Objective: Be able to hide slides within a presentation
What is a Hidden Slide?
A hidden slide is a slide that remains in the slide deck but is not displayed when the presentation is run in Slide Show mode. The slide can be revealed later, or left out of the final delivery altogether.
Why Hide Slides?
To keep optional or supplementary information ready without cluttering the main flow.
To allow a presenter to adapt the presentation to different audiences on the spot.
To test different versions of a presentation without creating separate files.
To store backup slides that can be shown if time permits.
General Steps to Hide a Slide
Select the slide (or multiple slides) you wish to hide.
Choose the “Hide Slide” command from the appropriate menu or ribbon.
Confirm that the slide number is dimmed or marked with a special icon indicating it is hidden.
Run the slide show to verify that hidden slides are skipped.
To un‑hide, repeat the process and select “Unhide Slide”.
Hiding Slides in Specific Applications
Microsoft PowerPoint (365 / 2019)
In the slide thumbnail pane, click the slide you want to hide.
Right‑click the slide and choose Hide Slide from the context menu. or use the ribbon: Slide Show → Hide Slide.
The slide number will appear greyed out, indicating it is hidden.
To unhide, repeat the steps and select Hide Slide again (the option toggles).
Apple Keynote
Select the slide(s) in the navigator on the left.
Open the Format sidebar.
Under the Slide tab, check the box labelled Hide slide during presentation.
A small eye‑icon appears on the slide thumbnail to show it is hidden.
To reverse, uncheck the same box.
Google Slides
Click the slide thumbnail you wish to hide.
From the menu, select Slide → Skip slide (or right‑click and choose Skip slide).
The slide number is crossed out, indicating it will be skipped.
To restore the slide, repeat the command; the crossing disappears.
Verifying Hidden Slides in Slide Show Mode
Start the presentation from the beginning or from the current slide. Hidden slides will be omitted automatically. If a hidden slide appears, check that the hide command was applied to the correct slide and that you are using the latest version of the file.
Best Practices for Using Hidden Slides
Label hidden slides clearly (e.g., “Optional – Statistics”) so you can locate them quickly.
Keep the number of hidden slides low to avoid confusion during live delivery.
Test the presentation on the actual equipment you will use, ensuring hidden slides are indeed skipped.
Document any hidden slides in a presenter’s note sheet.
Summary of Hide/Unhide Commands
Application
Menu Path / Shortcut
Icon / Indicator
Notes
PowerPoint
Slide Show → Hide Slide (or right‑click → Hide Slide)
Greyed slide number
Toggle command; same option unhides.
Keynote
Format sidebar → Slide → Hide slide during presentation
Eye icon on thumbnail
Checkbox toggles hide state.
Google Slides
Slide → Skip slide (or right‑click → Skip slide)
Crossed‑out slide number
Command toggles skip state.
Suggested diagram: Flowchart showing the process of selecting a slide, applying the hide command, confirming the hidden status, and running the slide show to verify omission.