How to Add Speaker Notes in Google Slides and See Them (2026)

The best slides have very few words on them, which is great for your audience and terrifying for you. Where do the details go? Speaker notes. They're your private cheat sheet for every slide: the stat you always forget, the story that makes the point, the thing you promised to say about a client.

Here's where Google Slides keeps them, how to see them while you present without the audience seeing them, and what to put in them so they help you.

Where speaker notes live in Google Slides

Google's Workspace help describes speaker notes as a way to keep track of your talking points for each slide. In the presentation editor, they appear beneath the current slide. That's the notes pane: a text area under the slide you're working on.

Every slide has its own notes. So if you're on slide four, you'll see slide four's notes, and the pane changes as you move through the deck.

Typing speaker notes under a slide

1. Open your presentation in Google Slides on a computer.
2. Click the slide in the left-hand strip so it's the one in the main view.
3. Click in the notes area beneath the slide.
4. Type your talking points.

If you can't see a notes area, check your view settings, because it can be hidden or squeezed very small, and menus vary between versions. Dragging the divider between the slide and the notes pane can make it bigger.

Opening Presenter view to read your speaker notes

Writing notes is only useful if you can see them on the day. Google says that when you present, your speaker notes show in a separate window. To open Presenter view on a computer, Google's help gives these steps:

1. Open your presentation.
2. In the top right corner, next to Slideshow, click the down arrow.
3. Click Presenter view.
4. Click Speaker notes.

The audience sees only your slides. You see the notes in your own window. If you're presenting on a second screen or projector, check which window is which before anyone walks into the room.

Speaker notes shortcuts while you present

During a slideshow, Google's shortcut list says pressing S opens speaker notes and pressing A opens audience tools. Esc stops presenting. That's all you need for most talks, and keeping your hands on the keyboard looks calmer than hunting for menus.

Using speaker notes from a phone or tablet

Google's presenting help for iPhone, iPad and Android says you can show or hide your speaker notes by tapping Speaker notes while casting. So your phone can work as a prompt screen while a bigger display shows the slides. Casting set-ups vary a lot, so try it before the day.

What to put in your Google Slides speaker notes

The mistake I see most is writing the whole talk word for word and reading it out. It sounds flat, and you lose your place the moment someone interrupts. Notes work best as prompts.

Put this in the notes	Not this
One sentence that opens the slide	The entire script
The example or client story that proves the point	Everything on the slide again
A cue for what to click or show next	Tiny text you'll never read under stage lights
A reminder of the question to ask the audience	Long paragraphs

A good test: could you glance at the notes for two seconds and know what to say? If not, cut them down.

Speaker notes for small business presentations and pitches

• For a client pitch, keep the name of the person you're talking to and their main concern in your first slide's notes.
• For a training session, put the timing in the notes so you can pace each section.
• For a webinar, note down the questions you want to ask in the chat.

If this is for a big talk and your stomach is already doing somersaults, my tips on overcoming stage fright before a presentation go well alongside a tidy set of notes, and how to create a great presentation covers the slides themselves.

Keeping speaker notes private when you share a deck

Google says notes show only to the presenter in the separate window, but anyone with edit or view access to the file in the editor may be able to open it and see what's under each slide. So before you send a deck to a client, read your notes with fresh eyes. Anything that's rude, confidential or half-written should go, or you could send the finished slides as a PDF export instead.

If you're comparing tools for presenting, my list of Google Slides alternatives shows how other apps handle presenter notes.

If you can't see your speaker notes in Google Slides

1. Look under the slide in the editor, in case the pane is collapsed.
2. In Presenter view, click Speaker notes if the panel isn't already open.
3. Press S during a slideshow to open the notes.
4. Check you're presenting from the Slideshow arrow and Presenter view, not a plain full-screen preview.
5. Make sure the window with the notes is on your screen, not the projector.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add speaker notes in Google Slides?

Open the presentation on a computer, click a slide, and type in the notes area beneath it. Google's help says speaker notes appear beneath the current slide in the editor.

How do I see speaker notes while presenting?

Click the down arrow next to Slideshow, choose Presenter view, then click Speaker notes. During a slideshow, pressing S also opens them.

Can the audience see my speaker notes?

Google says your notes show in a separate window when you present, so the audience sees only the slides. People who open the file in the editor could see them, though.

Can I use speaker notes on my phone?

Google's help says that on iPhone, iPad and Android you can show or hide speaker notes by tapping Speaker notes while casting.

How long should speaker notes be?

Short enough to read in a glance. A sentence to open the slide and a cue or two works better than a full script.