Speaker notes go in a separate pane below each slide

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are text you write for yourself — they appear on your screen during a presentation but not on the projected slide. You add them in the Notes pane, a section at the bottom of the slide editor that you can expand or collapse. The notes stay attached to each individual slide, so you can write different notes for each one.

The Notes pane is hidden by default in most PowerPoint views. You need to turn it on first, then click into the pane and type. The notes sync across all your devices if you use PowerPoint online or the desktop app with cloud storage.

Key Takeaways

  • Speaker notes appear only on your screen during a presentation, not on the projected slide that your audience sees.
  • You access notes through the Notes pane, which sits below the slide in Normal view or through the Notes Page view for printing.
  • Each slide can have its own notes, and you can format the text with bold, italics, and bullet points just like regular text.
  • During a presentation, you can see your notes on your computer screen while your audience sees only the slide itself.

Turning on the Notes pane in Normal view

In PowerPoint on Windows or Mac, open a presentation and go to the View tab at the top. Look for the Notes button — on Windows it appears in the ribbon, and on Mac it is in the toolbar. Click it, and the Notes pane will appear at the bottom of your screen below the slide.

If you are using PowerPoint online in a web browser, the Notes pane is accessed differently. Click the View menu and select Notes or Speaker Notes, depending on your version. The pane will open below the slide editing area.

Once the Notes pane is visible, click directly into it and start typing. You can write as much or as little as you need for each slide. When you move to the next slide, the pane stays open and ready for new notes.

Using Notes Page view for longer notes or printing

If you want to write extensive notes or print them out, use Notes Page view instead. Go to the View tab and select Notes Page. This view shows a smaller version of your slide at the top with a large text area below for notes — it gives you much more space to write.

Notes Page view is also the best option if you plan to print your notes. You can print the notes pages directly from this view, and each page will show the slide thumbnail plus your typed notes. This is useful if you want a physical backup or prefer to read from printed notes during your presentation.

To return to the normal editing view, go back to the View tab and select Normal.

Formatting and organizing your notes

Speaker notes support basic text formatting. You can make text bold or italic, create bullet points, and use line breaks to organize your thoughts. Highlight key phrases or statistics you want to emphasize during your talk. Many presenters use short bullet points rather than full paragraphs so they can scan the notes quickly while speaking.

Some presenters write out full sentences or even a script, while others just jot down talking points. There is no right way — use whatever format helps you remember what you want to say. If you have a complex slide with many details, you might write more notes. For a simple visual slide, a few keywords might be enough.

Viewing notes during a presentation

When you start a slideshow, your notes appear on your screen in Presenter View (if you have a second monitor or extended display). Your audience sees only the slide itself. Presenter View shows the current slide, a preview of the next slide, a timer, and your speaker notes all in one place on your computer.

To use Presenter View on Windows, connect a second monitor or projector, start the slideshow, and Presenter View should activate automatically. On Mac, you may need to enable it in the Slide Show menu under Show Presenter View. If you are presenting on a single screen, you can still see your notes by pressing the N key during the slideshow to open a notes window.

Syncing notes across devices

If you use PowerPoint on the desktop and also on your phone or tablet, your speaker notes sync automatically when you save to OneDrive or SharePoint. This means you can add notes on your computer, then open the file on your phone and see those same notes during a presentation.

Notes do not sync if you save only to your local computer. To ensure your notes are available everywhere, save your file to cloud storage. Check that you are signed into your Microsoft account on all devices so the sync works properly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my audience see my speaker notes?

No. Speaker notes appear only on your screen during a presentation, not on the projected slide. Your audience sees only the slide content itself. The notes are completely private to you.

Can I print speaker notes?

Yes. Switch to Notes Page view, then use File > Print. Choose to print Notes Pages, and PowerPoint will print each slide with its notes below it. You can also print just the notes without the slide thumbnail if your version offers that option.

What if I forget to add notes before my presentation?

You can add or edit notes at any time, even after you have created the slides. Open the presentation, turn on the Notes pane, and type your notes for each slide. You can do this right up until you start the slideshow.

Do speaker notes take up file size?

Speaker notes add a small amount to your file size, but not much. Text is lightweight compared to images and videos. Even a presentation with extensive notes on every slide will not increase the file size significantly.

Can I export my speaker notes as a separate document?

PowerPoint does not have a built-in export function for notes alone, but you can copy and paste them into Word or another document. Alternatively, print to PDF using Notes Page view, which creates a document with your slides and notes together.