How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint: A Quick Guide

Have you ever gone blank during a presentation, suddenly forgetting what to say next? Taking notes in your notebook might help, but there’s a much better way! PowerPoint speaker notes let you prepare more confidently and stay on track while presenting.

In this article, we’ll explore how speaker notes work in PowerPoint, why they’re helpful, and how to add, use, and print them out for a smooth, stress-free presentation.

What Are Speaker Notes in PowerPoint?

Speaker notes in PowerPoint are additional text that appears in a separate box beneath the main slide. Hidden from the viewer, they support the presenter with comments, ideas, numbers to mention, and more. While the main slide provides design and illustrations, speaker notes serve as a simple notebook with helpful hints.

How to Add Speaker Notes in PowerPoint on Windows and macOS

Regardless of the operating system you use, adding notes to PowerPoint slides is straightforward. While the Windows and macOS interfaces look slightly different, their functionality is essentially the same. Let’s see how to add notes in both systems.

How to insert speaker notes in PowerPoint on Windows

Click on the Notes pane below the slide and simply enter or edit the existing text. No specific saving is needed — your notes will be saved together with the entire presentation.

Typically, the Notes pane is open when you’re creating slides. In case it’s closed, just click on Notes on the bottom bar of the window. 

Alternatively, you can go to the View tab and select Notes in the Show section.

And this is what you’ll see when you start your presentation:

How to add speaker notes in PowerPoint on macOS

Open the Notes pane, if needed. Use the Notes button at the bottom bar or the View section, just as in Windows, and add your text below the chosen slide.

How to Use Speaker Notes During a Presentation

Here are the three most commonly used PowerPoint views: 

• Normal View, where you can create and edit your presentation. It shows notes if you’ve switched them on.
• Slide Show View, to present your work to the viewers. They will only see the slide you’re sharing. Slide Show acts as a finalized presentation and doesn’t show any notes.
• Presenter View. This is the “secret” view, with the notes and hints conveniently placed on the next slide.

Why is it “secret”? The trick is that the Presenter View appears only along with the Slide Show View. It appears on the source computer but is hidden from the viewers. This means you can’t activate the Presenter View if you’re using only one screen. 

Let’s see how to get it:

1. Connect your PC or laptop to another screen or output.
2. Go to the Slide Show tab of the presentation and check the Use Presenter View box (if unchecked).
3. Select any of the options in the Start Slide Show section.

You’ll get the Presenter View on the source PC/laptop and the Slide Show View on the connected screen.

How to Print PowerPoint Speaker Notes 

If you still feel uncomfortable reading from the screen or need to send them to anyone, the best way to do this is to print them:

1. Click on the File tab and go to the Print option.
2. In the Settings section, go to the second list of options (Full Page Slides, saving only your slides by default), and select the Notes Pages option.

The result will be the slide and notes conveniently printed on the same page.

More ways to print PowerPoint speaker notes

If you want your speaker notes to have a different layout, we recommend exporting them before printing. Here’s how:

1. Click on the File tab and select Export.
2. Choose Create Handouts, then click on the Create Handouts button.
3. You’ll see several options for saving your notes along with the slides. Select the one you’d like to have and print out the Microsoft Word document you just exported:

How to Edit a Note or Delete It: Key Points

Editing speaker notes

You can edit or add notes only in the Editor View; however, formatting is quite limited. Editing notes in the Notes pane works just the same as editing text in the presentation. Simply highlight the word, and the editing bar will appear.

Not all formatting options are available here. However, you can use bold, italic, underlined, or numbered with different list levels. This simple formatting will help you have the most important points at hand and deliver a perfect lecture.

Deleting all speaker notes in PowerPoint

To delete one of the notes, just erase the text in your favorite way: with Esc or Del keys. However, if you want to delete all notes from the presentation, you’ll have to use the Inspector function:

1. Click on the File tab and go to the Info option.
2. Select Check for issues, and click on the Inspect Document option.
3. Ensure that the Presentation Notes box is checked and click on Inspect.
4. Next, click on the Remove All button to the right of Presentation Notes. After all notes have been deleted, save your presentation.

Setting the note font size

Changing the note text size is only available in the Presenter View. If your notes are too small or too big to read, use the size buttons in the bottom right corner to regulate your text size.

Using Speaker Notes for Online Courses and Narration

PowerPoint is, of course, much more than a simple tool for sharing ideas! If you’re a course creator or an interactive training expert, it offers plenty of teaching opportunities. PowerPoint speaker notes can make your educational content even more comprehensive — for both you and your trainees. 

Here are three ways to use notes to enhance the learning experience.

1. Convenient handouts for your learners

Putting everything on a single slide is impossible, and creating a separate learning handbook can take time. With PowerPoint speaker notes, you can quickly add extra explanations, tips, or data — and then provide them as a paper or PDF handout. This way, your learners will get a clear summary of the key points, supported by the visuals on your slides.

2. Keep quiz answers handy

If your presentation includes quizzes, like those created in iSpring Suite, keep the correct answers close at hand. 

During a live presentation, the easiest way to access them is by adding them to your speaker notes. That way, you can check the answers without switching screens.

3. Keep learners engaged with speaker notes

If you’re using interactive quizzes or games, speaker notes will help you keep learners engaged until the end of the lesson. Write down discussion prompts or guiding questions to spark engagement, or add some notes on time management. Timing notes can help you guide your guest speakers and make your training more dynamic.

FAQ

What should I include in speaker notes?

Use your speaker notes to write detailed explanations, correct answers, thoughts, and ideas that will help you give a great speech.

Can the audience see speaker notes?

They can if you show them the editor view. Starting a slide show while having two screens will enable you to hide the notes in the Presenter View.

How long should speaker notes be?

You can make them as long as needed; there is no limit to the length of the notes. The vertical scroll bar will appear if the note doesn’t fit in the box.

How can I hide speaker notes while presenting?

To hide speaker notes in PowerPoint while presenting, just use Slide Show mode to present your work. Ensure that you have two screens to have your notes on one of the devices, hidden from the viewers.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re presenting for the first time, running a virtual classroom, or have been doing this for years, speaker notes can increase your confidence dramatically and help you stay focused on your speech.

Have speaker notes ever saved your presentation? Share your stories in the comments!

And if you’re planning a comprehensive online course, feel free to explore iSpring Suite. This is a highly intuitive authoring tool that lets you create advanced, learner-focused training content, even if you don’t have a design or tech background. Start your 14-day free trial and see for yourself!