To change the slide master in PowerPoint, select View > Slide Master, choose the large master thumbnail above its layouts, and edit the shared design. On Windows, finish with Slide Master > Close Master View; on Mac, select the close button on the Slide Master tab to return to Normal view. Your changes affect slides that use that master.
These steps cover PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows and Mac, with platform differences identified where needed. To change a particular slide arrangement, edit a smaller layout thumbnail beneath the master. After changing placeholders, reapply the layout to update existing slides.
The short version
- Open the editor: Select View > Slide Master in desktop PowerPoint.
- Choose the scope: Edit the large master thumbnail for shared elements or a smaller layout thumbnail for a particular arrangement.
- Update existing slides: After changing placeholders, select the affected slides and choose the updated layout through Home > Layout.
- Start from the browser: Select Editing > Open in Desktop App to edit the master in an available, licensed desktop app.
| Task | Where to work | Platform or requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Edit the master on Windows | View > Slide Master | Windows desktop |
| Edit the master on Mac | View > Slide Master | Mac desktop |
| Open with Windows keys | Alt + W, then M | Microsoft 365 with a US keyboard layout |
| Open with Mac keys | Command + Option + 1 | Microsoft 365 for Mac |
| Add a toolbar button | Add to Quick Access Toolbar | Windows desktop |
| Start from the browser | Editing > Open in Desktop App | Available, licensed desktop app |
| Edit a specific layout | Smaller thumbnail beneath its master | Windows desktop |
| Arrange placeholders | Selected layout in Slide Master view | Windows and Mac |
| Remove an inherited picture | Master or layout containing the image | Windows desktop |
| Remove layouts or toggle footers | Delete or Footers | Layout deletion on both platforms; footers on Windows |
| Add another master | Insert Slide Master | Windows and Mac |
| Change an existing master's theme | Slide Master > Themes | Windows desktop |
| Customize shared formatting | Theme fonts, colors, effects, or backgrounds | Platform-specific controls |
| Change the presentation theme | Design > Themes | Windows desktop |
| Copy a complete master | Master thumbnail pane | Windows desktop |
| Copy slides with their design | Keep Source Formatting | Windows and Mac |
| Import locally saved slides | Reuse Slides | Windows and Mac |
| Save a reusable template | PowerPoint Template or Save as Template | Windows and Mac |
| Save a reusable theme | Save Current Theme | Windows and Mac |
| Set the default design | Set as Default Theme | Windows and Mac |
| Use organization templates | Organization template tab or Office Template Library | Configured work or school library |
| Supply a template to Copilot | Brand kits > Templates | Account with Brand Kit access |
Open Slide Master in the desktop app
In your presentation, select View > Slide Master. Select the larger master thumbnail above its associated layouts to edit shared elements. The smaller thumbnails let you work on individual layouts.
PowerPoint for the web does not provide Slide Master editing. If you have an available, licensed desktop application, select Editing > Open in Desktop App near your profile picture. In desktop PowerPoint, select View > Slide Master, make your changes, and save the presentation.
Choose the master or a specific layout
Choose the large master thumbnail for elements shared by slides using that master. On Windows, choose a smaller thumbnail beneath it to change a specific layout. If your presentation contains several masters, edits to one affect the slides based on that master.
On Windows, you can rename an edited layout before leaving the editor. Right-click its thumbnail, select Rename Layout, enter the name, and select Rename. After closing the editor, select the affected slides in Normal view and choose that layout through Home > Layout.
Deleting a layout removes that layout from the presentation. To remove an unwanted layout on Windows or Mac, select it in Slide Master view, then select Slide Master > Delete. Exit the master editor when finished.
Change the theme and shared formatting
On Windows, choosing a theme when only one master exists replaces that master's current theme. Select View > Slide Master, select the master thumbnail, then choose Slide Master > Themes and select a theme.
For custom fonts on Windows, select View > Slide Master > Fonts > Customize Fonts. Choose the Heading font and Body font, enter a name under Name, and select Save. To change the effects set, select Slide Master > Effects and choose a set.
For custom colors on Windows, select Design, open the Variants dropdown, then select Colors > Customize Colors. Edit the colors, enter a name under Name, and select Save. On Mac, select Design, open the Variants dropdown, and choose Fonts, Colors, or Background Styles.
Arrange placeholders on a layout
On Windows or Mac, select View > Slide Master and choose the layout thumbnail you want to edit. Select Slide Master > Insert Placeholder, choose a placeholder type, and drag on the layout to draw it. Move an existing placeholder by dragging its border, or resize it by dragging its sizing handles.
Microsoft recommends duplicating a built-in layout before removing its placeholders. Removing a placeholder deletes it from that layout. To remove one, select it and press Delete.
After changing placeholders, close the master editor. Select the affected slides, then choose the updated layout through Home > Layout to apply the changes to existing slides.
Edit inherited pictures and footer placeholders
For an inherited picture or logo on Windows, open View > Slide Master and select the master thumbnail containing the image. If the image is defined on a particular layout, select that layout instead.
Deleting the picture removes it from slides that inherit it from that master or layout. Select the picture and press Delete, then select Slide Master > Close Master View.
On Windows, select the layout in Slide Master view to control its footer placeholders. Check Footers to show them or uncheck Footers to hide them. Exit the master editor when finished.
Fix slides that do not show your changes
Finish editing with Slide Master > Close Master View on Windows, or select the close button on the Slide Master tab on Mac. If an existing slide does not reflect a layout change on Windows, select the affected slides in Normal view. Select Home > Layout and choose the updated layout again.
Check that you edited the master or layout used by the affected slide, since master changes apply to slides based on that master. For an inherited image on Windows, return to the particular layout if that is where the image is defined.
Add or copy another master
To add another master on Windows or Mac, select View > Slide Master, then select Insert Slide Master. Select the new master and choose Slide Master > Themes to assign its theme. On Windows, close the editor, select the intended slides, and use Home > Layout to choose a layout belonging to the new master.
To copy a complete master and its layouts on Windows, open both presentations. In the source, select View > Slide Master, right-click the master, and select Copy. Select View > Switch Windows and choose the destination presentation.
In the destination, open View > Slide Master and right-click in the master thumbnail pane. Under Paste, choose Keep Source Formatting to retain the source formatting or Use Destination Theme to use the destination theme. Select Close Master View when finished.
On Windows and Mac, you can also bring a design across by copying slides. In Normal view, select the source slide thumbnails, right-click, and choose Copy. In the destination, right-click where those slides should follow and select Keep Source Formatting under Paste Options. Open View > Slide Master to inspect and edit the imported design.
Import locally saved slides
On Windows, select where you want to insert the slides, then open the New Slide dropdown on Home and select Reuse Slides > Open a PowerPoint File. Locate the file and select Open, then select Keep source formatting. Click an individual slide to insert it, or right-click a slide and select Insert All Slides.
On Mac, open the New Slide dropdown on Home and select Reuse Slides. Choose the presentation and select OK; this procedure imports all its slides. Reusing slides brings in slides and their design rather than directly editing a master.
Microsoft has deprecated reusing slides directly from cloud files. Use the local-file procedure or copy slides between open presentations instead.
Save the design for reuse
Save your edited master and layouts as a template to reuse them. On Windows, select File > Save As or Save a Copy, set Save as type to PowerPoint Template, enter a filename, and select Save. On Mac, select File > Save as Template, enter a filename, and select Save. The template uses the .potx format.
To save the customized theme on Windows, select View > Slide Master > Themes > Save Current Theme. Enter a name under File name and select Save. On Mac, open Design, expand the theme gallery, and select Save Current Theme to save the .thmx file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What keyboard shortcuts open and close Slide Master?
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 on Windows with a US keyboard layout, press Alt + W, then M to open Slide Master view; after editing, press Alt + M, then C to close it. In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac, press Command + Option + 1 to open it, then Command + 1 to return to Normal view.
How do you add a Slide Master button to the toolbar?
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows, open the View tab, right-click Slide Master, and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Afterward, select that toolbar button to open the master editor.
How do you make the edited theme the default for new presentations?
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows or Mac, create and apply the desired theme, then save the presentation. Open Design > Themes using the dropdown. On Windows, right-click the theme and select Set as Default Theme; on Mac, hold Control, click the theme, and select Set as Default Theme. This affects new presentations.
Can you change the presentation theme without opening Slide Master?
Yes, choosing a replacement theme changes the presentation's design. In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 and PowerPoint 2024 on Windows, select Design > Themes and expand the gallery. Choose a built-in theme, or select Browse for Themes and locate a custom theme or themed document. Select Office Theme to return to a simple white design.
Where can you find templates supplied by your organization?
If your work or school has a configured SharePoint organization assets library, select your organization's template tab when creating a desktop presentation in Microsoft 365 Apps Version 2002 or later. On the PowerPoint web start page, select Office Template Library; web library access requires Office 365 E3 or E5. An administrator can publish .potx templates through that library, but you edit their masters in desktop PowerPoint.
How do you give Copilot your edited presentation design?
If your account has access to Copilot Brand Kit features, first edit the template in desktop PowerPoint through View > Slide Master. In the Microsoft Copilot app, select Create > More… > Brand kits, open the kit, and select Templates > Upload Template. Choose the .potx or .pptx file and select Add to Brand kit. This supplies a design for Copilot presentations; the master editing happens in PowerPoint.