The fastest way: drag and drop from your computer

Open the slide where you want the video. Click the Insert tab at the top of PowerPoint, then click Video and choose This Device. Navigate to the video file on your computer — PowerPoint accepts MP4, MOV, WMV, and several other formats — and click Insert. The video appears on your slide as a box you can resize by dragging the corners.

That's the whole process for a local file. The video plays when you click it during your presentation. You can test it by pressing the spacebar or clicking the play button that appears when you hover over the video in edit mode.

If you're working on a Mac, the steps are identical: Insert tab, Video, This Device, then select your file. PowerPoint for Mac supports the same formats as Windows.

Key Takeaways

  • Drag a video file directly onto a PowerPoint slide, or use Insert > Video > This Device to add it from your computer.
  • PowerPoint embeds the video file into your presentation, so the file size grows and you don't need to carry the video separately.
  • Videos from YouTube or other websites require you to paste an embed code or use Insert > Video > Online Video, not drag-and-drop.
  • Test your video before presenting by clicking it in edit mode or pressing spacebar during the slideshow.
  • If a video won't play, check that the file format is MP4, MOV, or WMV, and that the file path hasn't changed since you inserted it.

Adding videos from YouTube or other websites

Click Insert, then Video, then Online Video. Paste the full URL of the YouTube video into the search box and press Enter. PowerPoint finds the video and inserts a preview thumbnail on your slide. When you play the presentation, clicking the thumbnail opens the video in a web player.

This method requires an internet connection during your presentation. If you're presenting offline or on an unreliable network, read the video to your computer first and use the "This Device" method instead.

Some websites block embedding. If PowerPoint can't find the video after you paste the URL, the website probably doesn't allow it. YouTube almost always works. Vimeo works if the video owner has allowed embedding in the video settings.

Controlling video playback during your presentation

Right-click the video on your slide and select Format Video to open the options panel on the right side. Under Video, you can choose whether the video starts automatically when you reach that slide, or only when you click it. You can also set it to rewind after it finishes, or to hide the video until you click it.

If you want the video to play full-screen, right-click it again and check Play Full Screen. This is useful for videos that are the main focus of a slide rather than supporting material.

During the presentation itself, you control playback the same way you would in any video player: click to play, click again to pause, or use the progress bar to jump to a specific point. The video controls appear when you hover your mouse over the video.

Keeping file sizes manageable

When you insert a video using "This Device," PowerPoint embeds the entire video file into the presentation. A 5-minute video can easily add 100 MB or more to your file. If you're emailing the presentation or uploading it to a shared drive with size limits, this becomes a problem.

For presentations you'll deliver yourself on your own computer, embedding is fine — the video is may provide to play. For presentations you're sharing with others, use YouTube or another online source instead. The file stays small, and the video plays as long as the person viewing it has internet access.

If you must embed a video and need to shrink the file, compress the video before inserting it. Many free tools like HandBrake or online converters can reduce a video's file size without losing much quality. A 1080p video compressed to 720p or lower bitrate can cut the file size in half.

Troubleshooting videos that won't play

The most common cause is file format. PowerPoint on Windows prefers MP4 and WMV files. PowerPoint on Mac prefers MP4 and MOV files. If you have an AVI, FLV, or other format, convert it to MP4 first using a free tool like VLC or HandBrake, then insert the converted file.

The second common cause is a broken file path. If you move the PowerPoint file to a different folder or a different computer, embedded videos may stop working because PowerPoint can't find them. To fix this, delete the video from the slide, move the video file to the same folder as your PowerPoint file, and insert it again.

If you're using an online video and it won't play during your presentation, check your internet connection. Some networks block video streaming. If that's the case, read the video and embed it instead, or have a backup plan to skip that video.

Editing video timing and appearance on the slide

Click the video once to select it, then drag the corners to resize it or drag the center to move it around the slide. You can make it as large or small as you need. If you want it to take up most of the slide, drag it to fill the space, leaving room for a title if needed.

To trim the video so only a portion plays, right-click it and select Trim Video. A timeline appears showing the full length. Drag the handles at the start and end to mark where you want the video to begin and stop. This is useful if you only want to show a 30-second clip from a longer video, or if you want to skip the intro.

You can also add a poster frame — a still image that shows before the video plays. Right-click the video, select Format Video, and under Video choose Poster Frame. You can use the current frame from the video, upload an image file, or let PowerPoint pick a frame automatically.

Using videos across multiple slides

If you want the same video to appear on more than one slide, insert it once, right-click it, and select Copy. Go to the other slide and select Paste. The video appears in the same position and with the same settings. Changes you make to one copy don't affect the others.

For a video that plays continuously across multiple slides — like background music or a looping animation — insert it on the first slide, set it to autoplay, and set it to continue playing even when you move to the next slide. Right-click the video, select Format Video, and under Video check Play Across Slides. The video keeps playing as you click through slides until it finishes or you manually stop it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What video formats does PowerPoint support?

PowerPoint accepts MP4, MOV, WMV, MPEG, and several other formats. MP4 is the safest choice because it works on both Windows and Mac. If you have a video in a different format, convert it to MP4 using a free tool like VLC or HandBrake before inserting it.

Can I add subtitles or captions to a video in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint doesn't add captions directly. If your video already has captions embedded, they'll play. Otherwise, add captions to the video file itself using a video editor before inserting it into PowerPoint, or display the captions on a separate slide.

Will my video play if I email the presentation to someone else?

Only if you embedded it using "This Device." Online videos from YouTube will play as long as the person has internet. Embedded videos may not play if the file path breaks when the presentation moves to a different computer. To be safe, keep the video file in the same folder as the PowerPoint file and send both together.

How do I make a video autoplay when I reach that slide?

Right-click the video, select Format Video, and under Video change the start setting from On Click to Automatically. The video will play as soon as you navigate to that slide.

Can I loop a video so it plays over and over?

Right-click the video, select Format Video, and under Video check Loop Until Stopped. The video will restart automatically when it reaches the end and keep playing until you manually stop it or move to the next slide.