speaker notes. Others keep Notes view open the entire time they are preparing. There is no right way — use whichever view helps you work faster.

If you want a quick look at your notes without switching views, you can also open the Notes Pane from the View tab. This shows a smaller notes section on the right side of your screen while you keep the main slide editing area in the center, letting you see both at once.

Printing notes with your slides

You can print your notes alongside your slides so you have a physical copy to reference during your presentation or to share with others. Click File, then Print. In the print settings, look for a dropdown menu labeled Print Layout or Settings.

Select Notes Pages from the dropdown. This will print each slide at the top of a page with your notes for that slide printed below it. You can print all slides or just specific ones by entering the slide numbers in the print dialog.

If you want to print just the notes without the slides, some versions of PowerPoint offer a Outline print option. This prints all your notes in text form without the slide images, which takes up less paper and ink.

Troubleshooting notes that do not appear

If you switched to Notes view but the notes area is blank or very small, the pane may be collapsed. Look for a dividing line between the slide and the notes section. Click and drag that line upward to expand the notes area and make it larger.

If you cannot find the Notes button in the View tab, you may be using a very old version of PowerPoint or a limited version like PowerPoint Starter. Most full versions of PowerPoint include notes functionality, but some stripped-down editions do not. Check your version by clicking File > Account and looking at the product name.

If your notes disappeared after you closed and reopened your file, make sure you saved the file before closing it. Notes are only saved when you save the presentation itself. If you closed without saving, any notes you typed will be lost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my audience see my notes during the presentation?

No. Notes only appear on your own device when you use Presenter View. Your audience sees only the slide itself on the projector or shared screen. This is the main reason to use notes — you can have detailed talking points that only you can see.

How do I add notes to multiple slides at once?

You cannot add the same note to multiple slides automatically. You have to type or paste notes into each slide individually. If you have a note you want on many slides, copy it from one slide's notes section, then paste it into the others one by one.

What happens to my notes if I convert my PowerPoint to a PDF?

Notes do not transfer to a standard PDF. If you need to preserve your notes, export your PowerPoint as a PDF with notes by clicking File > Export > Create Handouts, then choosing the layout that includes notes. This creates a PDF with slides and notes together.

Can I see notes on my phone or tablet?

Yes, if your file is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. Open PowerPoint on your phone or tablet, open the file, and switch to Notes view. You can read and edit notes on mobile devices, though typing longer notes is easier on a keyboard.

Do notes take up file size or slow down my presentation?

Notes add very little to your file size and do not affect presentation performance. PowerPoint stores notes as text, which is much smaller than images or video. Your presentation will run at the same speed whether you have notes or not.