How to create multiple versions of a presentation in PowerPoint

If you regularly deliver the same presentation, you may need to make small adjustments for different audiences or time constraints–for example, by omitting some slides. In PowerPoint, you can save multiple versions of a presentation within a single file and load them as needed.

First, compile your slide show with all available slides. Then switch to the “Slide Show” ribbon, go to “Custom Slide Show” > “Audience-Oriented Presentations,” and click “New.” PowerPoint will display a list of all slides in the next window under “Slides in Presentation.”

Now rename your first customized presentation next to “Slide Show Name.” Place a check mark in front of the slides you want to include and confirm with “Add.” You will then see the “Up,” “Remove,” and “Down” buttons in the right-hand pane, which allow you to rearrange slides or remove individual ones from the presentation. Complete the process by clicking “OK.”

The “Target Group-Oriented Presentation” window will reappear. Click “New” and create a presentation for a second target group in the same way, for example using all available slides. You can now compile additional variants of your presentation as needed. Select a version and click “Present” to review it. Later, you can access and start all variants directly from the “Slide Show” ribbon via “Custom Slide Show.”