Editing Slides
This page covers changing the content of a presentation: working with elements, formatting them, managing slides, and reviewing.
Editing must be enabled
Editing is only available when the app is configured with edit mode enabled (the developer sets canEdit). If the toolbar shows only viewing controls and you cannot select or move elements, the app is in read-only mode. Developers: see the Component Props docs.
Selecting elements
- Click an element on the canvas to select it. Selection handles appear around it.
- Shift-click additional elements to select more than one.
- Drag a box (marquee) across empty canvas space to select everything inside it.
- Press Ctrl/Cmd + A to select all elements on the slide.
- Press Escape to deselect and close any open menus.
When something is selected, the inspector panel on the right updates to show that element's properties.
Moving, resizing, and rotating
With an element selected:
- Move - Drag it to a new position. Use the arrow keys to nudge it a little, or Shift + arrow keys to nudge it in larger steps.
- Resize - Drag any of the square handles on the element's edges or corners.
- Rotate - Drag the rotation handle, or set an exact angle in the inspector.
You can also type exact position (X/Y) and size (width/height) values into the inspector's element properties for precise placement.
Editing text
- Double-click a shape or text box to start editing its text inline. A blinking cursor appears and you can type.
- Use the Text toolbar tab or the inspector's Text panel to change font, size, colour, bold/italic/underline, alignment, line spacing, and bullets.
- Press Ctrl/Cmd + Enter to commit the text edit, or Escape to cancel it.
For table cells, double-click a cell to edit its text the same way.
Adding new elements
Use the Insert toolbar tab to add elements to the current slide:
| Insert | Notes |
|---|---|
| Text box | A new empty text box you can type into. |
| Shape | Pick from a palette of preset shapes (rectangles, arrows, callouts, stars, and more). |
| Image / Picture | Add an image from a file. |
| Table | Choose the number of rows and columns. |
| Chart | Insert a chart; edit its data in the inspector's chart data panel. |
| SmartArt | Pick a SmartArt layout from the insert dialog. |
| Connector | Draw a line/connector between shapes. |
New elements appear on the slide ready to be moved, resized, and styled.
The inspector panel (properties)
The inspector on the right is context-sensitive - it changes based on what you have selected:
| When you select... | The inspector lets you change... |
|---|---|
| Nothing (slide) | Slide background, layout, and size. |
| A shape or connector | Position, size, rotation, fill (solid/gradient/pattern/image), and stroke. |
| A text element | Font, size, colour, alignment, and spacing. |
| An image | Crop and artistic effects/filters. |
| A table | Cell formatting, borders, and banding. |
| A chart | The series data grid and chart type. |
| SmartArt | Node text and layout. |
| Media | Playback settings, trim, and bookmarks. |
| Any element | Animations (entrance/emphasis/exit/motion) via the animation panel. |
| The slide | Transition type, duration, and advance settings. |
Arranging elements
Use the Arrange toolbar tab (or right-click context menu) to:
- Group / ungroup elements so they move together.
- Align and distribute multiple selected elements.
- Change z-order (bring to front / send to back).
Undo and redo
Every edit can be undone:
- Undo - Ctrl/Cmd + Z
- Redo - Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z or Ctrl/Cmd + Y
The app captures a snapshot after each change, so you can step backward and forward through your edit history. (Continuous actions like dragging are captured once the action finishes, not on every pixel.)
Cut, copy, paste, duplicate
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl/Cmd + C |
| Cut | Ctrl/Cmd + X |
| Paste | Ctrl/Cmd + V |
| Duplicate | Ctrl/Cmd + D |
| Delete | Delete or Backspace |
See the full list on the Keyboard Shortcuts page.
Managing slides
Work with slides from the slides panel (left), its right-click menu, or the Home toolbar tab:
- Add a slide - Insert a new blank slide.
- Duplicate a slide - Copy an existing slide and its contents.
- Delete a slide - Remove the selected slide.
- Reorder slides - Drag thumbnails in the slides panel, or use the slide sorter.
- Hide a slide - Keep a slide in the file but skip it during a slideshow.
- Sections - Group slides into named sections to organise larger decks.
Editing speaker notes
Click into the notes panel below the canvas and type to add or edit the current slide's speaker notes. Notes are saved with the presentation and shown in presenter view during a slideshow.
Find and replace
Open Find & Replace from the Review or Home toolbar tab to search text across all slides at once:
- Type the text to find.
- Optionally enter replacement text.
- Step through matches, or Replace / Replace All.
Regular-expression search is supported for advanced matching.
Comments
Use the Review toolbar tab to work with comments:
- Add a comment anchored to a slide or element.
- Reply to build a threaded discussion.
- Resolve or delete comments when they are addressed.
Comment markers appear on the canvas so you can see where feedback is attached.
Saving your work
The status bar shows whether you have unsaved changes. To keep your edits, save or export the file - see Exporting for saving back to .pptx and other formats. Some apps also enable autosave.
Next
- Present your deck: Presenting
- Save and share it: Exporting
- Speed things up: Keyboard Shortcuts