Where to find the notes section in PowerPoint

PowerPoint has two places to add notes: speaker notes (which only you see during a presentation) and slide notes (which print with your slides or appear in handouts). Both live in the same area of the program, but they serve different purposes.

To access notes in PowerPoint on Windows or Mac, open your presentation and look for the Notes button in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click it, and the view switches to show your slide at the top and a text box below where you can type. On Mac, you may need to go to the View menu and select Notes Page instead.

If you cannot find the Notes button, you are likely in Slide Sorter view or Outline view. Switch back to Normal view first by clicking the Normal button in the bottom right, or by going to View > Normal.

Key Takeaways

  • Speaker notes appear only on your screen during a presentation; click the Notes button in the bottom right to access them.
  • You can type directly into the notes area below each slide, or use the Notes Page view for a larger text box.
  • Notes print with your slides if you choose the Notes layout when printing, so they can serve as handouts or reference sheets.
  • On Mac, access notes through the View menu rather than a button in the corner.
  • Each slide has its own separate notes section, so you can add different information to different slides.

Typing notes in the notes pane

Once you are in Notes view, click inside the text box below your slide and start typing. There is no character limit, so you can add as much detail as you need — reminders about what to say, statistics to mention, questions to ask the audience, or timing cues for how long each slide should stay on screen.

As you move to the next slide, PowerPoint saves your notes automatically. Each slide keeps its own notes separate, so you can have different information on every slide without it mixing together. If you want to see your notes while presenting, use Presenter View, which displays your notes on your computer screen while the audience sees only the slide.

To enable Presenter View on Windows, go to Slide Show > Set Up Show and check Presenter View. On Mac, this is usually on by default when you connect an external monitor or projector.

Using Notes Page view for more space

If the notes pane in Normal view feels too cramped, switch to Notes Page view for a full-page layout. On Windows, go to View > Notes Page. On Mac, the same menu path applies. This view shows your slide at the top and a much larger text box below, giving you room to write longer notes or see more text at once.

Notes Page view is also the view PowerPoint uses when you print notes. If you plan to print your notes as handouts or reference sheets, checking this view beforehand lets you see exactly how they will look on paper and make adjustments if needed.

Printing notes with your slides

To print your notes along with your slides, go to File > Print. In the Print dialog, look for the Print Layout or Settings section (the exact name varies by version). You will see options like Full Page Slides, Handouts, and Notes Pages. Select Notes Pages to print each slide with its notes below it on the same page.

This layout is useful if you want to create a speaker guide, share notes with colleagues, or keep a printed reference copy of your presentation. You can also choose how many slides per page and whether to print in color or black and white before you send the job to your printer.

Adding notes in PowerPoint Online

PowerPoint Online (the web version you access through Office.com or your organization's Microsoft 365 account) also supports notes, but the interface is slightly different. Open your presentation, click the Notes button at the bottom of the screen, and a panel opens on the right side where you can type.

Notes in PowerPoint Online work the same way as the desktop version — they are tied to individual slides and do not appear during a presentation unless you use Presenter View. However, PowerPoint Online has fewer printing options, so if you need to print notes regularly, the desktop version of PowerPoint gives you more control.

Organizing and editing your notes

If you have a long presentation with many slides, keeping your notes organized makes them easier to use. Use consistent formatting: start each note with a main idea in bold, then add supporting details below. This way, you can scan your notes quickly during a presentation without getting lost in the text.

You can also use the Outline view to see all your slide text and notes at once. Go to View > Outline on Windows, or View > Outline on Mac. This view is helpful if you want to edit multiple notes in sequence or search for a specific word across all your notes.

To delete notes from a slide, open Notes view, select all the text in the notes box, and press Delete. This removes only the notes, not the slide itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the audience see my speaker notes during a presentation?

No. Speaker notes appear only on your screen when you use Presenter View. The audience sees only the slide itself. If you want the audience to see your notes, you must add them as text on the slide itself, not in the notes section.

What is the difference between notes and speaker notes?

In PowerPoint, these terms are used interchangeably. Both refer to the text you add in the notes section below each slide. They are meant for you (the speaker) to reference during a presentation, not for the audience.

Can I export my notes as a separate document?

PowerPoint does not have a built-in export-to-document feature for notes alone. Your best option is to print your notes to PDF (go to File > Print, select Notes Pages, then choose Print to PDF), or copy and paste your notes into Word or another document manually.

Do notes take up file size in my PowerPoint presentation?

Yes, but only slightly. Notes are stored as text within the presentation file, so they add a small amount of data. This rarely causes problems unless you have thousands of slides with very long notes.

How do I see my notes on a second monitor during a presentation?

Use Presenter View. On Windows, go to Slide Show > Set Up Show and enable Presenter View. On Mac, connect your second monitor before starting the presentation, and Presenter View usually turns on automatically. Your notes will appear on your computer screen while the slide shows on the projector or external display.