slideshow presentation outline

December 4, 2023

How to create a presentation outline (with examples)

Four methods to create a presentation outline and example outlines for inspiration

Co-founder, CEO

Like it or not, if you work in an office environment or go to school, you'll probably have to make a presentation at some point. But creating a great presentation can be challenging, especially when you're short on time or suffering from writers' block.

Luckily, there are lots of ways to get a head start on your presentation outline, and in this article we'll walk through four options for creating a presentation outline and show you several examples of great presentation outlines.

Why should I write a presentation outline?

An outline helps you organize your ideas in a clear and logical way . Instead of getting bogged down on details like formatting or word choice, an outline presents the overarching story of your presentation with just a few main points. This helps to make sure you have a cohesive narrative before you dive in to the nitty gritty work of wordsmithing individual bullet points or selecting the perfect slide theme.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it often is! But spending time writing a great outline will save you time and effort down the road because it will be easier to organize your work and create each slide when you understand how it fits in to the broader presentation.

Here are four ways you can get a start on creating your next presentation outline.

Method 1: Create your outline from scratch

Creating an outline from scratch may sound intimidating if you have never written a presentation outline before, but this is the most straightforward way to get started.

Start by jotting down the three main points you want to make in your presentation. Once you have your main ideas in order, write down a few supporting details and examples for each point.

Then, add an introduction (find an interesting image, quote, or question to help grab the audience's audience) and a conclusion (decide on the best way to summarize the takeaways from your presentation) to the outline, and you are ready to go.

This method is great for those who prefer to have complete control over their presentation and want to create a custom outline that works best for their needs.

Method 2: Create a presentation outline using an AI presentation maker

If you're short on time or looking for a quick way to get a first draft of a presentation outline that you can then refine, using an AI presentation maker is a great option.

Plus AI lets you type a short prompt like "Create a presentation that provides an overview of the Norwegian oil industry," and it will automatically generate an outline of a presentation for you. After Plus creates the outline, you can change the titles of slides, rearrange slides, and remove any pieces of the outline that are not necessary.

From there, once your outline is created, you can click the "Generate presentation" button, choose a template, and let the AI create the first draft of your entire presentation.

This method is a good option for those who want to create a polished presentation without getting stuck with a blank piece of paper. Instead, it frees you up to take a first draft presentation and customize it for your needs.

Method 3: Create a presentation outline using ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that can help with a wide variety of tasks - everything from acting as a therapist, to sharing recipes, to helping you come up with presentation ideas and creating content for a presentation .

To have ChatGPT help you generate a presentation, you can take two different approaches:

• Use a custom GPT that has been trained to help people create presentations or
• Ask the general ChatGPT interface to "Create a presentation outline for me on the topic of [XYZ]."

Both approaches will yield similar results, but a custom GPT like Plus AI presentation maker will be more fine-tuned to helping people create presentations. It will also provide additional functionality like providing a visual preview of the slides and feedback on how to improve your presentation.

Method 4: Create a presentation outline using a template

Last but not least, using a template is a good way to speed up the process of creating a new presentation outline. Similar to using an AI presentation maker, a template can give you a first draft of an outline that is easier to edit and refine than starting from scratch.

Presentation templates often come pre-designed with example text and images, so all you have to do is fill in your own content. For example, this TED Talk presentation template provides some instructions on how to create an outline for a TED Talk-style slide deck.

The secret to using this method is to find the closest template to the type of presentation you want to create. You should use detailed search terms to and look across multiple sites and resources to find one that matches the content and style that you would like.

Once you have your template, start by reviewing the overall outline or structure and tweak it to meet your needs. Then, you can fill in the specific content (e.g., text and images) with your materials to make it your own to quickly make a beautiful presentation.

Presentation outline examples

Basic presentation outline example.

Let's take a look at a presentation outline and accompanying notes for a persuasive presentation on encouraging people to meditate every day:

I. Introduction

• Hook - find a striking image and tell a story
• Thesis statement - everyone should meditate for 10 min per day

II. Main point 1 - Meditation is one of the easiest ways to improve your health

• Physical health
• Mental health

III. Main point 2 - Meditation is backed up by thousands of years of practice and research

• One anecdote from antiquity
• One anecdote from recent research

IV. Main point 3 - You can get started with meditation today

• Basic technique
• Tips for newcomers

V. Conclusion

• Summarize key points
• Call to action

As you can see, this is a relatively lightweight plan for the presentation, but it provides an easy-to-understand framework that we can fill in with slides.

There are rough notes on specific content for the different points in the presentation, but we don't need to write out everything in fine detail, just the broad strokes.

Pitch deck outline example

Now let's review an outline for a pitch deck that someone might use to present their startup idea to prospective investors. This is for a startup that uses autonomous food trucks to deliver meals to people's homes and workplaces.

I. Problem statement - "Food delivery sucks, and here's why"

• Hook - pictures of typical food delivery headaches (e.g., late/no show, bad selection, etc)

II. Value prop - "FoodDrive revolutionizes the food delivery model"

• Compare value chain of FoodDrive to traditional restaurant and delivery service
• Show how $50 order gets allocated to different people

III. The product - "Customers love our trucks"

• Picture of food truck and menu
• Customer quotes and reviews

IV. Why now? - "Our self-driving technology is ready for prime-time"

V. Business model - "Each truck can generate $2-3M of revenue per year with a 60% gross margin"

• Show high-level financial forecasts on unit basis

VI. Competitive landscape - "FoodDrive's closest competitors don't come close"

• Comparison table with delivery services, in-house delivery, eating out-of-home, etc.

VII. Go to market strategy - "We've tested FoodDrive in 2 markets so far. Here's how we win in new markets"

• Overview of social media strategy
• Case study on new market launch

VIII. Team - "Our team has experience in autonomous vehicles, food delivery, and quick service restaurants"

IX. Traction - "We generate $5M of revenue per year with our 2 trucks, and we can ramp up new trucks immediately"

• Show revenue growth chart with focus on time to ramp new trucks to productivity

X. Fundraising goal - "We are raising $50M to expand FoodDrive to 10 more markets"

• Highlight key milestones we aim to reach with additional funding

Even though a pitch deck is a specialized type of presentation that often requires specific content, it's helpful to start with an outline to build out the 'story' behind the content. That way, you have a cohesive story rather than a set of disparate slides.

How can I create a presentation from an outline?

Once you have your presentation outline written, it's time to start writing your slides. Since you already know the main points you are trying to make in your presentation, the main decisions here are

• What type of visual style you want to follow
• How many slides you want in your presentation
• How you will present or share the slides

To get a head start on creating a first draft of your presentation, you could enter your outline into an AI presentation maker.

This will provide a first draft of the slides so that you can focus on making sure they tell a cohesive story or tweaking individual slides to leave a memorable impression.

Other tips and tricks for great presentations

Here are some resources to help you create great presentations:

• Make slides look good - Here are six tips for making visually appealing slides.
• Number of slides - Here is a calculator that can help you calculate how many slides you need for a presentation depending on how long you need to present.
• Unique presentation ideas - Here are 250 ideas for presentation topics that will help you create a great presentation.

Creating a presentation outline can be one of the most time-consuming parts of the creative process for making a new slide deck. Luckily, there are many tools and templates that can help you kickstart this process.

With these four methods, you can choose the one that works best for your needs and get started on your presentation outline today.

And once you have your outline, make sure to try out a tool like Plus AI presentation maker to quickly get your slides as well!

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How to Outline a Presentation: A Complete Guide From a Pro

• Filed under: Public speaking articles , Speaking tips , Speech preparation

When you’re writing an important speech, you must start with a clear outline. However, I find that many speakers are uncertain of how to write a good outline for their presentation. This is why I decided to write a guide for you, in hopes that learning to perfect your outlines will help you give better presentations in the future.

How do you outline a presentation? Always start with your introduction and end with your powerful closing. Flesh out the body by listing topics in the order that you want to cover them in. Never skimp on the important details of your speech. Remember that an outline is only a draft.

I know at this point that you still have questions, and that you still be confused at how to write the best outline for your speech. But writing a good outline for your presentation does not have to be stressful! This is my complete guide from a pro for you, in hopes that you can take the stress out of this important step.

Table of Contents

How to Outline a Presentation

Outlining a presentation can be done with a regular piece of paper, or on a word processing program on your computer. If you are hosting a PowerPoint presentation, you may prefer to do the entire thing from the comfort of your computer. But if you do decide to write your outline on a piece of paper, make sure you use a pencil and eraser so that you can make changes as you go along.

The very first step in creating an outline is to ask yourself what the purpose of your presentation is.

Write your main message or a one-sentence summary of your thesis at the top of your outline when you get started. This may help you stay on task, and it will keep the purpose of your speech right in your eye’s sight. After all, you don’t want to stray too far off the main topic of your presentation !

Remember, a quality outline is meant to enhance the purpose of your presentation. If you do not write a proper outline, you may risk not properly conveying the right message to your audience.

Or you may even forget to cover essential points that you wanted to talk about. A thorough outline is especially important if you are planning to speak without notes.

You should remember to properly summarize what you want to say with every sentence of your outline. After all, this is not a full script, so a summary is all you really need. Remember to rehearse and practice with your outline, so that you can remember what you have written.

Start With a Strong Beginning

Your introduction is where you start strong by grabbing your audience’s attention from the very beginning. But if that makes you feel stressed out, just remember to stay calm! Creating a great first impression from the beginning of your speech is not as difficult as you might be worrying.

When you create a strong beginning, you should try some of the following:

• Start with an attention-grabbing statement that captures your audience from the start. If you have a few ideas but are not sure what to use, try running your ideas by a trusted friend or mentor.
• Give a strong signal that you are beginning your speech. You don’t want your audience unsure of whether you’ve actually begun or not.
• Give the main thesis statement about the purpose of your presentation.
• You could start by giving a brief preview of all of the things that you are going to talk about in the body of your speech.
• Talk about your credentials at the beginning. However, you should make sure to find a way to do it that is entertaining. You don’t want to risk boring your audience from the very beginning of your speech!
• Thank your audience from the very beginning! This is not only a good way to begin your speech, but a good way to end it, as well.
• If there are any current events or famous historical events that relate to the purpose of your presentation, you can start by talking about these. However, pick only one so that you do not draw your introduction out too long.
• Ask your audience a question at the beginning. You could draw out their interest by answering this question at a later point in your speech.
• Whenever possible, make sure you begin your speech on a positive note . This sets a good tone for the rest of the presentation.
• Start by telling a story that relates to your presentation. A good reason to start with a story is that it helps you form a strong connection with your audience from the beginning. Write some of the main details of your story in your outline so that you remember them.

Be reminded thought, that sometimes it is wise to write your introduction last as only you know what you’ll be introducing. This way, you’ll also avoid including something in your introduction that you won’t be actually talking about.

Once you have written out your introduction, you have completed the first step in creating an excellent outline for your presentation.

Create a Powerful Ending

In my experience, it can be easier to create ending before you flesh out the body of your presentation. However, it is up to you if you prefer to create your outline in a different order.

If you are a regular reader, you might have realized that I already posted an in-depth article here about how to end a presentation in a powerful way . Right now we are going to talk about the same thing in somewhat less detail.

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Just like with your beginning, make sure that you’ve made it obvious you are ending. After all, few things are more awkward than your audience sitting there long after you’ve finished, feeling confused about whether they should leave or not.

If the point of your speech is to motivate your audience to do something, you might consider ending your speech with a call to action . A call to action is simply an instruction that you give your audience about something you want them to do.

You could also potentially end your presentation with a powerful quote or an entertaining story . And if you have a unique tagline that exists to help promote your personal brand, consider ending with it.

But if you are planning to have a question and answer period at all, make sure you are not directly ending with one. Plan to wrap up your question and answer period before delivering your speech’s closing at the end.

This is because ending with a question and answer period is not only not memorable, but a negative question from an audience member can leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth . This is not the last thing you want your audience members to remember as they’re leaving!

And as always, you should thank your audience at the end of your speech. This will make them feel valued, and impressed with your gratefulness.

Flesh Out the Body of Your Presentation

So, you’ve got your beginning and ending all figured out, but now what else do you do with your outline? This is the stage where you work on the body of your speech. That is, you will want to think about what you want to say in between your beginning and end. Here are some speech writing tips I have written about previously.

Write the main points of your outline in order

It may be easier for you to write bullet points or even a numbered list. List your main points in order of what you want to talk about. If at first glance the topics don’t seem to flow, it is okay to re-arrange them.

You can also decide at this point if there is anything you want to add or subtract. If you feel like you’ve made a mistake, don’t worry! It is okay to make any changes along the way.

Add sub-points and transitions to your topics

Add sub-points to your main points in order to further flesh out your outline. Even if you want to keep it simple, sub-points may help you to stay on track and remember what you were going to say.

You can also add to the ideas that your main points present. Make sure that the transitions from one point to another flow smoothly from one thing to the next.

Don’t forget the essential details!

Are there any special details that you need to remember for your presentation? Put these in your outline so that you don’t forget them. This can include important names, dates, and locations that you need to remember.

Write down how long will it take

If your speech is supposed to cover a certain amount of time, try listing times for each of your main points. This may help you not go over or under your time.

Also, take a look at these articles:

• 11 Great Tips How to Write a Great Persuasive Speech
• How to Deliver a Perfect Elevator Speech

How to Outline a PowerPoint Presentation?

You may be thinking that you don’t need an outline for your PowerPoint presentation. However, don’t rely on your slides alone ; you need a proper outline, too. An outline for a PowerPoint presentation should also include images that you intend to use for your slides.

Fortunately, the PowerPoint program itself also allows you to view an outline of your slides. This can help give you a visual of your overall presentation.

Remember, This is Only a Draft!

If your outline isn’t the way you want it to be, remember that it is only your very first rough draft. Your outline doesn’t have to be perfect, because it is not your final product. While you should work hard to make your outline as good as possible, you don’t need to stress about it.

And remember that if you finish your outline, and you are not satisfied with how it looks? It is okay for you to scrap it and start all over again. There is no reason that you should stick with an outline that you don’t feel confident about.

An outline is a great place to start whether you intend to read from a full script, read from cue cards, or speak without notes. If you are an avid reader of Speak and Conquer, you’ll remember that I recommend creating an outline in many of my articles.

Get Feedback From Others About Your Outline

There is no reason that you have to go any of this by yourself. If you have a friend or mentor who is experienced with public speaking , why not ask them to take a look at your outline for you? They may see something that needs to be changed that never even occurred to you.

You could also give a practice round of your speech in front of a friend, family member, or mentor. Give them a chance to make suggestions about whether or not there’s anything that you should change. After all, it’s better for you to realize if something needs to be done differently before the actual day of the presentation.

If you don’t have someone who you can rehearse in front of in person, try recording your presentation in front of a video camera . Show it to someone you trust via email or social media. If they have any suggestions for change, you can alter your outline accordingly.

Why is a Presentation Outline so Important, Anyway?

While reading this article, you may be wondering why you even need an outline for your presentation. This may be especially puzzling to you if you are planning to give a speech without notes . But I find that an outline can be incredibly useful no matter what kind of presentation you are planning to give to your audience.

Like I said before, the main point of an outline is to enhance the main purpose of your speech further. But I’m also going to give you a list of some more reasons why I believe an outline is absolutely essential.

Some other good reasons for creating an outline for your presentation are:

• You will have an easy visual to look at the order of the topics you are talking about. This way, you can see if anything looks out of place.
• The proper outline will help to keep your speech organized.
• You will be able to look at the connections between your ideas . This may even help you realize you need to add or subtract certain things from your speech.
• A good outline will help you remember to t ouch on every important point that you need to cover in your presentation.
• Outlining helps you see whether or not your main points and sub-points flow smoothly . If you create your outline and realize that some of your points do not flow, you can easily re-write key parts.
• Using an outline instead of a full script will give you more freedom to improvise during your presentation. This is why creating an outline is a great first strategy if you are speaking without notes, or trying to memorize a speech in a short period of time.
• If you’re not sure where to start preparing for your speech, then writing a loose outline is a good first step to help you out.
• Practicing with an outline will help enhance your memory about the main points and sub-points of your presentation.

No matter what kind of presentation you are planning to give, a solid outline with help you be prepared and ready to go.

Conclusion: How do you make an outline for a talk?

Today, I have compiled a thorough guide about writing a quality outline. We discussed creating a good beginning, ending, and body of your presentation. We have even talked about why a good outline is important, too. If you have any other tips to share about creating an outline for your presentation, make sure to share them in the comments section.

If you are looking to improve your public speaking and presentation skills, check out the rest of my articles on Speak and Conquer. The purpose of my site is to help you succeed in becoming a better public speaker. For example, I have covered popular topics such as how to memorize a speech in less than an hour , and how to use hand gestures effectively during a presentation .

Related Questions

What software should I use to outline my speech? Preferably, you should have a program that allows you to use bullet points or numbered lists. Bullet points and lists are a good place to start when you are outlining. Microsoft Word, Word Processor, or Notepad are acceptable for basic outlines.

How do I decide what the purpose of my speech is? Decide if you are there to inform, educate, motivate, or entertain your audience. When you have narrowed it down to just one of those, you will be able to decide the main idea of your speech. You should preferably speak about a topic that you are well-educated about.  

How do I write a speech? Start with a purpose, and then create a detailed outline. Flesh out the points and sub-points from your outline. Decide very early on if you want to give your speech with or without notes. Revise your drafts as much as possible until you have created a full speech. If you are going to speak with notes, write some of the information from your outline onto cue cards.

Useful reading

• 16 secret ways how to speak to a bored audience
• How to Use Your Voice Effectively in a Presentation?
• 13 Effective Ways How to Make Speech Pauses

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Practical Presentation Outline Examples For Success (+ 8 Must Have Elements)

Jane Ng • 05 Apr 2024 • 6 min read

Looking for Presentation Outline Examples ? Do you want to take your presentations from mediocre to magnificent? The secret weapon in achieving that transformation is a well-crafted presentation outline. A clear and organized outline not only guides you through your content but also ensures your audience stays captivated throughout your talk.

In this blog post, we’re going to share practical presentation outline examples and 8 key elements for constructing your own outlines that will leave a lasting impression.

Table Of Contents 

What is presentation outline, why is presentation outline important, 8 key elements of presentation outline , presentation outline examples, key takeaways , faqs about presentation outline examples.

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A presentation outline is a plan or structure that helps you organize and deliver a presentation or speech. It’s like a map that guides you through your talk. 

• It outlines the main points, ideas, and key elements you intend to cover during your presentation in a logical and organized sequence.
• It ensures that your presentation is clear, logical, and easy for your audience to follow. 

In essence, it’s a tool that helps you stay on track and communicate your message effectively.

A presentation outline is a valuable tool that enhances both the organization and delivery of your presentation. 

• It benefits you as a presenter by reducing stress and improving focus, while also benefiting your audience by making your message more accessible and engaging. 
• If you’re using visual aids like slides, an outline helps you synchronize your content with your visuals, ensuring they support your message effectively.
• If you need to make last-minute changes or adapt your presentation, having an outline makes it easier to identify and adjust specific sections without overhauling the entire presentation.

Whether you’re giving a business presentation, a school lecture, or a public speech, an outline is a key element in ensuring your presentation’s success.

A well-structured presentation outline should include the following key elements:

1/ Title or Topic: 

Begin your outline with a clear and concise title or topic that represents the subject of your presentation.

2/ Introduction:

• Hook or Attention-Grabber: Start with a compelling opening statement or question to engage your audience.
• Purpose or Objective: Clearly state the purpose of your presentation and what you aim to achieve.
• Main Points or Sections : Identify the major topics or sections that you will cover in your presentation. These are the core ideas that support your thesis statement.

3/ Subpoints or Supporting Details: 

Under each main point, list the specific details, examples, statistics, anecdotes, or evidence that support and elaborate on that main point.

4/ Transition Statements: 

Include transition phrases or sentences between each main point and subpoint to guide the flow of your presentation smoothly. Transitions help your audience follow your logic and connect the dots between ideas.

5/ Visual Aids: 

If your presentation includes slides or other visual aids, indicate when and where you plan to use them to enhance your points.

6/ Conclusion:

• Summary: Recap the main points you’ve discussed during your presentation.
• Include any final thoughts, a call to action, or a closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

7/ Q&A or Discussion: 

If applicable, mention when you’ll open the floor for questions and discussion. Be sure to allocate time for this if it’s part of your presentation.

8/ References or Sources: 

If you’re presenting information that requires citations or sources, include them in your outline. This ensures you give credit where it’s due and can reference them during your presentation if needed.

Here are some additional tips for creating a Presentation Outline

• Time Allocation: Estimate how much time you intend to spend on each section of your presentation. This helps you manage your time effectively during the actual presentation.
• Notes or Reminders: Add any reminders, cues, or notes to yourself that will help you deliver your presentation effectively. These can include tips on delivery, body language, or specific points to emphasize.

Here are a few presentation outline examples for different types of presentations:

Example 1: Sales Pitch Presentation – Presentation Outline Examples

Title: Introducing Our New Product: XYZ Tech Gadgets

Introduction

• Hook: Begin with a relatable customer problem.
• Purpose: Explain the presentation’s goal.
• Thesis: “Today, I’m excited to introduce our innovative XYZ Tech Gadgets designed to simplify your life.”

Main Points

A. Product Features

• Subpoints: Highlight key features and benefits.

B. Target Audience

• Subpoints: Identify potential customers.

C. Pricing and Packages

• Subpoints: Offer options and discounts.

Transition: “I’m glad you’re interested in our product. Let’s talk about the different ways you can purchase it.”

Purchase and Support

• a. Ordering Process
• b. Customer Support
• Recap product highlights and benefits.
• Call to action: “Visit our website or contact our sales team to get your XYZ Tech Gadgets today.”

Q&A Session.

Example 2: The Evolution of Jazz Music – Presentation Outline Examples

Title: The Evolution of Jazz Music

• Hook: Begin with a famous jazz quote or a snippet of iconic jazz music.
• Purpose: Explain the goal of the presentation.
• Thesis: “Today, we’ll take a journey through time to explore the fascinating evolution of jazz music.”

A. Early Origins of Jazz

• Subpoints: African roots, New Orleans as a melting pot.

B. The Jazz Age (1920s)

• Subpoints: Swing music, jazz legends like Louis Armstrong.

C. Bebop and Modern Jazz (1940s-1960s)

• Subpoints: Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, experimental jazz.

Transition : “Let’s now turn our attention to the diversity of jazz styles, which is as vast and complex as the history of the music itself.”

Different Styles of Jazz

• a. Cool Jazz
• b. Fusion Jazz
• c. Latin Jazz
• d. Contemporary Jazz

Influence of Jazz on Popular Music

• Subpoints: Jazz’s impact on rock, hip-hop, and other genres.
• Summary of the evolution of jazz music.
• Call to action: “Explore the world of jazz, attend live performances, or even pick up an instrument to contribute to this ever-evolving art form.”

Presentation outlines are indispensable tools that can elevate your presentations from good to great. They provide structure, organization, and clarity, ensuring that your message reaches your audience effectively. No matter if you’re delivering an educational presentation, a convincing sales pitch, or an interesting speech, these presentation outline examples aim to offer you valuable information.

To take your presentations to the next level, leverage AhaSlides. With AhaSlides , you can seamlessly integrate interactive features into your presentation, such as spinner wheel , live polls , surveys , quizzes , and audience feedback features.

These interactive features not only enhance audience engagement but also provide valuable insights and real-time interaction, making your presentations more dynamic and memorable.

So, let’s explore our template library !

📌 Tips: Asking open-ended questions help you to create an outline for presentation easier!

What should a presentation outline include?

Title, Introduction, Key points, subpoints, transitions, visuals, conclusion, Q&A , and time allocation.

What are the 5 parts of a presentation?

Introduction, main points, visuals, conclusion, and Q&A.

How do you outline a project presentation?

Define objectives, list key topics, organize content logically, and allocate time.

Do you need an outline for a presentation?

Yes, an outline helps structure and guide your presentation effectively.

Ref: Indeed | EdrawMind

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How to make a presentation outline: a step-by-step guide

Georgina Guthrie

April 07, 2021

Whether you’re building a house, baking a cake, or writing an essay — having all the necessary pieces in place before you begin will make the task much easier.

It may seem counterproductive to spend time sorting things out when you’re in a rush… After all, why spend time organizing when you could dive straight in? But the fact is, the opposite is true: Planning saves time, and the same goes for creating a business presentation. Start with a presentation outline.

A presentation outline is a bare-bones version of your talk. It should take the general direction of your pitch, plus summaries of your key points. Its purpose is to help you shape your thinking, organize your thoughts, and make sure your material is presented logically.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at what a presentation outline is, how storytelling can help engage your audience, and how to create a flawless outline of your own. Let’s get stuck in.

What’s the purpose of your presentation?

This is the foundation on which you will build your whole presentation — so make sure you know the answer to this question. A good starting point is to think about the overall purpose. There are six possible purposes your presentation might have:

• Inspire action
• Inspire or motivate

In a business setting, it’ll usually be ‘to inform,’ along with one or two others. If you’re there to talk about quarterly results, then you’ll want to inform and motivate. If you’re a business coach, your goals will likely be to inspire, motivate, and entertain.

Once you’ve worked this out, you’ll be one step closer to working out the purpose of your pitch. Here are some questions to help you find an answer to this question:

• What do I want people to take away from my presentation?
• How will what I talk about help others in the room?
• What do I want people to do after my meeting?

Note down your ideas and start creating a topline summary of your presentation purpose. Summarize it into one or two sentences, then put that on your first slide. You can change it later, but this is a good starting point.

Create a story arc for your presentation

As humans, we love a good story. We’ve been doing it since, well, forever. The earliest cave paintings helped the painters and those who saw the paintings make sense of the world.

Interesting things happen when you start telling a story. Your brain’s auditory cortex (aka the bit that helps you listen) switches on. This helps you imagine the activities being described. Meanwhile, the frontal and parietal cortices are fired up, which helps us emotionally engage with what’s being said.

Stories have been, and will always be, a powerful tool for bringing people together. Great stories persuade and inform; the best stories inspire and stay with us. But we don’t often see this happening in the boardroom, where graphs and quarterly results preside.

Stats and numbers suck the life out of a presentation. We think these details will speak for themselves. But… they don’t because, well… they’re boring, and they make us switch off. If you want to inspire your audience, you need to weave those stats into a story . But where do you begin, and how do you start?

Storytelling isn’t something only a few select people are good at. Anyone can master the art with a little practice. It doesn’t even require heaps of creativity because the truth is, stories are formulaic, and once you’ve got the formula down, the rest runs on autopilot.

Let’s look at how to build your notes and ideas into a compelling story using one of the formulas below.

1.Fact and Story

Mixing storytelling with facts works in a kind of mutually supportive cycle. Facts add substance to the story; the story adds interest to the facts.

In this structure, you weave the two together and move back and forth between the two.

• Start with a ‘what if’ question. For example, if you were pitching a vacuum cleaner, your initial sales pitch might be ‘what if you didn’t have to lose suction?’
• From here, work in facts that illustrate the way things currently are. To continue with our example, it might be current stats on traditional vacuums losing suction. Keep alternating facts with fiction throughout the body of your presentation.
• End on a high note that makes the listeners feel like they learned something and want to move to action because of it. For example, to invest in your new product, or to sponsor your new app .

2. The hero’s journey

From Odysseus to Chihiro , adventure stories typically feature a hero who goes on a journey fraught with peril and learns a vital lesson at the end of it. It’s a formula employed by thousands of writers — and you can draw from it to add some drama to your presentation.

This structure works really well for inspirational personal stories, or tales about a company from its humble beginnings to the success it is today.

• Begin somewhere neutral. The situation is neither ideal nor unbearable.
• Introduce a challenge — one that needs to be solved.
• Present a worsening situation. The problem is being addressed, but things are still getting worse.
• Talk about rock bottom. The situation seems impossible; there is apparently no way forward and all seems lost. Until…
• Talk about a new discovery that offers hope.
• Armed with your new abilities, you can tackle the issue head-on.
• Talk about resolving the problem, but instead of returning to the way things were before, the hero (you) discovers an even better way of living.
• Finish with a lesson, which you can share to inspire your audience.

3. The Pitch

The ‘pitch’ style of presentation is commonly used by salespeople. The goal is to show how a product or idea can help an individual overcome a hurdle toward a positive outcome. The story should be relatable, so the audience can picture themselves in the situation and, therefore, benefitting from the solution.

• Start with a summary of the way things are in a way that’s easy to relate to.
• Introduce the problem or hurdle that you need to solve. Make it relatable to further help your audience put themselves in the situation.
• The solution: give your audience a glimpse into a possible solution.
• The fork in the road: Give your audience a couple of options for solving the problem. Offer an average option first, then follow up with a better one.
• Close: Choose the better option and explain why that’s the best one (and only real suitable choice).
• Finish up by telling the audience exactly how to solve the problem, step by step.
• But that’s not all: Before you finish, talk about extra benefits that extend beyond simply solving the problem. Finish on an uplifting high.

4. The explanation

This presentation format is for when you want to teach your audience something — whether that’s a process, a new skill, or a way to overcome a problem. It has similarities with the fact and story structure, insomuch as facts should weave into the story.

• Explain how things are at the moment, what the goal looks like, and how you plan to get there. You can even start with a story to add emotional interest from the get-go.
• Take your first step on the journey toward the final destination.
• Add more steps that build on this.
• Take a moment to recap on the points you’ve covered so far while tying them into the main point. This will help your audience visualize the ground you’ve covered and see where you’re heading.
• Add the finishing pieces to the puzzle and lead your audience to the end.
• By the end of your journey, your audience should feel as though they’ve learned something new.

5. The Opportunity

A close relative of the pitch, this three-part structure swaps a hurdle for an opportunity. Here, you want to show your audience that a problem they thought they had actually has an easy fix.

• Start with the situation as it is now.
• Next, add a ‘but’ — this could be a small hiccup that stops things from being as good as they could be. For example, our chocolate pudding company is doing really well. But we could be doing better if we changed supplier.
• Talk about the opportunity, with as many facts and stats as possible to make it feel achievable and real.
• Add a conclusion.
• Explain why the product or service meets the challenges raised. Add more stats and facts to support your point.

How to plan your presentation

Now you’ve worked out your structure, it’s time to start building your presentation, pulling in all your points and forming them into a story.

Storyboarding is the best way to do this. Directors use storyboards to map out their films scene-by-scene — you’re going to use it to map out your presentation, slide-by-slide.

(Don’t worry, you can do stick people and squiggles if drawing isn’t your strong point.) Image Source

The trick here is to use broad strokes without adding too much detail. Make it too wordy and you’ll lose your top-level view, which is important for assessing the arc of your story. Ideally, have one or two sentences on each slide summarizing what each one will address.

You can do this with pen and paper, but when it comes to final drafts and editing, it’s a good idea to move your drawings over to a digital format. It looks far neater, and it means that if you need to change something, it’s as simple as deleting or editing a cell or slide rather than you having to start over.

Once you’ve got your rough storyboard more or less ready, it’s time to start building your presentation.

Your presentation outline

Using a presentation template will be a big help here. First, choose your template — then start adding pre-made slides according to your storyboard. For those who didn’t plan, this can be a bit of a nightmare that usually ends up with you shuffling slides around indefinitely. For those who planned, it’s simply a matter of putting all your hard work in place, then spicing it up with pictures, video, and audio.

Top Tip : If your slides are there to support your spoken words, try not to make them too wordy. Talking too much will distract your audience, whose attention will be split between what’s on screen and your voice. Instead, opt for images and video. If you’re sharing your presentation slides without presenting them, keep your communication simple and succinct. A wall of text is never engaging.

Finally, rehearse your presentation. According to experts, 10 is the magic number when it comes to practicing speeches . The more you practice, the better it’ll flow, the easier it’ll be for your listeners to get sucked into your story. And when it comes to persuading, inspiring, informing, or selling — having a captive and engaged audience is half the battle.

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Presentation Outline Example and Template

How to create a presentation Outline

A presentation outline is a roadmap to a more successful business pitch — a general plan that summarizes what you want to say to prospective customers, clients or investors. It lets you organize your thoughts, group ideas into main points and present your material logically. But what should you include in your slides?

We've compiled 11 tips for more effective pitch prep.

If you came here looking for presentation templates , here's an a couople of examples from of our most popular ones. If not, just carry on.

Browse our PRESENTATION TEMPLATES

What is a presentation outline.

An outline for a presentation is a helpful tool that organizes the main points and flow of the presentation. It acts as a guide for the presenter, outlining the order in which information will be presented and the main ideas that will be covered. A good outline should include headings and subheadings that outline the main topics and supporting details, ensuring a clear and logical arrangement of information. Creating a presentation outline helps the presenter stay organized and focused, and makes it easier for the audience to follow the content and understand the main concepts of the presentation.

11 tips to create more effective presentations

1. decide on a goal.

Before you brainstorm, and before you scribble down any notes, come up with a goal for your presentation. What do you want your pitch deck to say to your audience? What message do you want to convey? What do you want it to achieve?

Perhaps you want your pitch to raise seed funds. Maybe you want to introduce a new product or service to customers. Whatever the reason for creating your pitch, decide on a specific, measurable goal. This will guide the rest of your preparation.

2. Create a Structure for Your Presentation

Every good presentation includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion. These three components form the "skeleton" of your presentation — the bare bones of your pitch. You don't need to think about all the small details at this stage — you can flesh out your presentation slides at a later date.

Your introduction is probably the most important part of your pitch. After all, you only have seven seconds to make a good first impression, according to research. Use your intro to introduce your brand, greet your audience and give a taster of what's to come.

The body of your presentation includes your main ideas and any supporting ideas. Use it to feature testimonials, financials and fundraising info, traction and milestones, and, of course, your marketing plan.

Finally, your conclusion summarizes all your points in a few slides. This should leave your audience wanting more.

3. Think About Visual Content

Visual content is an essential ingredient. The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than regular text, so including images in your pitch is a great idea. Don't forget about videos, either. Consumers are 64 percent more likely to purchase a product after watching an online video, making visual content a good choice if you want to generate leads and boost sign-ups.

The most successful pitch decks incorporate striking visuals. Others have fancy fonts and graphics. All of this visual content demands attention from your audience and creates a cool aesthetic that will help you outrank your rivals.

At this early stage of pitch deck preparation, you don't have to finalize the images you are going to include in your pitch. However, we think it's a good idea to point out where you are going to use images in your presentation. This way, you can organize your ideas and make sure everything flows properly.

4. Understand What Makes a Good Presentation — and a Bad One

No two presentations are the same. The most successful pitch decks, however, certainly have a lot in common. When creating your outline, discover what makes a brilliant pitch. The University of Hawaii says great presentations rarely cover more than five points. The University of Cambridge in England says there should be four key points in every 45-minute presentation.

Here at Slidebean, we think one idea per slide, good design, lots of images, and quotes all make presentations so much more interesting. We're not fans of the 'thank you' slide, though — the one that recognizes your audience for sitting through your presentation. It's completely unnecessary.

5. Include a Call-to-Action

A call-to-action is much better than a 'thank you' slide. This encourages your audience to take action after your presentation. When creating your outline, think of a short, snappy call-to-action that prompts a response. A call-to-action is your final chance to engage with your audience during your presentation. You might want to encourage people to sign up to your mailing list, for example. Alternatively, you can include a link to your website so people can download a trial version of your product.

"No matter what form your CTA takes, the most important aspect is the copy," says growth marketing expert Sujan Patel and Voila Norbert co-founder, writing for Forbes magazine . "You’re telling the visitor what you want them to do, so it needs to be persuasive. Remember, your audience is looking for an answer or a solution to a problem. Connect with them by telling them exactly what they’re going to get if they take action."

6. Identify a Solution to a Problem

Every day, more than 30 million presentations are created on PowerPoint alone. Then there are the hundreds of thousands of pitches designed in Keynote, Prezi, and Slidebean. With so many presentations out there, how do you inspire people to invest in your services? One way to create a successful pitch is to identify a solution to a problem that your audience might have.

Slidebean recently reviewed some of the best presentation examples from successful startups. Most of them provide solutions to common problems early on in their respective pitches. Customer messaging platform Intercom, for example, says analytics, customer base browsing, and customer research is the answer for businesses who find it hard to engage with customers. They include these solutions near the beginning of their pitch deck.

If you want to have a more successful presentation, think about solving problems in your niche when creating your outline.

7. Use Quotes, Testimonials and Statistics

Quotes from senior management help you convey abstract ideas and make your presentation more engaging. You should obtain any quotes you want to use in your presentation during the planning stage. Testimonials from customers and clients also prove popular. Research shows that positive reviews influence purchasing decisions and increase trust.

Finally, statistics add some depth to your presentation. Industry facts and figures back up any claims you make and increase engagement. Discover relevant statistics when creating your outline. You don't need to include any actual quotes, testimonials or statistics yet. Just jot down where you want to place them in your presentation.

8. Think About Color and Design

The way you present information in your pitch is just as important as the information itself. Now is the time to start thinking about the font/s you want to use or the color of your slides. Research shows that red conveys passion and excitement and catches the attention of your audience. White, on the other hand, conveys simplicity and purity.

Slidebean has a range of color palettes that transform the look of your slides. You can choose up to three color sets and play around with different text, backgrounds, and highlights.

9. Plan the Order of Your Slides

Think of your presentation outline template as a very rough first draft. Decide on what types of slides you want to use, and decide on a final running order. You might feature quotes early on in your presentation, for example, and leave testimonials until the end. Don't forget to include a slide with your contact details — website, phone number, address, etc. — and your brand values.

Your presentation outline should be a group effort, too. Ask your colleagues for input.

10. Identify Key Takeaways From Your Presentation

Your outline should include enough information so you can visualize what your final presentation will look like. Once you have finished your outline, read it back and identify the key takeaways from the document. Is the structure of your presentation clear, for example? Does it convey your brand message? Will it engage your audience?

Every slide in your presentation should achieve the goal you created at the beginning of your outline. If something isn't working, make changes. You might want to switch slides around or remove unnecessary information, for example.

11. Use a Presentation Template

Once you have completed your outline, it's time to start putting everything together. Yes, you could create a PowerPoint pitch deck from scratch, but this is often time-consuming and complicated. Instead, use a template, which provides you with all the presentation slides you need.

Here at Slidebean, we have presentation templates for business of all sizes, including startups and scaleups. You can create a professional pitch deck in just a few minutes by following the on-screen prompts. Everything's included — bullet points, graphics, headers, footers, and more. Take the time to plan your pitch to produce a powerful sales document that helps you communicate with your audience.

Once you have created your presentation outline template, sign up to Slidebean and design a pitch that provides you with a huge return on your investment.

Try Slidebean Templates

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Create Effective Presentation Outlines: A Step-by-Step Guide with Tips & Examples

Table of Contents

What is a presentation outline .

A presentation outline is like a roadmap for organizing your thoughts and delivering your message smoothly during a presentation. It helps you structure your content logically, ensuring that your audience can follow along easily. By providing a clear framework, an outline enhances the clarity and effectiveness of your presentation.

Importance of Presentation Outline  

1. Clarity and Focus

Using an outline keeps your presentation organized and focused, preventing you from going off track. It ensures that your presentation has a clear purpose and that all the information you share is relevant to your main points.

2. Logical Structure

A well-crafted outline ensures that your presentation flows logically, guiding your audience smoothly from one point to the next. This helps your audience follow your train of thought and understand your message more easily.

3. Enhanced Delivery

Having a clear outline can boost your confidence and make your delivery smoother. With a structured plan, you’re less likely to forget important points or ramble on, resulting in a more professional presentation.

4. Time Management

An outline helps you manage your time better by estimating how long each part of your presentation will take. This ensures that you stay within the allotted timeframe, keeping your presentation on track and engaging for your audience.

How to Build Strong Presentation Outline s?

1. Purpose of Presentation

Understanding why you’re giving your presentation is crucial for planning its structure. Identifying your goal means thinking about what you want your audience to get out of it. This clarity forms the basis of your whole presentation. There are six potential reasons you might be presenting:

• Sharing information
• Teaching something new
• Making it enjoyable
• Inspiring action
• Convincing people of something
• Motivating them

Thinking about your goal will help you make a presentation that really grabs attention. Answering these questions can help you figure out what your goal is:

• What do I want people to learn or understand from my presentation?
• How will my presentation make a difference to those listening?
• What do I want people to do after my presentation?

Once you have the answers, you’ll have a good idea of what your presentation should cover and where to start.

2. Consider Color and Design

How you present your pitch matters just as much as what you say. Take a moment to think about the fonts and colors you’ll use on your slides. Research suggests that red can convey excitement and grab your audience’s attention, while white gives off a sense of simplicity and clarity.

3. Establishing Structure: Arrange Your Ideas in a Logical Order

When crafting your presentation, it’s important to structure your ideas in a clear and logical sequence. Start with an introduction to set the stage, followed by the main body where you delve into your key points, and wrap it up with a conclusion to summarize your main ideas.

4. Engaging Your Audience

When you’re getting ready for your presentation, think about how you can start off in a way that grabs everyone’s attention. You could ask a thought-provoking question, share an interesting story, or begin with a meaningful quote. The main thing is to get your audience interested right from the beginning and set the tone for the rest of your talk.

5. Adding Visuals

Give some thought to whether you want to include pictures, videos, or other visual stuff in your presentation. Even if your outline doesn’t mention exactly what visuals to use, you can suggest where they might fit in to help explain your ideas.

6. Encouraging Action

Come up with a clear and compelling message to encourage your audience to take action. Whether it’s encouraging customers to try out a new product or inviting people to join a demo, make sure they understand what’s in it for them. And if your presentation doesn’t really need a specific call to action, just wrap up by summarizing your main points and saying thanks for listening.

Alternatively, you can skip the hassle of crafting a presentation outline manually – try SlidesAI for seamless assistance .

Strategies for Crafting an Engaging Presentation

1. Understanding Your Audience

Take some time to know your audience by researching beforehand. This helps you adjust your presentation to connect with them better.

2. Enhance with Quotes, Testimonials, or Data

Make your presentation more interesting by adding extra info like quotes, testimonials, or data. It can make your audience more engaged and reinforce your message.

3. Visualize Your Concepts

How you show your ideas matters a lot. Tools like SlidesAI can help you express your concepts clearly and effectively.

4. Highlight Key Takeaways

Figure out the most important points you want your audience to remember. This makes it easier for them to recall and understand your message.

5. Seek Feedback

Ask for feedback to improve your presentation. It’s a good way to make sure it connects better with your audience.

Presentation Outline Example

Topic: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Target Audience: College students

Time Limit: 15 minutes

I. Introduction (2 minutes)

Attention Grabber : Briefly discuss a real-life example of how social media can negatively impact mental health (e.g., cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards).

Introduce the topic : Clearly state the topic and its significance (e.g., “Today, I’ll be talking about the increasing impact of social media on mental health, particularly among young adults like yourselves”).

Preview : Briefly outline the key points that will be covered (e.g., “We’ll explore the positive and negative aspects of social media use, discuss common mental health concerns associated with it, and offer some tips for healthy social media habits”).

II. Main Body (10 minutes)

Positive aspects of social media:

Connection and community : Highlight how social media can help people connect with friends and family, build communities based on shared interests, and combat feelings of loneliness.

Information and self-expression : Discuss how social media can be a source of information, news, and inspiration, and provide a platform for self-expression and creativity.

Negative aspects of social media:

Social comparison and envy : Explain how constant exposure to curated online profiles can lead to social comparison, feelings of inadequacy, and envy.

Cyberbullying and harassment : Discuss the prevalence of cyberbullying and online harassment, their potential to significantly impact mental health, and the importance of online safety.

Addiction and anxiety : Explain how excessive social media use can lead to addiction, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

III. Conclusion (3 minutes)

Summary : Briefly recap the key takeaways discussed in the presentation.

Call to action : Encourage the audience to be mindful of their social media usage and offer practical tips for developing healthy habits, such as setting time limits, curating their feed, and prioritizing real-life interactions.

Question and Answer : Allocate time for audience questions and address them thoughtfully.

This is just a sample outline, and you can adapt and modify it based on your specific topic, audience, and time constraints. Remember, a well-structured and engaging presentation will effectively communicate your message and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can ai help you create a presentation outline .

With the assistance of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, crafting outlines becomes a breeze. Furthermore, you can utilize user-friendly online AI presentation tools such as SlidesAI to effortlessly generate your presentations.

Why is putting your outline on a slide a good idea?

Using a presentation outline can be helpful. It makes things clearer, boosts the speaker’s confidence, and helps manage information better. It also keeps the audience more engaged. But, if your presentation is fast-paced, casual, or focused on a specific area of expertise, you might want to keep the outline short and sweet. Just pick what works best for your situation and audience.

What is the format of the presentation outline?

There are various formats, but a common approach is using bullet points, numbered lists , or headings and subheadings. Choose the format that best suits your content and visualizes your information.

How can I adapt my presentation outline for different audiences?

Adapt your presentation outline by tailoring:

• Content : Depth, complexity, and examples based on audience expertise.
• Language : Formality, jargon, and storytelling to match audience and occasion.
• Visuals : Complexity and style to suit audience understanding.
• Delivery : Pace, volume, and even body language to audience energy.
• Focus : Highlight information most relevant to specific interests.

How long should a presentation outline be?

There’s no set rule; it depends on the complexity of your topic and presentation length.

Can I use a mind map to create a presentation outline?

Yes, mind maps can be a good way to visually brainstorm and organize presentation ideas.

What tools can I use to create a presentation outline?

You can use pen and paper, a word processing software like Microsoft Word, or dedicated outlining tools. Presentation software like PowerPoint also offers built-in outlining features.

Save Time and Effortlessly Create Presentations with SlidesAI

Create and print a presentation in Outline view

Outline view in PowerPoint displays your presentation as an outline made up of the titles and main text from each slide. Each title appears on the left side of the pane that contains the Outline tab, along with a slide icon and slide number. The main text is indented under the slide title. Graphic objects appear only as small notations on the slide icon in Outline view.

Working in Outline view is particularly handy if you want to make global edits, get an overview of your presentation, change the sequence of bullets or slides, or apply formatting changes.

When you're creating your outline, think about how many slides you need. You probably want at least:

A main title slide

An introductory slide that lists the major points or areas in your presentation

One slide for each point or area that is listed on the introductory slide

A summary slide that repeats the list of major points or areas in your presentation

By using this basic structure, if you have three major points or areas to present, you can plan to have a minimum of six slides: a title slide, an introductory slide, one slide for each of the three major points or areas, and a concluding summary slide.

If you have a large amount of information to present in any of your main points or areas, you may want to create a sub-grouping of slides for that material by using the same basic outline structure.

Consider how much time each slide should be visible on the screen during your presentation. A good standard estimate is from two to five minutes per slide.

Create a presentation in Outline view

On the View tab, in the Presentation Views group, click Outline .

In the slide thumbnail pane, place the pointer, and then either paste your content or begin typing text.

The first text you type will be a title, indicated by boldface type. Press ENTER when you've completed the title.

PowerPoint uses the Enter key on the keyboard to start a new line in an outline. The new line is automatically at the same hierarchical level as the one you just typed. To change that hierarchical level:

Press the Tab key on the keyboard to move the current line downward one level in the outline hierarchy.

Press Shift+Tab to move the current line upward one level in the outline hierarchy.

View a presentation in Outline view

Print a presentation in outline view.

Open the presentation that you want to print.

Click File > Print .

In the Print dialog box, under Settings , select the second box (which by default is set to Full Page Slides ) to expand the list of options. Then, under Print Layout , select Outline .

You can choose a page orientation (Portrait or Landscape) in the Printer Properties dialog box.

Click Print .

(For more complete information on printing, see the article Print your PowerPoint slides or handouts .)

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How-To Geek

How to make a powerpoint presentation from an outline.

This is great if you like to start projects with an outline!

Quick Links

Compose your outline, create the powerpoint presentation.

When you plan out your slideshow ahead of time, you might use an outline. This helps determine the content for each slide. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can pull that outline right into the application and transform it into a presentation.

If you already have an outline, you're one step ahead. If not, you can use an application like Microsoft Word or Notepad for your outline.

Related: How to Create and Work with Multilevel Lists in Microsoft Word

Each line in the outline displays on a separate slide even if you have a multilevel outline .

If you use numbering or bullets in an application like Word , those normally won't carry over to the slides. But with software like Notepad, they may. So, depending on the application you use for the outline, this is something to keep in mind.

You can add the outline to an existing presentation, new blank slideshow, or one with a template . Open PowerPoint and choose the slideshow or make a new one.

Related: How to Create a Custom Template in PowerPoint

On either the Home or Insert tab, select the New Slide drop-down menu. Pick "Slides From Outline."

Browse for the outline file on your computer, select it, and click "Insert."

After a moment, you'll see your outline load into PowerPoint. As mentioned, each line of the outline is its own slide.

From there, you can add text, include images, insert animated charts , and use videos as you normally would.

Creating a PowerPoint slideshow from an outline gives you a good jump-start on your presentation.

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Outline View in PowerPoint – Everything You Need to Know!

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Not a lot of people are aware that you can actually make a presentation by outlining your key points in a simple bulleted list format! This is where the Outline View in PowerPoint comes in handy!

In today’s article, we will take a look at the “Outline View” in PowerPoint, how to access it, and how to work with your presentation in the outline view!

So, let’s get started!

1. What is Outline View and Why is it Used?

The “Outline View” in Microsoft PowerPoint is a way of accessing the slides in a more simplistic manner. It removes the clutter of images and other infographics from your slides and helps you focus specifically on the text present on the slides.

In the outline view, you can see a list of the titles, subtitles as well as text on each slide. Using the outline view you can easily organize key information on your slides. You can also export or import the outline to and from other documents.

Furthermore, the outline view is also editable, which makes it easier to add or remove any text from the PowerPoint presentation.

2. How to Access the Outline View in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can very easily access the outline view and navigate it.

To access the outline view in PowerPoint, first, click on the “View” tab in the menu bar located at the top of the screen. In the “View” menu, click on “Outline View” which is the second option in the “Presentation Views” section.

This will show the presentation outline in a sidebar on the left side of the screen.

3. How to Expand Slides in Outline View?

In the “Outline View” , you can expand any or all slides to view all the content within the slide. There are 3 different methods you can use to expand the slides in the outline view.

3a. Method 1 – Using Right-Click

You have to first open the “Outline View” from the “View” menu. In the outline sidebar located at the left side of the screen, “Right Click” on the box beside the slide number which you want to expand.

Then click on the “Expand” option from the right-click menu.

3b. Method 2 – Using Double-Click

You can use the double-click method to quickly expand the slide outline. All you have to do is “Double Click” on the box located between the slide number and the slide title.

3c. Expand All Slides Using Expand All Feature

In the “Outline View” , you can also expand all the slides at once. To do so, “Right Click” on the box next to any slide. In the right-click menu, click on the arrow beside the “Expand” option to open another dropdown menu.

Then click on the “Expand All” option to expand all the slides.

4. How to Collapse Slides in Outline View?

Microsoft PowerPoint offers various methods to collapse slides in the “Outline View” . Collapsing the slides can help you see the list of the slides in a presentation easily.

4a. Using Right-Click

In the “Outline View” , locate the expanded slide from the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Then “Right Click” on the box next to the slide number and click on the “Collapse” option from the pop-up menu.

4b. Using Double-Click

To collapse a slide using the double-click method, all you have to do is “Double Click” on the box at the left side of the expanded slide. The slide will immediately collapse hiding all the text except the heading.

4c. Collapse All Feature

You can also collapse all the slides at once. To do so, “Right Click” on any slide in the outline. Then click on the arrow beside the “Collapse” option.

Finally, you have to click on the “Collapse All” option from the secondary pop-up menu.

5. How to Rearrange Slides in Outline View?

When reviewing the outline of a PowerPoint presentation, you may need to rearrange some slides based on their contents.

In the “Outline View” , you can move a slide in between the contents of another slide. You can also simply move a slide up or down.

5a. How to Move Up Slides in Outline View?

In the “Outline View” , you can move a slide up by one or even more slides. There are different methods to move up slides in PowerPoint. The first step is to click on the “Outline View” option from the “View” menu.

Method 1 – Using Right-Click

In the “Outline View” sidebar at the left side of the screen, “Right Click” on the slide you want to move up. Then click on the “Move Up” option from the right-click menu.

To move up the slide further, repeat the process until the slide reaches the preferred position in the outline.

Method 2 – Using Drag & Drop

You can also move up a slide quickly by using the drag and drop method. All you have to do is click and hold on to the box next to the slide number and then drag the slide up as much as you need.

5b. How to Move Down Slides in Outline View in PowerPoint?

Similar to the process of moving up a slide, you can easily move down a slide. All you have to do is “Right Click” on the slide from the outlines on the left side of the screen.

Then click on the “Move Down” option from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can drag and drop the slide to the preferred position.

6. How to Add Content on Slides Using Outline View?

The presentation outline in the “Outline View” is editable. Thus, you can edit the content of a slide by editing the outline. To add content on slides using the “Outline View” , follow the 2 simple steps.

Step-1: Open the Outline View

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “View” tab. You have to then click on the “Outline View” option which is the second option in the “Presentation Views” section of the “View” menu.

Step-2: Click on the slide and add content to the outline

In the outline sidebar at the left side of the screen, click on the slide and heading level where you want to add content. Then type in the content. You will see the text being added to the presentation slide.

If you want to add text in a new line, simply press “Enter” and start adding the content. It will be visible separately on the slide.

6a. How to Increase or Decrease Indent of Content in Outline View?

To increase or decrease the indent of content in the “Outline View” , click on the “Home” tab in PowerPoint . Next, you have to click on the content in the outline sidebar for which you want to change the indentation.

Increase Indentation

By increasing the indent level, you push the content to the right. The content is thus moved to a higher list level. To increase the indentation, click on the “Increase List Level” option in the “Paragraph” section of the “Home” tab in PowerPoint.

Decrease Indentation

By decreasing the indent level, you can push the content to the left, and decrease the list level. To do so, click on the “Decrease List Level” option in the “Paragraph” section of the “Home” menu.

7. How to Change Content Hierarchy Using Outline View in PowerPoint?

In the “Outline View” , you can change the content hierarchy of the contents within a slide.

Content hierarchy is the order of the content in a slide. The top of the hierarchy is the heading and then the “List level 1” , “List level 2” and so on.

7a. Promote Content in Outline View in PowerPoint

Promoting content pushes the content up the hierarchy.

To promote content in outline view in PowerPoint, you have to first “Right Click” on the content in the outline sidebar. Then click on the “Promote” option from the right-click menu.

You can repeat this process to promote the content up to a few hierarchy levels. However, you cannot promote a “Heading” since it is the highest level in the hierarchy.

7b. Demote Content in Outline View in PowerPoint

When you demote content, it is pushed down the hierarchy.

To demote content in outline view in PowerPoint, “Right Click” on the content in the outline that you want to demote. Then click on the “Demote” option.

You can repeat the process to move the content further down the hierarchy. For headings, you can only demote the heading of a text-only slide.

8. How to Go Back to Normal View from Outline View in PowerPoint?

If you want to exit the “Outline View” , you can easily return to the “Normal View” in PowerPoint.

To go back to “Normal View” from “Outline View” , all you have to do is click on the “View” tab in the menu ribbon. Then click on the “Normal” option which is the first option in the “View” menu.

9. How to Save Your PowerPoint Presentation as an Outline?

Besides viewing the presentation outline, you can also save your PowerPoint Presentation as an outline. All you have to do is follow the 4 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Save As” option

In the menu ribbon at the top of the screen, click on the “File” tab to open the “File” menu. Then click on the “Save As” option in the “File” menu.

Step-2: Click on “More options”

In the “Save As” screen, click on the “More options” option which is above the “New Folder” button (as shown in the image in step 1). This will open a dialog box.

Step-3: Click on “Outline/RTF”

In the “Save As” dialog box, click on the “Save as type” box at the bottom. Then click on the “Outline/RTF” option from the pop-up menu.

Step-4: Click on the “Save” option

Now all you have to do is click on the “Save” button at the bottom of the “Save As” dialog box. This will save the PowerPoint presentation as an outline.

10. How to Print Outline View in PowerPoint?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to print the outline of the presentation only. All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps.

Step-1: Click on the “File” tab

In the open PowerPoint presentation, click on the “File” tab from the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the sidebar of the “File” menu, click on the “Print” option.

Step-2: Click on the “Print Layout” option

Under the “Settings” section, click on the box that says “Full Page Slides” . It will open a “Print Layout” pop-up menu. In the pop-up menu, click on the “Outline” option.

The presentation outline will appear on the preview screen.

Step-3: Click on the “Print” option

Finally, you have to make sure the device is connected to a printer. Then all you have to do is click on the “Print” button at the top of the screen.

11. How to Convert a Word Outline into a PowerPoint Presentation Using Outline View?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to import the outline from a Microsoft Word file. Importing an outline will automatically create slides for you. All you have to do is follow the 3 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Slides from Outline” option

The first step is to click on the “Home” tab in the menu ribbon. In the “Slides” section of the “Home” menu, click on the “New Slide” option to open a dropdown menu.

Click on the “Slides from Outline” option from the bottom of the dropdown menu.

Step-2: Click on the “Insert” button

In the “Insert Outline” dialog box, click on the Microsoft Word document which you want to import. Then click on the “Insert” button at the bottom of the dialog box.

Step-3: Arrange the content

Since the process automatically transforms the Word outline into a PowerPoint outline, the content may need some adjustments. If the Word outline does not have any headings, each paragraph will be converted into a slide.

To arrange them, “Right Click” on the content, and then click on the preferred option from the “Move Up” , “Move Down” , “Promote” and “Demote” options in the right-click menu.

12. Outline View Not Showing Text? Here’s Why!

In Microsoft PowerPoint “Outline View” , the text in the content placeholder is automatically shown in the outline. So when a slide has no content placeholder, the outline will not show any text.

To solve the problem, you will first need to add a placeholder in PowerPoint . Follow the steps mentioned below –

Step-1: Click on the “Slide Master” option

The first step is to open the slide where the “Outline View” is not showing any text. Then click on the “View” tab from the menu ribbon. In the “Master Views” section of the “View” menu, click on the “Slide Master” option.

Step-2: Click on the “Insert Placeholder” button

The next step is to click on the “Insert Placeholder” option in the “Master Layout” section of the “Slide Master” view. Then click on the “Content” option from the dropdown menu.

Step-3: Draw the “Content Placeholder”

Now all you have to do is draw the “Content Placeholder” into the slide layout. You can also resize and reposition the placeholder.

Click on the “Shape Format” tab in the menu ribbon to access more options to edit the content placeholder.

Step-4: Click on the “Close Master View” option

To save the content placeholder, click on the “Close Master View” option under the “Slide Master” tab. The screen will return to “Normal View” .

Step-5: Paste the text to the “Content Placeholder”

The final step is to cut the text in the slide and paste it into the “Content Placeholder” . To do so, select the text and press the “Ctrl+X” keys on your keyboard. Then click on the “Content Placeholder” and press the “Ctrl+V” keys.

Step-6: Click on the “Outline View” option

In the menu ribbon, click on the “View” tab and then click on the “Outline View” option. You will see that the text is now showing in the outline view.

Credit to Katemangostar (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

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A simple guide to slideshows

Learn what slideshows are, how they’re used, common features, and how to choose a slideshow maker. Get started creating your own slideshows today with Microsoft PowerPoint.

What is a slideshow?

What are slideshows used for.

Meetings and presentations

Slideshows are most frequently used to create professional presentations for business meetings, conferences, and educational purposes. A  slideshow program  allows people to organize content, include visuals, and enhance the overall impact of their message.

Visual storytelling

Because slideshows sequentially display engaging visuals, text, and other multimedia, they’re a strong way to tell a cohesive and compelling narrative from start to finish.

Content creation

Slideshows give content creators a versatile and efficient way to organize information, increase visual appeal, and communicate effectively across different contexts.

Photo and video sharing

Slideshow makers are popular for creating photo and video presentations, especially for events like weddings, birthdays, and vacations. People can add transitions, music, and captions to fully bring the photo-sharing experience to life.

Training and tutorials

Slideshows help break down complex information into digestible chunks with the support of visuals and text, making them ideal for instructional materials, tutorials, and training modules.

Collaborative projects

In collaborative settings, teams use slideshow makers to create joint presentations or reports. The best slideshow makers enable multiple contributors to add their content simultaneously, which helps ensure a cohesive and unified presentation.

What are the features of a slideshow creator?

Slideshow creators vary in what they offer but ideally include:

A library of templates, themes, and images.

If you’re not a designer, this feature is huge. Simply browse the options available in your slideshow maker library to create a polished, professionally designed presentation in a flash. Be sure to confirm that access to the library is free and the images are approved for unrestricted usage.

Audio and video compatibility.

Keeping your audience engaged is key to any successful slideshow presentation. To mix things up, being able to add a multimedia element—like a song or a video clip—will help people stay focused and interested.

Presentation tools.

Handy presenter tools go a long way toward making your slideshow experience seamless. For example, straightforward slide navigation, slideshow keyboard shortcuts, pen and highlighter markup, and adjustable resolution settings.

AI assistance.

With AI revolutionizing content creation, using a slideshow maker that has AI capabilities will enhance efficiency and innovation. Depending on the slideshow app you have, creating an entire slideshow could be as easy as a quick prompt, like “Make a presentation about the benefits of sustainable fashion that has 15 slides.” 

Animations.

Like audio and video, animations give your audience a bit of sensory surprise that can capture their attention. 

Slide transitions.

Add some pizzazz to how you change slides with visual effects like fading, wiping, and zooming. 

Screen recording.

Being able to record your screen in a slideshow maker is helpful when giving an instructional talk, software demonstration, and other types of presentations that require visual aids.

A place to put speaker notes.

Having somewhere to jot a few notes down will help remind you of everything you want to cover as you present.

Different viewing options.

Looking at different views—for example, a presenter view, an audience view, and a high-level view of slide order—is useful when organizing your slideshow’s structure and understanding and preparing for what you’ll see versus what your audience will see.

How do I choose the right slideshow maker?

When choosing a slideshow maker, keep the following questions in mind to make sure you get the most for your money:

Is it scalable with your business?

As your organization grows and changes, it’s important to have flexible technology that adapts to new needs. Having certain features—such as cloud-based collaboration, compatibility with other work apps, and a mobile app—will help ensure that no matter how your business changes, the slideshow maker is up to the task. This also applies to pricing plans. Consider choosing a slideshow app that has a subscription plan (so the software is always up to date), volume-based pricing, or enterprise-level pricing.

Does it have a variety of visual elements?

It’s pretty much a given that a slideshow maker will allow you to add images, but think outside the JPEG box—what other visual elements are available to you? Features like preset themes, free templates, SmartArt, a built-in clip art library, shape tools, background styles, 3D models, and charts and graphs provide diverse ways to switch up how a slideshow looks without relying solely on adding your own images.

Is it easy to use?

You could have the most feature-rich slideshow maker on the market, but if it isn’t easy to use, you probably won’t use it. Or you will, but you’ll be frustrated, waste valuable time, and have difficulty convincing people you work with to use it. As you research slideshow makers, look for videos that show the apps’ interfaces in action to help you decide if they’re intuitive and will have a shorter learning curve.

Does it have collaboration and sharing options?

Because making a slideshow is often a collaborative effort, it’s worthwhile to find a slideshow creator that was designed with this in mind. Pick one that offers editing controls and commenting, as well as the ability to work on a slideshow at the same time as someone else. Having a cloud-based slideshow maker will be key here. You’ll not only save yourself time but also keep things simple by not having multiple versions of the same slideshow.

Explore more about slideshows and slideshow makers

Copilot in powerpoint.

Transform how you make slideshows with the versatile AI in Copilot for PowerPoint.

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Six slideshow tips and tricks

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How to make a branded slideshow

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Frequently asked questions

How do i make a good slideshow.

Making a good slideshow in PowerPoint is easy:

Plan what you’d like to include in your slideshow.

Launch your slideshow creator.

Choose the theme you’d like.

Import media.

Add text, music, and transitions.

Record, save, and share your slideshow.

Learn more about how to make a slideshow .

How do I add music to a slideshow?

To add music to a slideshow, first make sure that you’re using a slideshow maker with music compatibility. In PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the slide where you want to add music.

Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon menu.

Click on the Audio button and select Audio on My PC.

Browse to the folder on your computer where the audio file is located and select it.

Click on the Insert button.

How do I record a slideshow?

The steps for recording a slideshow in PowerPoint will vary depending on the version that you own. Get help with slideshow recording based on your version. 

What types of files can I add to a slideshow?

File compatibility in PowerPoint includes the use of JPEGs, PNGs, TIFFs, GIFs, PDFs, MP3s, WAVs, MIDIs, MPEG-4 Videos, and Windows Media Videos.  

How do I share my slideshow?

To share your PowerPoint slideshow, follow these steps:

Open your presentation and click Share at the top right of your screen.

If your presentation isn't already stored on OneDrive, select where to save your presentation to the cloud.

Choose a permission level, like Anyone with a link , or maybe just people in your company. You can also control if people can edit or just view the doc. 

Select Apply.

Enter names and a message.

Select Send.

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AI presentation maker

When lack of inspiration or time constraints are something you’re worried about, it’s a good idea to seek help. Slidesgo comes to the rescue with its latest functionality—the AI presentation maker! With a few clicks, you’ll have wonderful slideshows that suit your own needs . And it’s totally free!

Generate presentations in minutes

We humans make the world move, but we need to sleep, rest and so on. What if there were someone available 24/7 for you? It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and ask the AI presentation maker to give you a hand. The possibilities are endless : you choose the topic, the tone and the style, and the AI will do the rest. Now we’re talking!

Customize your AI-generated presentation online

Alright, your robotic pal has generated a presentation for you. But, for the time being, AIs can’t read minds, so it’s likely that you’ll want to modify the slides. Please do! We didn’t forget about those time constraints you’re facing, so thanks to the editing tools provided by one of our sister projects —shoutouts to Wepik — you can make changes on the fly without resorting to other programs or software. Add text, choose your own colors, rearrange elements, it’s up to you! Oh, and since we are a big family, you’ll be able to access many resources from big names, that is, Freepik and Flaticon . That means having a lot of images and icons at your disposal!

How does it work?

Think of your topic.

First things first, you’ll be talking about something in particular, right? A business meeting, a new medical breakthrough, the weather, your favorite songs, a basketball game, a pink elephant you saw last Sunday—you name it. Just type it out and let the AI know what the topic is.

Choose your preferred style and tone

They say that variety is the spice of life. That’s why we let you choose between different design styles, including doodle, simple, abstract, geometric, and elegant . What about the tone? Several of them: fun, creative, casual, professional, and formal. Each one will give you something unique, so which way of impressing your audience will it be this time? Mix and match!

Make any desired changes

You’ve got freshly generated slides. Oh, you wish they were in a different color? That text box would look better if it were placed on the right side? Run the online editor and use the tools to have the slides exactly your way.

Download the final result for free

Yes, just as envisioned those slides deserve to be on your storage device at once! You can export the presentation in .pdf format and download it for free . Can’t wait to show it to your best friend because you think they will love it? Generate a shareable link!

What is an AI-generated presentation?

It’s exactly “what it says on the cover”. AIs, or artificial intelligences, are in constant evolution, and they are now able to generate presentations in a short time, based on inputs from the user. This technology allows you to get a satisfactory presentation much faster by doing a big chunk of the work.

Can I customize the presentation generated by the AI?

Of course! That’s the point! Slidesgo is all for customization since day one, so you’ll be able to make any changes to presentations generated by the AI. We humans are irreplaceable, after all! Thanks to the online editor, you can do whatever modifications you may need, without having to install any software. Colors, text, images, icons, placement, the final decision concerning all of the elements is up to you.

Can I add my own images?

Absolutely. That’s a basic function, and we made sure to have it available. Would it make sense to have a portfolio template generated by an AI without a single picture of your own work? In any case, we also offer the possibility of asking the AI to generate images for you via prompts. Additionally, you can also check out the integrated gallery of images from Freepik and use them. If making an impression is your goal, you’ll have an easy time!

Is this new functionality free? As in “free of charge”? Do you mean it?

Yes, it is, and we mean it. We even asked our buddies at Wepik, who are the ones hosting this AI presentation maker, and they told us “yup, it’s on the house”.

Are there more presentation designs available?

From time to time, we’ll be adding more designs. The cool thing is that you’ll have at your disposal a lot of content from Freepik and Flaticon when using the AI presentation maker. Oh, and just as a reminder, if you feel like you want to do things yourself and don’t want to rely on an AI, you’re on Slidesgo, the leading website when it comes to presentation templates. We have thousands of them, and counting!.

How can I download my presentation?

The easiest way is to click on “Download” to get your presentation in .pdf format. But there are other options! You can click on “Present” to enter the presenter view and start presenting right away! There’s also the “Share” option, which gives you a shareable link. This way, any friend, relative, colleague—anyone, really—will be able to access your presentation in a moment.

Discover more content

This is just the beginning! Slidesgo has thousands of customizable templates for Google Slides and PowerPoint. Our designers have created them with much care and love, and the variety of topics, themes and styles is, how to put it, immense! We also have a blog, in which we post articles for those who want to find inspiration or need to learn a bit more about Google Slides or PowerPoint. Do you have kids? We’ve got a section dedicated to printable coloring pages! Have a look around and make the most of our site!

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The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page  if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

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