How to convert a Word document to a PowerPoint presentation – PCWorld

Whether you’re more comfortable working in PowerPoint or you’d like to present the content of your Word document in a different way, we’ve got you covered, There are a few different ways to convert a Word document to a PowerPoint presentation. If you have a Microsoft 365 account, you can use Word for the Web to make the conversion or you can do it directly with PowerPoint. There’s another option, too. Don’t want to convert your document to a presentation, but still need to use it as a reference? You can insert it as an object directly in a slide. If this all sounds super complicated, don’t worry. We’ll guide you each step of the way.

Convert a Word Document to a PowerPoint Presentation Using Word for the Web

First, open your web browser and log in to Office. Once logged in, open the document you want to convert in Word for the Web, and click the “File” tab in the top-left corner of the window.

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

Click “Export” in the left-hand pane and select “Export to PowerPoint Presentation (Preview).”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

The Export to Presentation window will appear. Here, select the design theme you’d like to use and click “Export.”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

Word for the Web will then begin preparing your new presentation. Once ready, click “Open Presentation.”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

Your presentation will open in PowerPoint for the Web. If you need a local copy, you can always download it by going to File > Save as > Download a Copy.

Convert a Word Document to a PowerPoint Presentation Using PowerPoint

You can convert your Word document to a PowerPoint presentation using PowerPoint itself, but you’ll need to make sure your Word document is properly formatted for the conversion first. For content that you want to use as a slide title, make sure you give it the Heading 1 style. For content you want to use as text in the slide, give it the Heading 2 style.

Once you’re ready, open PowerPoint and make sure you’re in the “Home” tab. Next, select “New Slide” in the ribbon and then “Slides from Outline” from the bottom of the menu that appears.

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

From here, locate the Word document you want to use, select it, and click “Insert.”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

PowerPoint will then do its thing. While this way isn’t as good as using Word for the Web, it’ll still get the job done.

Insert Your Word Document as an Object in Your Presentation

If you’re not interested in converting your Word document to a PowerPoint presentation, you can insert it as an object for quick access.

Before we proceed, it’s important you understand the difference between the two types of objects you can insert your document as: Linked or Embedded.

The main difference between the two is where the data is stored. If you embed the object in your presentation, the data from that object is stored in the presentation. This is good if you’re worried about the location of the word document changing (which can break a linked object), but it will increase your file size. A linked object only inserts a link to the source file. In other words, the data from the object isn’t stored in the presentation—it simply links to it. This will keep your file size down, but that link may break if the source file is moved to a different location.

To insert your Word document as an object in your presentation, open your presentation and navigate to the slide you would like to add the object to. From there, click the “Insert” tab and select “Object.”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

The Insert Object window will appear. Select “Create from File and click “Browse.”

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

Locate and select the document you would like to insert. Once inserted, you have two choices. You can either display the entire Word document in the PowerPoint slide or simply display the document icon. If you choose the latter, the document will open in Word when selected.

IDG / Marshall Gunnell

Click “OK” to insert the object. That’s all there is to it!