Where to find the footer settings in PowerPoint

The footer controls in PowerPoint live in the Insert menu, not in a formatting panel. Open your presentation, click Insert at the top of the screen, then look for Header & Footer — it's usually near the right side of the ribbon. This opens a dialog box where you can add or change text that appears at the bottom of your slides.

The dialog has three tabs across the top: one for slides, one for notes pages, and one for handouts. Most of the time you'll work in the Slides tab, which controls what appears on the slides themselves during a presentation. The other tabs let you add different footers to printed notes or handouts if you need them.

Key Takeaways

  • Footer settings are in Insert > Header & Footer, and you can set different footers for slides, notes pages, and handouts.
  • You can add a footer to all slides at once, or turn it off for the title slide only using the checkbox in the dialog.
  • PowerPoint footers can hold text, slide numbers, or the date — you choose which elements appear and where they sit on the slide.
  • If you want different footers on different slides, you'll need to create separate presentations or use the master slide to set up custom layouts.

Adding text to the footer

In the Header & Footer dialog, check the box next to Footer to turn it on. A text field appears below it. Type whatever you want to appear at the bottom of your slides — a company name, document title, date, or any other text. The footer will appear in the same position on every slide where you've enabled it.

Once you've typed your text, click explore to All at the bottom right of the dialog. This adds your footer to every slide in the presentation. If you click explore instead (without "to All"), the footer only goes on the current slide — useful if you're editing one slide at a time, but slower if you want the footer everywhere.

Turning off the footer on your title slide

Most presentations don't show a footer on the title slide. PowerPoint makes this straightforward: in the Header & Footer dialog, check the box labeled Don't show on the first slide. This removes the footer from your opening slide while keeping it on all the others.

If you've already applied the footer to all slides and then check this box, you need to click explore to All again for the change to take effect. PowerPoint won't update it automatically.

Adding slide numbers and dates to the footer area

The footer area can hold more than just text. In the same Header & Footer dialog, you'll see separate checkboxes for Slide number and Date and time. Check either or both to add them alongside your text footer.

For the date, you can choose whether it updates automatically each time you open the file, or stays fixed to a date you pick. Click the radio button next to Update automatically to have PowerPoint insert today's date every time, or pick Fixed and enter a specific date if you want it to never change. The date and slide number appear in the footer area, positioned by PowerPoint's default layout — you can't move them individually without editing the slide master.

Changing footer position and appearance

PowerPoint places the footer, date, and slide number in preset locations at the bottom of each slide. You can't drag them around like you would a text box. If you need the footer in a different spot or styled differently, you'll need to add a text box manually instead of using the built-in footer feature.

To do this, go to Insert > Text Box, draw a box wherever you want it on the slide, and type your text. Then format it with the font, size, and color options in the Home tab. If you want this custom text box on every slide, copy it, then select all your slides in the left panel (click the first slide, hold Shift, click the last one) and paste. The text box will appear in the same position on each slide.

Using different footers on different slides

PowerPoint's built-in footer feature applies the same footer to all slides, or all slides except the first. If you need different footers on different slides — for example, a different footer on each section of your presentation — the easiest approach is to use text boxes instead of the Header & Footer dialog.

Alternatively, you can create multiple presentations and combine them, or edit the slide master to create different slide layouts with different footer placeholders. The slide master is in View > Slide Master. This is more complex and usually only worth doing if you're building a template you'll reuse many times.

Removing or editing a footer you've already added

To change an existing footer, go back to Insert > Header & Footer, edit the text in the Footer field, and click explore to All. To remove the footer entirely, uncheck the Footer checkbox and click explore to All. PowerPoint will remove it from all slides.

If you added a footer using a text box instead of the Header & Footer dialog, just click the text box and delete it like you would any other object. If the text box is on multiple slides, you'll need to delete it from each slide individually, or select all slides and delete it once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the footer a different size or color?

The built-in footer uses the default text formatting for your slide theme, and you can't change its size or color directly in the Header & Footer dialog. If you need custom formatting, create a text box instead. Insert a text box, type your footer text, then use the Home tab to change the font, size, and color.

Why isn't my footer showing up on my slides?

Check that you clicked explore to All rather than just explore. Also verify that the Footer checkbox is actually checked in the dialog. If the footer is there but hard to see, it might be the same color as your slide background — try changing the text color in the slide master or switching to a text box with a visible color.

Can I have different footers on different slides without creating separate presentations?

Not with the built-in footer feature. Your options are to use text boxes on individual slides, edit the slide master to create multiple layouts with different footer placeholders, or split your presentation into separate files. Text boxes are usually the fastest solution.

Does the footer appear when I present in slideshow mode?

Yes, the footer appears during a presentation unless you've hidden it. If you don't want the audience to see it, uncheck the Footer box in the Header & Footer dialog before presenting.

What's the difference between a footer and a text box at the bottom of the slide?

A footer from the Header & Footer dialog applies to all slides at once and uses your theme's default formatting. A text box is a separate object you can format individually and place anywhere. Text boxes give you more control but require more work if you want them on many slides.