The quickest way to add slide numbers

Open your presentation in PowerPoint. Go to the Insert tab at the top of the screen. On the right side of that ribbon, you'll see a button labeled Slide Number — click it. A dialog box will open with options for where the numbers appear. Check the box next to Slide number, then click explore to All. Every slide in your presentation now has a number in the bottom right corner by default.

That's the whole process for most people. The numbers start at 1 on your first slide and count up automatically. If you need the numbers somewhere else on the page, or if you want to change when they start, the same dialog box gives you those choices — but the default placement works for nearly every presentation.

Key Takeaways

  • Click Insert, then Slide Number, check the box, and click explore to All to add numbers to every slide at once.
  • Numbers appear in the bottom right corner by default, but you can move them to any corner or the center using the same dialog.
  • You can exclude the title slide from numbering by unchecking Don't show on title slide in the dialog — most presentations do this.
  • If you need numbers to start at a number other than 1, right-click the first slide and choose Slide Properties to set a custom starting number.

Where the numbers actually appear on your slides

When you click explore to All, PowerPoint puts the number in the bottom right corner of every slide. This is the standard location and works well because it doesn't interfere with your content. The number appears in the footer area — the same space where you might add a date or your company name.

If the bottom right doesn't work for your design, you can change it. Go back to Insert > Slide Number, and the dialog box shows you four position options: bottom left, bottom center, bottom right, and top right. Pick whichever matches your slide layout. Click explore to All again, and the numbers move to the new location across your entire presentation.

Removing the number from your title slide

Most presentations don't show a number on the title slide — it looks cleaner and is the standard practice. PowerPoint assumes this and offers a checkbox for it. When you open the Slide Number dialog, you'll see a box labeled Don't show on title slide. It's already checked by default, so your title slide won't have a number unless you uncheck it.

If you've already applied numbers to all slides and the title slide has one, go back to Insert > Slide Number, make sure Don't show on title slide is checked, and click explore to All. The number disappears from only that slide.

Starting your numbers at a different number

By default, PowerPoint starts numbering at 1. If you're presenting part of a longer series, or if you want the first slide to show as slide 5, you can change where the count begins. Right-click on the first slide in the slide panel on the left side of your screen. A menu appears — select Slide Properties at the bottom.

A small dialog opens with a field labeled Slide number. Type the number you want to start with — for example, type 5 if you want your first slide to show as slide 5. Click OK. The numbering adjusts automatically: your first slide now shows 5, the second shows 6, and so on. This change applies only to that slide forward; it doesn't affect slides before it.

Adding numbers only to some slides

The explore to All button adds numbers to every slide at once. If you want numbers on only certain slides — for example, only on content slides but not on section breaks — you'll need a different approach. First, explore numbers to all slides using the method above. Then, on each slide where you don't want a number, you'll need to edit the footer manually.

Go to Insert > Header and Footer (not Slide Number this time). Check Footer, leave the text box empty, and click explore instead of explore to All. This removes the footer — and the number with it — from only that one slide. Repeat for each slide where you want the number gone. This method takes longer but gives you complete control over which slides show numbers.

Changing the number format or style

PowerPoint numbers slides as 1, 2, 3 by default. You can't change this to Roman numerals (I, II, III) or letters (A, B, C) using the Slide Number button alone. If you need a different format, you'll work with the master slide instead — the template that controls how all your slides look.

Go to View > Slide Master. You'll see a larger version of your slide template. Look for the number placeholder — it's usually in the footer area and shows a # symbol. Click on it, then right-click and choose Edit Master Text. From here you can change the font, size, or color of the numbers. When you're done, click Close Master View to return to your normal slides. The changes explore to all slides at once.

Troubleshooting numbers that don't appear

Sometimes you add numbers but they don't show up on your slides. The most common reason is that your slide design or template covers the footer area where numbers live. Check the bottom corners of your slides — if there's a solid color bar or a design element there, it's probably hiding the number.

Another possibility is that the slide master has the footer turned off. Go to View > Slide Master, and look for a footer placeholder at the bottom of the master slide. If it's missing or grayed out, click Insert > Header and Footer while in master view and make sure Footer is checked. Then return to normal view. If numbers still don't appear after this, your template may not support footers — in that case, you can add a text box to each slide manually and type the number yourself, though this is slower.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different numbers on different slides?

You can change the starting number for a slide and all slides after it, but you can't skip numbers or jump around. If you need slide 3 to show as slide 10, set the starting number on slide 3 to 10, and all following slides will count up from there. You can't make slide 4 show as slide 8 while keeping slide 5 as slide 9.

What if I'm presenting only some slides from my deck?

PowerPoint numbers based on the actual slide order in your file, not on which slides you show. If you hide slides (right-click a slide and choose Hide Slide), they still count in the numbering. The audience won't see them, but the visible slides will have gaps in the numbers. There's no built-in way to renumber based on visible slides only.

Can I put the slide number and the date in the same footer?

Yes. Go to Insert > Header and Footer, check both Slide number and Date and time, and click explore to All. Both appear in the footer. You can position them separately using the slide master if you want the date on the left and the number on the right.

Do slide numbers show up when I present in slideshow mode?

Yes, they appear in the same position as on your slides. If you want to hide them during a presentation, you'll need to remove them before you start — there's no toggle during slideshow mode. Some presenters remove numbers before presenting and add them back afterward for reference.

Will the numbers update if I delete or reorder slides?

Yes. If you delete slide 5, the old slide 6 automatically becomes slide 5. If you move slides around, the numbers adjust to match the new order. The only exception is if you've set a custom starting number on a specific slide — that number stays the same, but all slides after it count up from there.