Step-by-step lessons · October 2026
PowerPoint Step by Step
From first slide to Morph
Clear, numbered steps for every main feature of PowerPoint, from adding your first slide to drawing and merging shapes, animating with Morph and presenting with confidence. Every lesson ends with a practice task.
See the lessons ↓Lessons
16 lessons in 4 parts · 167 numbered steps
Highlights
Shapes, Merge Shapes and Morph, each with an interactive example
Version
PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows; 2019, 2021 and 2024 are very similar
Part 1
Foundations
Getting Started with PowerPoint
Open PowerPoint, find your way around the window, choose a slide size and save your work safely.
8 steps → 02 · 20 minSlides, Layouts and Sections
Add, duplicate, reorder and hide slides, choose the right layout, and organise a long deck into sections.
9 steps → 03 · 25 minWorking with Text
Type into placeholders and text boxes, format fonts and bullets, control overflowing text and copy formatting quickly.
10 steps →Part 2
Shapes & design
Adding and Formatting Shapes
Draw shapes and lines, resize and reshape them, add colour, outlines and effects, and edit their points to make your own designs.
16 steps → 05 · 20 minArranging, Aligning and Grouping
Select, line up, space out, layer, group and lock objects so slides look tidy and professional.
10 steps → 06 · 35 min · InteractiveMerge Shapes
Combine two or more shapes into a brand-new custom shape with Union, Combine, Fragment, Intersect and Subtract, and use the same tools with text and pictures.
14 steps → 07 · 25 minPictures, Icons and 3D Models
Insert and crop photos, remove backgrounds, recolour icons, add 3D models and keep the file size small.
10 steps → 08 · 30 minTables, Charts and SmartArt
Present numbers and ideas clearly with tables, editable charts and SmartArt diagrams.
11 steps → 09 · 30 minThemes, Slide Master and Designer
Give the whole deck a consistent look with themes, variants, the Slide Master and Designer suggestions.
10 steps →Part 3
Motion & interaction
Animations
Make objects enter, move, emphasise and leave, control timing with the Animation Pane, and use triggers for interactive slides.
12 steps → 11 · 15 minSlide Transitions
Choose how one slide changes to the next, set speed and timing, and apply transitions across the deck.
5 steps → 12 · 40 min · InteractiveThe Morph Transition
Create smooth, film-like movement between two slides: objects glide, grow, spin and change colour, and words rearrange themselves.
13 steps → 13 · 25 minZoom, Links and Interactive Slides
Jump around your presentation with Summary, Section and Slide Zoom, hyperlinks and action buttons.
8 steps → 14 · 25 minAudio, Video and Screen Recording
Add and trim video and audio, set how they play, record your screen and keep media files small.
8 steps →Part 4
Present & share
Presenting with Confidence
Run the slide show, use Presenter View and speaker notes, rehearse your timing, use on-screen tools and record a narrated presentation.
13 steps → 16 · 25 minReviewing, Sharing and Exporting
Work with others using comments and co-authoring, check accessibility, and export as PDF, video or handouts.
10 steps →Quick finder
Where is that button?
| # | Lesson | Where to find it | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Getting Started with PowerPoint | File tab, the ribbon, and the View tab | 20 min |
| 02 | Slides, Layouts and Sections | Home › Slides group | 20 min |
| 03 | Working with Text | Home › Font and Paragraph groups | 25 min |
| 04 | Adding and Formatting Shapes | Insert › Shapes, then the Shape Format tab | 30 min |
| 05 | Arranging, Aligning and Grouping | Shape Format › Arrange group, and Home › Arrange | 20 min |
| 06 | Merge Shapes | Shape Format › Insert Shapes › Merge Shapes | 35 min |
| 07 | Pictures, Icons and 3D Models | Insert › Pictures, Icons and 3D Models, then Picture Format | 25 min |
| 08 | Tables, Charts and SmartArt | Insert › Table, Chart and SmartArt | 30 min |
| 09 | Themes, Slide Master and Designer | Design tab, and View › Slide Master | 30 min |
| 10 | Animations | Animations tab | 35 min |
| 11 | Slide Transitions | Transitions tab | 15 min |
| 12 | The Morph Transition | Transitions › Morph | 40 min |
| 13 | Zoom, Links and Interactive Slides | Insert › Zoom, Link and Action | 25 min |
| 14 | Audio, Video and Screen Recording | Insert › Video, Audio and Screen Recording, then the Playback tab | 25 min |
| 15 | Presenting with Confidence | Slide Show and Record tabs | 30 min |
| 16 | Reviewing, Sharing and Exporting | Review tab, the Share button and File › Export | 25 min |