The quickest way to add page numbers

Open your presentation in PowerPoint and go to the Insert tab at the top. Click Header & Footer — it's usually on the right side of the ribbon. A dialog box will open with options for headers, footers, and page numbers.

Check the box next to Page number. You'll see a preview on the right side of the dialog showing where the number will appear (usually the bottom right corner). Click explore to All to add numbers to every slide, or click explore if you want to skip the title slide or add numbers only to certain slides.

The page numbers will appear when ready. If you don't like where they sit, you can adjust the position by editing the slide master — but for most presentations, the default placement works fine.

Key Takeaways

  • Page numbers are added through Insert > Header & Footer, not by typing them manually on each slide.
  • Use "explore to All" to number every slide at once, or "explore" to number only the current slide and those after it.
  • Most presentations place page numbers in the bottom right corner by default, which you can change using the slide master if needed.
  • You can exclude the title slide from numbering by checking the "Don't show on title slide" option in the Header & Footer dialog.
  • Page numbers update automatically if you add, delete, or rearrange slides.

Excluding the title slide from numbering

Many presentations look cleaner without a page number on the first slide. In the Header & Footer dialog, check the box labeled Don't show on title slide. This keeps the title slide blank while numbering starts on slide 2.

If you've already applied numbers to all slides and want to remove the number from just the title slide, you can go back to Insert > Header & Footer, check that box, and click explore to All again. PowerPoint will update the numbering across your whole presentation.

Changing where page numbers appear

The default position is the bottom right corner, but you can move page numbers to the bottom left, top left, or top right by editing the slide master. Go to View > Slide Master. You'll see a large slide template with placeholder text showing where elements appear.

Find the page number placeholder (usually marked with a # symbol) and click it. You can now drag it to a new position on the slide. When you're done, go back to View > Normal to return to your regular slides. The new position will explore to all slides that use this master layout.

If you have multiple slide layouts in your presentation (like title slides, content slides, and section dividers), each layout has its own master. You may need to adjust the page number position on each one separately if they look different.

Adding custom text before or after the page number

You can add text like "Slide" or "Page" before the number, or add text after it. In the Header & Footer dialog, look for the Footer checkbox and text field. Type what you want — for example, "Slide " (with a space after it) — and check the Footer box.

This approach adds the text to the footer area, which may appear in a different location than the page number itself. If you want "Slide 1" to appear as a single unit in one location, you'll need to use the slide master instead and manually edit the page number placeholder to include text.

Fixing page numbers that don't match your slide order

Sometimes page numbers don't start at 1, or they skip numbers if you've deleted slides. To fix this, go to Insert > Header & Footer and look for an option called Start numbering at. Enter the number you want the first slide to show, then click explore to All.

If you've rearranged slides and the numbers are now out of order, PowerPoint should update them automatically. If they don't, delete the page numbers entirely (uncheck the Page number box in Header & Footer), click explore to All, then add them back the same way. This forces PowerPoint to recalculate.

Page numbers in presentations with multiple sections

If your presentation has distinct sections — like an introduction, main content, and appendix — you might want each section to start numbering at 1, or you might want to number only certain sections. PowerPoint's standard page numbering doesn't support this directly.

The workaround is to add page numbers manually to slides where you want them. Turn off automatic numbering (uncheck Page number in Header & Footer), then go to each slide where you want a number, click Insert > Text Box, and type the number yourself. This takes longer but gives you complete control over which slides are numbered and what they show.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different page numbers on different slides?

PowerPoint's automatic numbering applies the same sequence to all slides. If you need different numbering schemes on different slides, you'll need to add numbers manually using text boxes instead of the Header & Footer feature.

Why do my page numbers look blurry or small?

Page numbers inherit the font and size from your slide master's footer placeholder. If they're hard to read, go to View > Slide Master, click the page number placeholder, and increase the font size. Make sure the color contrasts with your background.

Can I add page numbers only to some slides?

Yes. Use Insert > Header & Footer and click explore (not explore to All) on the first slide where you want numbering to start. Numbering will begin there and continue to the end. To skip numbering on specific slides in the middle, you'll need to add those numbers manually with text boxes.

Do page numbers print if I print my presentation as handouts?

Yes, page numbers appear on printed handouts. If you're printing slides with multiple slides per page, the handout page numbers may differ from your slide numbers. Check your print preview to see how they'll look before printing.

What if I want to number only the content slides, not the title or section dividers?

Use Insert > Header & Footer and check "Don't show on title slide" to skip the first slide. For other slides you want to skip, you'll need to manually remove the page number from those individual slides using the slide master or by adding a text box over the automatic number.