How to Present on Canva: Modes, Notes and Offline Tips

You've built a lovely deck in Canva. Now you need to stand up in front of a client, a webinar audience or a room full of people and run it. The good news is you don't need to export anything to PowerPoint. Canva has its own presenting tools, and a couple of them are better than people expect.

How to present a Canva design, step by step

1. Open your presentation in Canva.
2. Select Present in the top menu. If you can't see it, select Share first and find Present there.
3. Use the dropdown next to Present to choose how you want to present.
4. Select Present again to start.
5. Move between slides with the left and right arrow keys.
6. Press Esc or select Exit full screen to finish.

The four presentation modes

Mode	What it does	Best for
Present full screen	Shows your slides full screen. This is the default.	Simple talks where you know your material
Presenter view	Opens two windows: one for the audience, one for you with notes and the next slides	Webinars, client pitches, anything with speaker notes
Present and record	Records you presenting so you can share a link or download it	Pre-recorded training and async updates
Autoplay	Plays the slides automatically without you clicking	Trade show screens, waiting-room loops

How to use Presenter view (the one worth learning)

Presenter view is the mode I'd use for any important presentation. Canva opens two windows. Your audience sees the slides in the standard view, while your own window shows your notes and the upcoming slides. On a video call, share only the audience window, and keep the presenter window on your own screen.

1. Add speaker notes to each slide in the editor before you start.
2. Select Present, then choose Presenter view from the dropdown.
3. Drag the audience window to the screen or window you're sharing.
4. Keep the presenter window in front of you to read notes and see what's coming next.

If your browser bookmarks bar shows up in the audience window, Canva suggests hiding it with Cmd + Shift + B on a Mac or Ctrl + Shift + B on Windows.

The catch: your edits show up live

Here's something that surprises people. Canva says that while you're presenting, edits made in the editor appear in real time. That's brilliant if you spot a typo mid-talk and fix it. It's less brilliant if a colleague is still tinkering with the deck while you present it to a client. To stop it, select More during the presentation and choose Hide live edits.

Handy tricks while you present

• Jump to any slide. Use the Go to page button, or press Option + Command + G on a Mac or Alt + Ctrl + G on Windows, and type the slide number.
• Draw on the slide. Select Draw on page to circle or underline points live. Canva notes these strokes are temporary and vanish when you exit.
• Let people ask questions. Canva Live lets your audience send questions while you present.

Presenting without internet

Venue Wi-Fi is never as reliable as the organiser promises. Canva lets you prepare a presentation for offline use, but you have to do it in advance while you're still online:

1. Open the presentation.
2. Select the cloud icon, then Make available offline.
3. Wait for setup to finish.
4. When you're offline, go to Projects, then Available offline, open the deck and select Present.

There are limits. Canva says offline presentations only work on the device where you set them up and not in the Canva mobile app, though mobile web works. Slides, Presenter view, speaker notes and the timer work offline, but embedded content such as YouTube videos won't load until you reconnect. If a video matters, download it and keep a copy on your laptop.

Recording yourself presenting

Choose Present and record to record yourself running through the slides. When you finish, you can copy a link to share, download the recording or discard it. Canva says this only works on a computer and supports one recording per design, so duplicate the design if you need different versions. It's a handy way to send a client a walkthrough without booking a call.

Before you present: a quick checklist

• Run through it once in Presenter view so the windows aren't a surprise.
• Check every embedded video plays.
• Turn on Hide live edits if anyone else has access.
• Make it available offline if you're presenting somewhere new.
• Have a PDF backup on your desktop, just in case.

My verdict

Present straight from Canva rather than exporting, and use Presenter view for anything that matters. Set the deck up for offline use the day before a talk, switch off live edits, and keep a PDF backup. For online sessions, the platform you present on matters too, and my guide to video conferencing software compares the main options. If you'd rather record than present live, my picks for screen recording software give you more editing control.

Frequently asked questions

How do I present on Canva?

Open your design, select Present in the top menu or under Share, choose a mode from the dropdown and select Present.

Can I see my notes while presenting in Canva?

Yes. Choose Presenter view, which shows your notes and upcoming slides in a separate window from your audience's view.

Can I present a Canva design offline?

Yes, if you select Make available offline before you lose internet. It only works on the device where you set it up.

How do I stop edits showing during a Canva presentation?

Select More while presenting and choose Hide live edits.

Can I record myself presenting in Canva?

Yes. Choose Present and record. It works on a computer and supports one recording per design.