The fastest way to duplicate a slide

Right-click the slide thumbnail on the left side of your screen and select Duplicate slide from the menu. Google Slides creates an exact copy directly below the original, with all text, images, and formatting intact. The duplicate appears when ready and is ready to edit.

If you prefer not to use right-click, you can also click the three-dot menu icon next to any slide thumbnail and choose Duplicate slide from the dropdown. Both methods take about two seconds and put the copy exactly where you need it — right after the slide you're working from.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any slide thumbnail on the left and select Duplicate slide to create an exact copy in seconds.
  • The duplicate appears directly below the original slide, so you can move it later if you need a different order.
  • All content — text, images, shapes, and formatting — copies exactly, so you only need to change what's different.
  • You can duplicate multiple slides at once by holding Shift or Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) while clicking, then right-clicking and duplicating.

When duplicating saves time versus starting fresh

Duplicating works best when you have a slide layout or design you want to reuse with different content. If you're building a presentation where each section follows the same structure — a title slide, a content slide with bullet points, and a closing slide — duplicating the content slide five times is faster than recreating the layout each time.

It also preserves exact spacing, font sizes, and alignment without you having to remember what you used before. You straightforward replace the text and swap out images, leaving the structure untouched. This is especially useful if your presentation has a specific brand template or if you're working with a team and want every slide to look consistent.

Moving and organizing duplicated slides

After you duplicate a slide, it lands directly below the original. If you need it somewhere else in your presentation, click and drag the thumbnail to a new position. The slide moves when ready, and all your content moves with it.

You can also select multiple slides at once by holding Shift and clicking the first and last slide you want to move, then drag them as a group. This is useful if you've duplicated several slides in a row and want to reorganize them all at once.

Duplicating slides across different presentations

If you want to copy a slide from one Google Slides presentation to another, right-click the slide thumbnail and select Copy slide. Open the presentation where you want to paste it, right-click in the slide panel on the left, and select Paste slide. The slide appears at the bottom of that presentation with all formatting and content preserved.

This method works across any Google Slides files you have access to. You can copy a slide from a template presentation into a new project, or pull a successful layout from an old presentation into a current one. The content stays exactly as it was in the original.

What happens to links and interactive elements when you duplicate

Links, buttons, and any interactive elements you've added to a slide copy over exactly as they are. If the original slide has a link to a website or a button that jumps to another slide, the duplicate has the same link or button pointing to the same place.

If you want the duplicate's button to point somewhere different, you'll need to edit it after copying. Click the button or link, and use the link tool to change where it goes. This takes just a few seconds and gives you the layout without having to rebuild the interactive parts from scratch.

Undoing a duplicate if you change your mind

If you duplicate a slide and when ready realize you didn't need it, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo. The duplicate disappears and you're back to your original slide count. You can undo multiple times if you've made several duplications in a row.

If you've made other edits since duplicating and want to keep those changes but remove only the duplicate, click the unwanted slide thumbnail and press Delete. The slide is removed from your presentation, and everything else stays as it is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I duplicate a slide and have it appear in a specific spot instead of right below the original?

The duplicate always appears directly below the original, but you can move it when ready after. Click and drag the thumbnail to wherever you want it in your slide order. This takes about one extra click, so it's not much slower than if you could specify the location upfront.

What if I duplicate a slide that has animations or transitions?

Animations and transitions copy along with everything else. If the original slide has text that fades in or a slide transition that wipes from left to right, the duplicate has the same animations and transitions. You can edit or remove them from the duplicate without affecting the original.

Can I duplicate multiple slides at the same time?

Yes. Hold Shift and click the first slide you want to duplicate, then click the last one. All slides in between are selected. Right-click and choose Duplicate slide, and Google Slides creates a copy of each one in the same order directly below your selection.

If I duplicate a slide with images, do the images stay or do I have to re-upload them?

The images stay. They're embedded in the slide, so duplicating copies the images along with everything else. You don't need to upload or link them again — they appear in the duplicate exactly as they appear in the original.

Does duplicating a slide use up more of my Google Drive storage?

Yes, but not much. The duplicate takes up additional space because it's a separate copy of the content, but images and media are stored once in your Drive and referenced by both slides. The extra storage is usually just a few kilobytes per slide unless you have very large images.