In PowerPoint, a placeholder is a pre-formatted container on a slide for content (text, graphics, or video). The pre-set formatting makes it easier to format slides consistently.
You format a placeholder in Slide Master view. Then you use the placeholder—add content to it—in Normal view.
The pictured slide has two placeholders:
- The (upper) Title placeholder prompts the user for text and formats it in the default Heading font, size, and color
- The (lower) Content placeholder accepts text, or a table, chart, SmartArt, picture, or video, as indicated by the icons at its center.
WindowsmacOS
- Which version of Office are you using?
Add a placeholder to a slide layout
Placeholders can only be added to slide layouts, not individual slides in a presentation. If you haven't worked with slide layouts, check out What is a slide layout? and What is a slide master? to learn more before reading on.
- On the View tab, click Slide Master.
- In the left thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that you want to add one or more placeholders to.
- On the Slide Master tab, click Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder that you want to add.
- Click a location on the slide layout, and then drag to draw the placeholder. You can add as many placeholders as you like.
- If you add a text placeholder, you can customize the prompt text that appears in it:Select the default text in the placeholder, and replace it with your own prompt text.Switch to the Home tab to format the prompt text as you want it to appear.With the text selected, you can change the Font or Font Size. If an unwanted bullet appears before your custom prompt text, in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to Bullets, and then click None.
- When you're done, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master View.
- To see your revisions in Normal view, do one of the following:
- To reapply the newly changed layout to an existing slide, in the slide thumbnail list, select the slide, and then on the Home tab, click Layout, and then select the revised layout.
- To add a new slide that contains the layout (with the newly added placeholders), on the Home tab, click New Slide, and then select the slide revised layout.
You can change a placeholder by resizing it, moving it, or changing the font, size, case, color, or spacing of text within it. You can also delete a placeholder from a slide layout or an individual slide by selecting it and pressing Delete.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Change the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the generic prompt text for that placeholder.
- On the View tab, in the Master Views group, select Slide Master.
- In slide master view, in the thumbnail pane, select the layout that you want to revise.
- In the main pane, on the layout, select the current prompt text (such as Click to edit text, and then type the text you want to use instead.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, select Close Master View to return to Normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Remove a placeholder
We recommend that you don't remove a placeholder from a pre-built slide layout. If you want to make a change like that, duplicate that layout, give it a distinct name, and then edit that copy.
- On the View tab, click Slide Master.
- In the left thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that you want to revise.
- Select the placeholder on the layout, then press the Delete key.
The following is an example of a built-in slide layout that contains a title text placeholder, two subtitle text placeholders, and two placeholders to which you can add body text, a table, chart, SmartArt graphic, picture, or a movie or sound clip.
You can add placeholders anywhere on a slide layout and add custom prompt text to prompt your users to enter a certain type of content. You can also customize the text for more specific prompts.
Important: If you revise a slide layout after you've already created some slides that use that layout, you must reapply the layout to the slides. See 'Apply the updates so that they appear on your slides' in the article, Edit and re-apply a slide layout.
- On the View tab, in the Presentation Views group, click Slide Master.
- In the pane that contains the slide masters and layouts, click the layout that you want to add one or more placeholders to.
- On the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder that you want.
- Click a location on the layout, and then drag to draw the placeholder.
- If you add a text placeholder, you can add custom text.Highlight the default text in the placeholder, and replace it with your own prompt text.Note: If an unwanted bullet appears before your custom prompt text, click the Home tab, and in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to Bullets, and then click None.
- To add more placeholders to a layout, repeat steps 2 through 4.Note: When you add placeholders to a layout, if the content in those placeholders changes the layout's purpose, you may also want to rename the layout. To do so, right-click the slide layout thumbnail, click Rename Layout, type a new name, and then click Rename.
- On the Slide Master tab, in the Close group, click Close Master View to return to Normal view.
- In the slide thumbnail list, select the slide that you want to re-apply the layout with the newly-added placeholders to.
- On the Home tab, in the Slides group, click Layout, and then click the revised layout.Note: For more information about layouts, see Create a new custom layout.
- Which version of PowerPoint for Mac are you using?
Add placeholders to a slide layout
Placeholders are boxes on a slide layout that you click to add content when you're creating a presentation. In slide master view, you can add placeholders to a new slide layout, or change the look of an existing slide layout.
- On the View menu, in the Master Views group, click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- In the Master Layout group, click the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder you want to insert. Options are for Content, Content (Vertical), Text, Text (Vertical), Picture, Chart, Table, SmartArt, Media, and Online Image.
- On the slide, drag your cursor to draw the placeholder on the slide.
- Do any of the following:ToDo thisResize the placeholderSelect the placeholder, position the pointer over a sizing handle, and then drag the handle until the placeholder is the size that you want.Move the placeholderSelect the placeholder, and then drag it to its new location.Format the placeholderSelect the placeholder, click the Shape Format tab, and then make the changes that you want. For example, to change the fill color of the placeholder, in Shape Styles, click Shape Fill.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Remove footer elements from a slide layout
The footer placeholders are included by default when you add a new slide layout. The footer is made up of three elements: date and time, footer text, and slide number. The formatting, size, and position of the footer placeholders are inherited from the footer elements on the slide master, except if you edit the footer placeholder directly on the slide layout.
Important: Even if the footer elements are represented on the slide master and slide layouts in slide master view, you must turn them on before they can appear on the slides of your presentation. To turn on headers and footers, click the Insert menu, and then click Header and Footer.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- In the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout, clear the Footers check box.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Add placeholders to a slide layout
Placeholders are boxes on a slide layout that you click to add content when you're creating a presentation. In slide master view, you can add placeholders to a new slide layout, or change the look of an existing slide layout.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- Click the Slide Master tab, and then under Edit Layout, do any of the following:To insert placeholder forDo thisTitleNote: Only one 'official' title placeholder is allowed on each slide because the text that you add to a title placeholder in normal view becomes the slide title in the outline.Select the Title check box.Vertical TitleNote: Only one 'official' title placeholder is allowed on each slide because the text that you add to a title placeholder in normal view becomes the slide title in the outline.Select the Vertical Title check box.content placeholderClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Content .Vertical ContentClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Vertical Content .TextClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Text .Vertical TextClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Vertical Text .ChartClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Chart .TableClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Table .SmartArt graphicClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click SmartArt Graphic .MoviesClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Media .Clip ArtClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Clip Art .PictureClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Picture .
- On the slide, drag your cursor to draw the placeholder on the slide.
- Do any of the following:ToDo thisResize the placeholderSelect the placeholder, position the pointer over a sizing handle, and then drag the handle until the placeholder is the size that you want.Move the placeholderSelect the placeholder, and then drag it to its new location.Format the placeholderSelect the placeholder, click the Format tab, and then make the changes that you want. For example, to change the fill color of the placeholder, under Shape Styles, click Fill.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you are creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.
Remove footer elements from a slide layout
The footer placeholders are included by default when you add a new slide layout. The footer is made up of three elements: date and time, footer text, and slide number. The formatting, size, and position of the footer placeholders are inherited from the footer elements on the slide master, except if you edit the footer placeholder directly on the slide layout.
Important: Even if the footer elements are represented on the slide master and slide layouts in slide master view, you must turn them on before they can appear on the slides of your presentation. To turn on headers and footers, click the Insert menu, and then click Header and Footer.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- Click the Slide Master tab, and then under Edit Layout, clear the Allow Footers check box.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.
See Also
I am looking for a way to add placeholder text to a textbox like you can with a textbox in html5.
I.e. if the textbox has no text, then it adds the text
H.B.Enter some text here
, when the user clicks on it the placeholder text disappears and allows the user to enter their own text, and if the textbox loses focus and there is still no text then the placeholder is added back to the textbox.124k2222 gold badges250250 silver badges328328 bronze badges
BoardyBoardy15.1k8383 gold badges210210 silver badges374374 bronze badges
22 Answers
Wouldn't that just be something like this:
Thats just pseudocode but the concept is there.
ExceptionLimeCatExceptionLimeCat
3,49133 gold badges3232 silver badges6767 bronze badges
You can use this, it's work for me and is extremely simple solution.
Usage:
Andrzej Gis7,1181111 gold badges5757 silver badges101101 bronze badges
MacGileMacGile
Instead of handling the focus enter and focus leave events in order to set and remove the placeholder text it is possible to use the Windows SendMessage function to send
EM_SETCUEBANNER
message to our textbox to do the work for us.This can be done with two easy steps. First we need to expose the Windows
SendMessage
function.Then simply call the method with the handle of our textbox, EM_SETCUEBANNER’s value and the text we want to set.
Reference: Set placeholder text for textbox (cue text)
Abdullah QudeerAbdullah Qudeer
Add this class your project and build your solution. Click to Toolbox on visual studio you will see a new textbox component named PlaceholderTextBox. Delete your current textbox on form designe and replace with PlaceHolderTextBox.
PlaceHolderTextBox has a property PlaceHolderText. Set any text you want and have nice day :)
Jan-Fokke1,77511 gold badge1010 silver badges2727 bronze badges
Kemal KaradagKemal Karadag
This is not my code, but I use it a lot and it works perfect.. XAML ONLY
Esperento579,25722 gold badges1818 silver badges2727 bronze badges
Jaun LloydJaun Lloyd
DblDbl3,04422 gold badges2020 silver badges4040 bronze badges
While using the
EM_SETCUEBANNER
message is probably simplest, one thing I do not like is that the placeholder text disappears when the control gets focus. That's a pet peeve of mine when I'm filling out forms. I have to click off of it to remember what the field is for.So here is another solution for WinForms. It overlays a
Label
on top of the control, which disappears only when the user starts typing.It's certainly not bulletproof. It accepts any
Control
, but I've only tested with a TextBox
. It may need modification to work with some controls. The method returns the Label
control in case you need to modify it a bit in a specific case, but that may never be needed.Use it like this:
Here is the method:
Gabriel LuciGabriel Luci12.3k11 gold badge1616 silver badges2727 bronze badges
You can get the default
Template
, modify it by overlaying a TextBlock
, and use a Style
to add triggers that hide and show it in the right states.Community♦
H.B.H.B.124k2222 gold badges250250 silver badges328328 bronze badges
This would mean you have a button which allows you to do an action, such as logging in or something. Before you do the action you check if the textbox is filled in. If not it will replace the text
It's kind of cheesy but checking the text for the value you're giving it is the best I can do atm, not that good at c# to get a better solution.
Hakam Fostok6,33588 gold badges4646 silver badges7171 bronze badges
VJamieVJamie
Based on ExceptionLimeCat's answer, an improvement:
Vitalis HommelVitalis Hommel36811 gold badge33 silver badges1717 bronze badges
I came up with a method that worked for me, but only because I was willing to use the textbox name as my placeholder. See below.
CBC_NSCBC_NS1,38233 gold badges1818 silver badges3939 bronze badges
Saef MythSaef Myth
Here I come with this solution inspired by @Kemal Karadag.
Skywind release date 2019. Dec 14, 2011 qwertyasdfgh wrote: Thank you for showing interest. Regarding Morroblivion's legal status, it is a bit of a mess, really:) Original 'Morroblivion', released in 2007 was just a converter program - it didn't distribute any of the Morrowind's meshes/textures, but provided a way to automatically convert then on user's computer, and yet it was still not okay with Bethesda. Skywind is not currently available for public download. For up to date information concerning our progress, please check our official media outlets here. As well as our blog entries located in the left hand menu. If you are looking to volunteer please check out our volunteer hub HERE.
I noticed that every solution posted here is relying on the focus,
While I wanted my placeholder to be the exact clone of a standard HTML placeholder in Google Chrome.
Instead of hiding/showing the placeholder when the box is focused,
I hide/show the placeholder depending on the text length of the box:
If the box is empty, the placeholder is shown, and if you type in the box, the placeholder disappears.
As it is inherited from a standard TextBox, you can find it in your Toolbox!
EldoïrEldoïr
I wrote a reusable custom control, maybe it can help someone that need to implement multiple placeholder textboxes in his project.
here is the custom class with implementation example of an instance, you can test easily by pasting this code on a new winforms project using VS:
jonathanajonathanahere is the custom class with implementation example of an instance, you can test easily by pasting this code on a new winforms project using VS:
3,83533 gold badges1313 silver badges2828 bronze badges
Nalan MadheswaranNalan Madheswaran5,28211 gold badge3333 silver badges2828 bronze badges
you can also do that when the mouse clicks, let's suppose your placeholder text is 'User_Name'
xpy4,38822 gold badges2222 silver badges4343 bronze badges
AdiiiAdiii
igorpaukigorpauk
Instead of using the .Text property of a TextBox, I overlayed a TextBlock with the placeholder.I couldn't use the .Text property because this was binded to an Event.
XAML:
VB.NET
Result:
andyandy
You could also try in this way.
call the function
write this function
Ramgy BorjaRamgy Borja1,06022 gold badges1010 silver badges3030 bronze badges
there are BETTER solutions, but the easiest solution is here:set the textbox text to your desired stringthen create a function that deletes the text, have that function fire on textbox Focus Enter event
JaredJared
txtUsuario.Attributes.Add('placeholder', 'Texto');
Everton LukeEverton Luke
Very effective solution here for WindowsForms TextBox control. (not sure about XAML).
This will work in Multliline mode also.
Budget Is A Placeholder Pdf
Probably it may be extended for other controls, like ComboBox control (not checked)
Anton NorkoExamples Of Placeholders
Anton Norko1,62611 gold badge1212 silver badges1717 bronze badges
protected by Community♦Jul 17 '16 at 15:22
Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged c#wpfplaceholder or ask your own question.
In PowerPoint, a placeholder is a pre-formatted container on a slide for content (text, graphics, or video). The pre-set formatting makes it easier to format slides consistently.
You format a placeholder in Slide Master view. Then you use the placeholder—add content to it—in Normal view.
The pictured slide has two placeholders:
- The (upper) Title placeholder prompts the user for text and formats it in the default Heading font, size, and color
- The (lower) Content placeholder accepts text, or a table, chart, SmartArt, picture, or video, as indicated by the icons at its center.
WindowsmacOS
Budget Is A Placeholder Song
- Which version of Office are you using?
Add a placeholder to a slide layout
Placeholders can only be added to slide layouts, not individual slides in a presentation. If you haven't worked with slide layouts, check out What is a slide layout? and What is a slide master? to learn more before reading on.
- On the View tab, click Slide Master.
- In the left thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that you want to add one or more placeholders to.
- On the Slide Master tab, click Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder that you want to add.
- Click a location on the slide layout, and then drag to draw the placeholder. You can add as many placeholders as you like.
- If you add a text placeholder, you can customize the prompt text that appears in it:Be warned though, if you elope and marry without the permission of the male relative then you’ll be making an enemy for life.In order to meet eligible ladies you should win tournaments and then visit the feast and dedicate the tournament win to the lady you fancy. It also brings you closer to the family, provided the marriage was sanctioned.Once you declare an interest you’ll get summons occasionally or you can go to the city where the lady resides and you’ll see Attempt to visit a lady as a new menu option.Select the default text in the placeholder, and replace it with your own prompt text.Switch to the Home tab to format the prompt text as you want it to appear.With the text selected, you can change the Font or Font Size. If an unwanted bullet appears before your custom prompt text, in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to Bullets, and then click None.
- When you're done, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master View.
- To see your revisions in Normal view, do one of the following:The Very Organized Thief is a fun game of stealth and exploration, with good graphics and a very original concept. And thanks to the random way the adventure develops, you can return to play it as often as you like. Visit The Very Organized Thief site and Download The Very Organized Thief. Aug 04, 2015 Download The Very Organized Thief 1.1.15. Steal all the items on the list and get away unseen. The Very Organized Thief is a stealth game where players assume the role of a thief who, once inside a house, must steal a list of objects before the owner. Download the very organized thief.
- To reapply the newly changed layout to an existing slide, in the slide thumbnail list, select the slide, and then on the Home tab, click Layout, and then select the revised layout.
- To add a new slide that contains the layout (with the newly added placeholders), on the Home tab, click New Slide, and then select the slide revised layout.
You can change a placeholder by resizing it, moving it, or changing the font, size, case, color, or spacing of text within it. You can also delete a placeholder from a slide layout or an individual slide by selecting it and pressing Delete.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Change the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the generic prompt text for that placeholder.
- On the View tab, in the Master Views group, select Slide Master.
- In slide master view, in the thumbnail pane, select the layout that you want to revise.
- In the main pane, on the layout, select the current prompt text (such as Click to edit text, and then type the text you want to use instead.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, select Close Master View to return to Normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Remove a placeholder
We recommend that you don't remove a placeholder from a pre-built slide layout. If you want to make a change like that, duplicate that layout, give it a distinct name, and then edit that copy.
- On the View tab, click Slide Master.
- In the left thumbnail pane, click the slide layout that you want to revise.
- Select the placeholder on the layout, then press the Delete key.
The following is an example of a built-in slide layout that contains a title text placeholder, two subtitle text placeholders, and two placeholders to which you can add body text, a table, chart, SmartArt graphic, picture, or a movie or sound clip.
You can add placeholders anywhere on a slide layout and add custom prompt text to prompt your users to enter a certain type of content. You can also customize the text for more specific prompts.
Important: If you revise a slide layout after you've already created some slides that use that layout, you must reapply the layout to the slides. See 'Apply the updates so that they appear on your slides' in the article, Edit and re-apply a slide layout.
- On the View tab, in the Presentation Views group, click Slide Master.
- In the pane that contains the slide masters and layouts, click the layout that you want to add one or more placeholders to.
- On the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder that you want.
- Click a location on the layout, and then drag to draw the placeholder.
- If you add a text placeholder, you can add custom text.Highlight the default text in the placeholder, and replace it with your own prompt text.Note: If an unwanted bullet appears before your custom prompt text, click the Home tab, and in the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to Bullets, and then click None.
- To add more placeholders to a layout, repeat steps 2 through 4.Note: When you add placeholders to a layout, if the content in those placeholders changes the layout's purpose, you may also want to rename the layout. To do so, right-click the slide layout thumbnail, click Rename Layout, type a new name, and then click Rename.
- On the Slide Master tab, in the Close group, click Close Master View to return to Normal view.
- In the slide thumbnail list, select the slide that you want to re-apply the layout with the newly-added placeholders to.
- On the Home tab, in the Slides group, click Layout, and then click the revised layout.Note: For more information about layouts, see Create a new custom layout.
- Which version of PowerPoint for Mac are you using?
Add placeholders to a slide layout
Placeholders are boxes on a slide layout that you click to add content when you're creating a presentation. In slide master view, you can add placeholders to a new slide layout, or change the look of an existing slide layout.
- On the View menu, in the Master Views group, click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- In the Master Layout group, click the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click the type of placeholder you want to insert. Options are for Content, Content (Vertical), Text, Text (Vertical), Picture, Chart, Table, SmartArt, Media, and Online Image.
- On the slide, drag your cursor to draw the placeholder on the slide.
- Do any of the following:ToDo thisResize the placeholderSelect the placeholder, position the pointer over a sizing handle, and then drag the handle until the placeholder is the size that you want.Move the placeholderSelect the placeholder, and then drag it to its new location.Format the placeholderSelect the placeholder, click the Shape Format tab, and then make the changes that you want. For example, to change the fill color of the placeholder, in Shape Styles, click Shape Fill.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you're creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the Slide Master tab, click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Remove footer elements from a slide layout
The footer placeholders are included by default when you add a new slide layout. The footer is made up of three elements: date and time, footer text, and slide number. The formatting, size, and position of the footer placeholders are inherited from the footer elements on the slide master, except if you edit the footer placeholder directly on the slide layout.
Important: Even if the footer elements are represented on the slide master and slide layouts in slide master view, you must turn them on before they can appear on the slides of your presentation. To turn on headers and footers, click the Insert menu, and then click Header and Footer.
- On the View menu, point to Master Views, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- In the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout, clear the Footers check box.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, in the Edit Theme group, click Themes, and then click Save Current Theme.
Add placeholders to a slide layout
Placeholders are boxes on a slide layout that you click to add content when you're creating a presentation. In slide master view, you can add placeholders to a new slide layout, or change the look of an existing slide layout.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- Click the Slide Master tab, and then under Edit Layout, do any of the following:To insert placeholder forDo thisTitleNote: Only one 'official' title placeholder is allowed on each slide because the text that you add to a title placeholder in normal view becomes the slide title in the outline.Select the Title check box.Vertical TitleNote: Only one 'official' title placeholder is allowed on each slide because the text that you add to a title placeholder in normal view becomes the slide title in the outline.Select the Vertical Title check box.content placeholderClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Content .Vertical ContentClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Vertical Content .TextClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Text .Vertical TextClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Vertical Text .ChartClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Chart .TableClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Table .SmartArt graphicClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click SmartArt Graphic .MoviesClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Media .Clip ArtClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Clip Art .PictureClick the arrow next to Insert Placeholder, and then click Picture .
- On the slide, drag your cursor to draw the placeholder on the slide.
- Do any of the following:ToDo thisResize the placeholderSelect the placeholder, position the pointer over a sizing handle, and then drag the handle until the placeholder is the size that you want.Move the placeholderSelect the placeholder, and then drag it to its new location.Format the placeholderSelect the placeholder, click the Format tab, and then make the changes that you want. For example, to change the fill color of the placeholder, under Shape Styles, click Fill.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.
Replace the prompt text in a placeholder
If you are creating a template and want to provide specific instructions for what content should be added to a placeholder on a slide, you can replace the prompt text in slide master view. In the following example 'Click to add project title' replaces the default prompt text in a title placeholder.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In slide master view, click the first slide layout below the slide master in the navigation pane. Slide layouts are below the slide master which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- To replace the placeholder text, select the text Click to edit Master title style, and then type or paste the custom text, Click to add project title.The placeholder text changes to Click to add project title, and you see this new prompt text in the placeholder when you return to normal view.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.
Remove footer elements from a slide layout
The footer placeholders are included by default when you add a new slide layout. The footer is made up of three elements: date and time, footer text, and slide number. The formatting, size, and position of the footer placeholders are inherited from the footer elements on the slide master, except if you edit the footer placeholder directly on the slide layout.
Important: Even if the footer elements are represented on the slide master and slide layouts in slide master view, you must turn them on before they can appear on the slides of your presentation. To turn on headers and footers, click the Insert menu, and then click Header and Footer.
- On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.
- In the navigation pane, click the slide layout that you want to change. Slide layouts are below the slide master, which is the top slide in the navigation pane.
- Click the Slide Master tab, and then under Edit Layout, clear the Allow Footers check box.
- When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.Tip: Modifications to the slide master and the corresponding slide layouts are temporarily added to the theme that is applied to your presentation. If you apply a different theme, then the slide master changes are discarded. If you want to keep the changes for future use, on the Themes tab, under Themes, click Save Theme.