How to Make a Template in PowerPoint (That Your Team Uses)

A good PowerPoint template saves every future presentation from starting with the same twenty minutes of fixing fonts and moving logos. The secret is to build it in the Slide Master, not on normal slides. Anything you put on an ordinary slide is just content. Anything you put in the master becomes the design every new slide inherits.

How to make a template in PowerPoint

1. Open PowerPoint and create a Blank Presentation.
2. On the Design tab, choose Slide Size and pick widescreen, standard or a custom size. Set this first, because changing it later can squash your layouts.
3. Go to View, then Slide Master.
4. Click the top, larger slide in the left pane. That's the master: changes here apply to every layout below it.
5. Set your fonts and colours with the Fonts and Colors buttons on the Slide Master tab.
6. Add your logo and any footer to the master, so it appears on every slide.
7. Click each layout below the master and adjust it, such as the title slide, section header and content layouts.
8. Click Close Master View.
9. Choose File, then Save As (or Save a Copy), and pick PowerPoint Template (.potx) from the file type list.
10. Give it a clear name and click Save.

Where your template is saved

When you pick the template file type, PowerPoint switches the save location to a folder called Custom Office Templates, inside your Documents folder on Windows. Leave it there. That's where PowerPoint looks when you start a new presentation, so saving it anywhere else means it won't appear in your template list.

How to use your template

1. Open PowerPoint and choose File, then New.
2. Click Personal or Custom, then Custom Office Templates.
3. Pick your template.

PowerPoint opens a new, untitled presentation based on it, so your template file stays untouched.

The catch: you can't build templates in PowerPoint for the web

Microsoft is clear that PowerPoint for the web can't create templates. You need the desktop app for Windows or Mac. If you only have the web version, you can still make a presentation you copy each time, but it won't behave like a true template.

Template or theme?

	Theme	Template
Includes	Colours, fonts and effects	A theme plus layouts, placeholders and sample content
File type	Theme file	.potx
Best for	Restyling an existing deck	Starting new decks the same way

A template can include placeholder text telling people what goes where, such as 'Add client logo here', which is a big help when other people on your team use it.

Tips for a template people will use

• Keep the number of layouts small. Five or six well-designed ones beat twenty nobody can find.
• Use the theme colours and fonts, not manual formatting, so slides stay consistent.
• Name your layouts clearly in Slide Master, such as Case study or Two pictures.
• Put guidance in placeholder prompts, not on the slides, so it disappears when people type.
• Leave space for the logo in the same place on every layout.

Making a template on a Mac

On a Mac, build the design in Slide Master the same way, then choose File, then Save as Template. Unless you pick somewhere else, PowerPoint saves it in its own templates folder, so it shows up when you start a new presentation.

Sharing a template with your team

Send the .potx file and ask everyone to save it into their own Custom Office Templates folder, so it appears under Personal. If you change the template later, send the new file and ask people to replace the old one, because presentations already made from the old version won't update. On Microsoft 365 business accounts, an administrator can also put templates in a shared location so everyone gets the latest version.

Common template mistakes

• Designing on normal slides instead of in Slide Master, so new slides come out plain.
• Saving as a .pptx, which is an ordinary presentation, not a template.
• Using pictures as text, which nobody can edit later.
• Locking in the wrong slide size before you've checked how the deck will be shown.

Updating a template later

To change your template, open the .potx file itself rather than starting a new presentation from it: in PowerPoint choose File, then Open, browse to the Custom Office Templates folder and open the file. Make your changes in Slide Master and save it again as a template with the same name. New presentations pick up the change, but older decks don't, so if you've rebranded, apply the new design to important decks by hand.

If presenting itself makes you nervous, my guide to handling stage fright before a presentation is worth a read alongside your new template.

My verdict

Build your PowerPoint template in Slide Master, set the slide size first, use theme fonts and colours, and save it as a .potx in the Custom Office Templates folder so it appears under File, New, Personal. Keep the layouts few and clearly named. And use the desktop app, because PowerPoint for the web can't make templates. For more on slides that land with an audience, see how to brief a keynote speaker.

Frequently asked questions

How do I save a PowerPoint as a template?

Choose File, Save As, and pick PowerPoint Template (.potx) as the file type.

Where are PowerPoint templates saved?

In the Custom Office Templates folder inside your Documents folder on Windows.

Why doesn't my template show up in PowerPoint?

It wasn't saved in the Custom Office Templates folder. Move it there.

Can I make a template in PowerPoint online?

No. PowerPoint for the web can't create templates. Use the desktop app.

What's the difference between a theme and a template?

A theme sets colours, fonts and effects. A template adds layouts, placeholders and sample content.

How do I edit a PowerPoint template?

Open the .potx file itself, change it in Slide Master, and save it again as a template.