Speaker notes are text that only you see during your presentation

Speaker notes are hidden text you add to each slide in PowerPoint — your audience never sees them on the screen, but you can read them on your computer or notes page while presenting. They work like a teleprompter for your slides, holding talking points, statistics, reminders, or full scripts that keep you on track without cluttering the slide itself.

You add speaker notes in the Notes pane at the bottom of the slide editor, or you can switch to Notes Page view for more space to write. Once you add them, they appear only in your presenter view during the actual presentation, and optionally on printed handouts if you choose to include them.

Key Takeaways

  • Speaker notes are hidden from your audience and appear only in your presenter view during the slideshow.
  • You can add notes in the Notes pane below the slide in Normal view, or switch to Notes Page view for more writing space.
  • Notes stay with each individual slide, so you can have different talking points for every slide in your presentation.
  • You can print speaker notes on a separate page or include them on handouts, but your audience will not see them during the presentation itself.

Add notes in the Notes pane while editing

The quickest way to add speaker notes is to use the Notes pane, which sits below your slide in the normal editing view. Click on the slide you want to add notes to, then look at the bottom of the screen — you should see a section labeled "Notes" with a text box underneath.

Click inside that text box and type your notes. You can write as much or as little as you need — a single sentence, a full paragraph, or multiple paragraphs. PowerPoint will save your notes automatically as you type. If you do not see the Notes pane, go to the View tab at the top, click "Notes," and it will appear at the bottom of your screen.

Switch to Notes Page view for more space

If you are writing longer notes or prefer a full-page layout, use Notes Page view instead. Go to the View tab at the top of the ribbon, then click "Notes Page." Your screen will now show one slide at the top with a large text area below it — this is where you type your speaker notes.

Notes Page view gives you much more room to write and makes it easier to see your notes alongside the slide. You can move between slides using the navigation arrows at the bottom, or use Page Up and Page Down on your keyboard. When you are done writing notes, switch back to Normal view by clicking View and then "Normal."

Add notes to multiple slides without switching views

If you want to add notes to several slides in a row, stay in Notes Page view and use the navigation controls to move from slide to slide. Type your notes for the current slide, then press Page Down to move to the next slide. Your notes for the previous slide are saved automatically, so you can keep typing without worrying about losing your work.

Alternatively, in Normal view you can click on a slide in the slide panel on the left, type notes in the Notes pane, then click the next slide and repeat. This method keeps you in the same view the whole time and works well if you are adding short notes to many slides.

View your notes during the presentation

When you start your slideshow, your speaker notes appear only on your screen in Presenter View — the audience sees only the slide itself on the projector or main display. On your computer, you will see the current slide, the next slide coming up, a timer, and your speaker notes all at once.

Presenter View starts automatically on most setups when you press F5 or click "Slide Show" to begin. If it does not appear, make sure your presentation is set to use multiple displays (your monitor and the projector). You can also manually open Presenter View by pressing Alt+F5 during the slideshow, or by going to the Slide Show tab and clicking "From Beginning" or "From Current Slide."

Print speaker notes on a separate page

If you want a printed copy of your notes to study before presenting, go to File, then Print. Under "Settings," find the dropdown that says "Full Page Slides" and click it. Select "Notes Pages" from the list. PowerPoint will now print each slide at the top of a page with your speaker notes printed below it.

You can also choose "Outline" from that same dropdown to print only the text content of your slides and notes without the slide images, which saves ink and paper. Print as many copies as you need — these printed notes are for you alone and will not be given to your audience unless you choose to.

Include notes on handouts for your audience

If you want to give your audience a printed handout that includes your speaker notes, go to File and Print. Under "Settings," click the dropdown that says "Full Page Slides" and select "Handouts." Then choose how many slides per page you want (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 9), and check the box that says "Scale to paper size."

Be aware that if you include notes on handouts, your audience will see everything you wrote — so only do this if your notes are meant to be shared. Many presenters print handouts without notes and keep speaker notes private. You can also create a separate document with notes and distribute that only to people who need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my audience see my speaker notes during the presentation?

No. Speaker notes appear only in your Presenter View on your computer screen. The audience sees only the slide itself on the projector or main display. Your notes are completely hidden from them unless you print them on handouts and give those handouts out.

What if I do not see the Notes pane at the bottom of my screen?

Go to the View tab at the top of the ribbon and click "Notes." The Notes pane will appear at the bottom of your screen. If it still does not show, try dragging the divider line between the slide and the Notes area upward to make the Notes pane larger and more visible.

Can I edit speaker notes after I start the presentation?

No. Once the slideshow begins, you cannot edit notes. You can only read them in Presenter View. If you need to change your notes, exit the presentation, edit them in Normal or Notes Page view, and then start the slideshow again.

Do speaker notes take up extra file size in my PowerPoint file?

Yes, but not much. Speaker notes are stored in your PowerPoint file, so the file size increases slightly when you add them. If you want to share a file without notes, you can delete all notes before sending it, or use File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document to remove them automatically.

Can I use speaker notes on a phone or tablet?

PowerPoint on phones and tablets does not support Presenter View with speaker notes. You can view notes in the editing view, but you cannot present with them visible on a mobile device. For presentations on mobile, you will need to either memorize your notes or use a separate device to read them while presenting.