Page numbers help your audience keep track of where they are in a deck, and they give everyone a shared reference when someone says “can we go back to slide 12?”. In PowerPoint they are called slide numbers, and adding them takes about ten seconds. This guide covers the quick way, the Windows and Mac steps, how to hide the number on the title slide, how to start from a different number, how to move and restyle the numbers, and what to do when they will not appear.
The short answer
- Go to the Insert tab and choose Slide Number (or Header & Footer).
- On the Slide tab, tick Slide number.
- Click Apply to All.
These steps follow Microsoft’s own instructions (Microsoft Support: Add slide numbers, page numbers, or the date and time). The detail below covers each case separately.
How to add slide numbers in PowerPoint on Windows
- On the View tab, choose Normal, then select the first slide thumbnail in the left pane.
- On the Insert tab, in the Text group, select Header & Footer (or Slide Number).
- On the Slide tab, tick Slide number.
- Select Apply to All to number every slide.
How to add slide numbers in PowerPoint on Mac
- On the Insert tab, select Slide Number. In some versions of the Mac app this sits under Footer.
- In the pane that opens, tick Slide Number.
- Select Apply to All.
Menu names shift slightly between app versions, so if you cannot see these labels, look for the Slide Number or Header & Footer buttons on the Insert tab.
How to hide the number on the title slide
A title slide rarely needs a number. Open Insert > Slide Number, tick Slide number, then also tick Don’t show on title slide and select Apply to All.
How to start numbering from a different number
This is useful when a long deck is split into parts, or when your cover and agenda should not count.
- On the Design tab, in the Customize group, select Slide Size, then Custom Slide Size.
- In the Number slides from box, enter the number you want the first slide to carry.
- Select OK.
Microsoft documents this for Windows (Microsoft Support: Add slide numbers, page numbers, or the date and time). If the numbers on screen do not change, check that slide numbers are switched on first, using the steps above.
How to number only some slides
Select the slide, open Insert > Header & Footer, tick Slide number and select Apply instead of Apply to All. Repeat for each slide you want numbered.
How to move, resize and format slide numbers
Slide numbers live in a placeholder on the slide master, so you change them once and every slide follows.
- On the View tab, select Slide Master.
- At the top of the thumbnail pane, select the Slide Master thumbnail.
- In the slide pane, select and hold the page number placeholder until you see the four-headed arrow, then drag it to a new position.
- To change the font, size or colour, select the placeholder and use the font options on the Home tab as you would for any text box.
- Select Close Master View.
Microsoft describes the repositioning steps for Windows (Microsoft Support: Insert or change the slide numbers, date or footer for on-screen slides). Layouts can override the master, so if one layout looks different, open that layout in Slide Master view and adjust its placeholder too.
How to add page numbers to notes and handouts
Slide numbers and printed page numbers are set separately. Open Insert > Header & Footer, switch to the Notes and Handouts tab, tick Page number and select Apply to All. Do this before you print speaker notes or handouts.
How to remove slide numbers
- On the Insert tab, select Slide Number (or Header & Footer).
- Clear the Slide number checkbox.
- Select Apply to All to remove them from the whole deck, or Apply for the current slide only.
Slide numbers not showing? Common fixes
- Check the box and the scope. Slide number must be ticked, and you must have chosen Apply to All (or Apply on the slides you want).
- Check the title slide setting. If Don’t show on title slide is ticked, the first slide will never show a number.
- Check the layout has a number placeholder. A slide only shows a number if its layout contains a slide number placeholder. Open View > Slide Master, select the layout and make sure the placeholder is there (Microsoft Support: Add, edit, or remove a placeholder on a slide layout).
- Look for hidden or covered placeholders. A number can sit behind a full-slide picture or in the same colour as the background. Move or recolour it in Slide Master view.
- Restart PowerPoint if the dialog and the slides disagree after you have changed the master.
Using slide numbers in a live, interactive presentation
Slide numbers are most useful when people talk back to your deck: a participant asks a question about slide 7, or you want to jump to slide 14 during Q&A. If you present with the AhaSlides add-in for PowerPoint, polls, quizzes and word clouds sit in your deck like any other slide, so the numbering you set up here still gives you and your audience a shared reference. See also our guides to adding a timer in PowerPoint and building an interactive quiz on PowerPoint.
Key takeaways
- Insert > Slide Number > tick Slide number > Apply to All is the fastest route.
- Tick Don’t show on title slide to keep the cover clean.
- To start from another number on Windows, use Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size > Number slides from.
- Move and restyle numbers once in Slide Master view.
- If numbers will not show, check the layout’s slide number placeholder first.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my slide numbers not showing in PowerPoint?
The most common causes are that Slide number is not ticked, Apply to All was not selected, the title slide option is hiding the first number, or the slide layout has no slide number placeholder. Work through the checklist above.
How do I start page numbers on a specific number in PowerPoint?
On Windows, go to Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size and enter the starting figure in the Number slides from box.
How do I remove the page number from just the title slide?
Open Insert > Slide Number, tick Don’t show on title slide and select Apply to All.
Are slide numbers and page numbers the same thing in PowerPoint?
On slides they are the same: PowerPoint calls them slide numbers. Printed notes and handouts use a separate Page number setting on the Notes and Handouts tab.
