Presenter notes let you write what you'll actually say while your audience sees only the slides

Presenter notes (also called speaker notes) are text you type into PowerPoint that appears only on your screen or notes page, not on the projected slide. They sit below each slide in the Notes section and let you keep talking points, statistics, transitions, or reminders in one place without cluttering your visuals. You can view them while presenting, print them as a handout, or export them separately.

The notes stay attached to their slide, so if you rearrange slides, the notes move with them. This makes them useful for both live presentations and recorded videos where you want a script but don't want text covering your images.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Notes pane by clicking the Notes button on the View tab, or by clicking the small notes area at the bottom of Normal view.
  • Type directly into the Notes section below each slide, and the text will not appear on the projected slide or in Slide Show mode.
  • Print notes pages by going to File > Print, selecting "Notes Pages" from the Print Layout dropdown, and choosing how many slides per page.
  • Export notes as a separate document by saving as Outline view, which pulls all notes into an editable text file you can share or edit outside PowerPoint.

Opening the Notes pane in Normal view

The fastest way to add notes is to use the Notes pane that sits at the bottom of your screen in Normal view. Click the View tab at the top, then click the Notes button. PowerPoint will split your screen so the slide appears above and a blank text area appears below.

If you don't see the Notes button on the View tab, look for a small icon at the very bottom right of your screen that looks like three horizontal lines with a page behind them. Click that icon and select Notes from the menu. Either method opens the same pane.

Once the Notes pane is open, click inside it and start typing. Your text will not appear on the slide itself. Move to the next slide using the slide panel on the left, and the Notes pane will show that slide's notes (or be blank if you haven't added any yet).

Switching to Notes Page view for more space

If you're writing long notes or want a full-page view, use Notes Page view instead. Click the View tab and select Notes Page. PowerPoint will show you a single slide at the top of the page with a large text area below it, similar to how your notes will look when printed.

Notes Page view is useful when you're writing detailed scripts or when you want to see exactly how your notes will appear on a printed page. You can still edit the notes directly in this view. Use the navigation arrows at the bottom or the slide panel on the left to move between slides.

To return to Normal view, click the View tab and select Normal. Your notes will be saved and will still be there the next time you open the file.

Printing notes pages to take with you

To print your slides with notes attached, go to File > Print. In the Print dialog, find the dropdown that says "Full Page Slides" (or similar, depending on your PowerPoint version) and change it to "Notes Pages". This will print one slide per page with its notes below.

If you want multiple slides on one page to save paper, select "Handouts" instead and choose how many slides per page (usually 3 or 6). Handouts print the slides in a smaller size with lines next to them for audience notes, but they do not include your presenter notes. Use Notes Pages if you want your own notes printed.

You can also choose to print only certain slides by entering the slide numbers in the "Print Range" field. This is useful if you want to print notes for just the section you're presenting or the slides you're most uncertain about.

Viewing notes while you present

During a live presentation, you can see your notes on your own screen while the audience sees only the slides. Start the slideshow by pressing F5 (or Shift + F5 to start from the current slide). Your screen will show Presenter View, which displays the current slide, your notes, the next slide, and a timer.

If Presenter View doesn't appear automatically, check that your projector or second monitor is connected. You may also need to go to the Slide Show tab and check the "Use Presenter View" option. On a laptop, Presenter View usually appears on your laptop screen while the slides project to the external display.

You can click inside the notes area to scroll through long notes, but avoid typing during the presentation. If you need to reference a note you can't see, use the arrow keys to move to the next or previous slide and back again without changing what the audience sees.

Exporting notes as a separate document

To share your notes with someone else or to edit them outside PowerPoint, export them as a text file. Go to File > Save As and change the file type to "Outline/RTF" or "Plain Text". PowerPoint will save a new file containing all your slide text and notes in order, which you can open in Word or any text editor.

The exported file will show each slide's content followed by its notes. This is useful if you want to turn your notes into a handout, a blog post, or a script for a video. You can edit the exported file without affecting your PowerPoint file, and you can share it with collaborators who may not have PowerPoint installed.

If you only want to copy notes from one or two slides, you can also select the text directly in the Notes pane or Notes Page view, copy it, and paste it into a Word document or email.

Keeping notes organized and findable

As your notes grow longer, use consistent formatting to make them straightforward to scan. Start each note with a keyword or topic, use line breaks between separate points, and keep related information together. For example: "Transition: Ask audience about their experience before moving to next slide" or "Statistic: 73% of users prefer X over Y — pause here for effect."

If you're presenting multiple times, add notes about what worked and what didn't. Write "Spend less time here" or "Audience asked about X — add slide next time" so you can improve the presentation for the next audience. These notes become a record of how your presentation actually lands.

Use the Find & Replace feature (Ctrl + H) to search for a word or phrase across all your notes if you need to update a statistic or find where you mentioned a specific topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my notes show up on the projected slide?

No. Presenter notes appear only in the Notes pane, Notes Page view, or Presenter View on your own screen. They never appear on the slide that the audience sees, even if you accidentally leave the Notes pane open during a presentation.

Can I add notes to slides after I've already created them?

Yes. Open any slide and click in the Notes pane or switch to Notes Page view. You can add, edit, or delete notes at any time. The notes are saved with the file when you save the presentation.

What if I want to print just the notes without the slides?

Export your presentation as an Outline or Plain Text file (File > Save As, change file type). This creates a text-only document with all your notes. You can then open it in Word or a text editor and print just the notes, or edit them further before printing.

Can I see my notes on my phone or tablet while presenting?

Yes, if you use the PowerPoint mobile app and connect to a Bluetooth remote or use your phone as a remote. Open the presentation in the PowerPoint app, start the slideshow, and tap the screen to see speaker notes. This works on both iPhone and Android, though the experience is smaller than on a laptop screen.

Do notes get included if I share the file with someone else?

Yes. When you send someone your PowerPoint file, the notes are included. If you want to remove notes before sharing, select all notes (Ctrl + A in the Notes pane) and delete them, or use File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document to remove notes in bulk.