Google Slides

Presenting Your Slide Show

Presenting your slide show

Once your slide show is complete, you'll need to learn how to present it to an audience. If you learn how to navigate the slide show and rehearse ahead of time, you can make your presentation smooth, engaging, and professional.

Watch the video below to learn more about presenting slideshows.

To start a slide show:

There are several ways you can begin your presentation:

  • Click the Present command at the top of the window to begin the presentation with the current slide.
    Clicking the Present command
  • Select Present from beginning in the drop-down menu to begin the presentation from the first slide.
    Selecting Present from beginning
  • Select Presenter view in the drop-down menu to start the slide show with Presenter view open. This is a window only visible to you that displays tools to help you with your presentation, like slide previews, notes, and running time.
    Selecting Presenter view

Navigating the presentation

You can advance to the next slide by clicking your mouse or pressing the spacebar on your keyboard. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward or backward through the presentation. You can also hover your mouse over the bottom-left and use the commands there to navigate the presentation.

Navigation commands in presentation mode

Tips for presenting

Before presenting your slide show, think about any preparations you need to make, like setting up the necessary equipment and rehearsing your presentation. Being prepared can help your presentation become more engaging and professional.

  • Review your presentation to catch any errors, and rehearse how you will present it. Don't just read from the slides, but use them to highlight your main points.
  • Think about the type of equipment that will be available for your presentation. If you will be using a projector or a network connection, ensure they are set up and connected before your presentation begins.
  • If you are presenting with notes, make sure they are only visible to you. If the monitor settings have a mirroring option, you may need to disable it.

Challenge!

  1. Open our example file . Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File > Make a copy .
  2. Play your slideshow using presenter view if it's available. If not, try presenting from the beginning .
  3. Use different methods to move forward and backward between the slides. For example, try using the spacebar to move forward and the left arrow to move back to the previous slide.