The fastest way to add a video to PowerPoint

Open your presentation in PowerPoint, click on the slide where you want the video to appear, then go to the Insert tab at the top. Click Video (or Media on Mac), choose This Device, and select your video file from your computer. PowerPoint will drop the video onto your slide as a clickable box — click it during your presentation to play it.

The video file must already be on your computer or accessible through OneDrive. PowerPoint does not pull videos directly from YouTube or other websites in the same way, though there are workarounds for that if you need them.

Key Takeaways

  • Videos stored on your computer are inserted through Insert > Video > This Device, and they play directly from within PowerPoint.
  • The video file must be in a format PowerPoint recognizes, such as MP4, MOV, or WMV — check your file type before you insert.
  • Embedded videos increase your file size significantly, so keep video length reasonable or use a link instead for very large files.
  • You can resize the video box on your slide and set it to play automatically when the slide appears, rather than requiring a click.

Finding and preparing your video file

Before you insert anything, locate the video file on your computer and note what format it is in. Right-click the file, select Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac), and look at the file extension — the letters after the dot in the filename. PowerPoint accepts MP4, MOV, WMV, and MPEG files reliably. If your video is in a different format like AVI or MKV, you will need to convert it first using a free tool like HandBrake or VLC before PowerPoint will recognize it.

Also check the file size. If your video is larger than 100 MB, PowerPoint will embed it into your presentation file, making the presentation very large and slow to open. For videos over 100 MB, consider using a link to the file instead of embedding it, or trim the video to a shorter length.

Inserting a video from your computer on Windows

Open PowerPoint and navigate to the slide where you want the video. Click the Insert tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen. Look for the Video button — it usually shows a small film icon. Click the dropdown arrow next to it and select This Device.

A file browser window will open. Navigate to the folder where your video is stored, click the video file to select it, then click Insert. PowerPoint will place a video player box on your slide. You can click and drag the corners to resize it, or drag it to a new position on the slide. The video is now embedded in your presentation.

Inserting a video from your computer on Mac

Open PowerPoint and go to the slide where you want the video. Click the Insert menu at the top of the screen, then select Media and Video from File. A file browser will open.

Find your video file, select it, and click Insert. The video will appear on your slide as a player box. Resize and position it the same way you would on Windows — click and drag the corners or edges. On Mac, the process is identical to Windows after the initial menu step.

Setting the video to play automatically or on click

By default, the video requires you to click it during your presentation to start playing. If you want it to play automatically when the slide appears, right-click the video box and select Play Settings (Windows) or look for Format Video on the right side panel (Mac). Check the box next to Play Full Screen if you want the video to fill the screen, or leave it unchecked to play within the slide.

To make the video start automatically, look for an option called Start and change it from On Click to Automatically. You can also set a delay in seconds if you want the video to wait before starting. These settings are useful if you want the video to play while you are speaking about something else, or if you want it to loop continuously during a break.

Adding a video from OneDrive or a web link

If your video is stored on OneDrive, you can insert it the same way as a local file — go to Insert > Video > This Device, then navigate to your OneDrive folder in the file browser. PowerPoint will link to the file rather than embedding it, which keeps your presentation file smaller.

For videos hosted on websites like YouTube, the direct insert method does not work in the same way. Instead, go to Insert > Video > Online Video (Windows) or Insert > Media > Online Video (Mac), paste the video URL into the search box, and PowerPoint will embed a player that links to that video. The video will not play offline, so this method only works if you have internet access during your presentation.

Troubleshooting videos that will not play

If you insert a video and it will not play during your presentation, the most common cause is that the file format is not supported. Check the file extension again — if it is not MP4, MOV, WMV, or MPEG, convert it using HandBrake or VLC before trying again. Another cause is that the video file has moved or been deleted since you inserted it. If you moved the video to a different folder on your computer, PowerPoint will not find it.

If the video plays in PowerPoint on your computer but not when you open the file on a different computer, the video file is not actually embedded — PowerPoint is looking for it in the original location. To fix this, delete the video from your slide, then go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document (Windows) and remove any broken links. Then re-insert the video and save the file. On Mac, this step is less critical because PowerPoint usually embeds videos automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trim a video without leaving PowerPoint?

Yes. Right-click the video and select Trim Video. A timeline will appear showing the full length of the video. Drag the handles at the start and end to mark the section you want to keep, then click OK. The trimmed version plays in your presentation, but the original file on your computer is not changed.

What if my video is too large to embed?

Delete the embedded video and insert it again using Insert > Video > Online Video, then paste a link to the file stored on OneDrive or another cloud service. This keeps your presentation file small, but requires internet access to play the video during your presentation.

Will the video play if I email the presentation to someone else?

Only if the video is embedded in the file. If you linked to a file on your computer, the other person will see a broken link. To share a presentation with embedded videos, use File > Save As and choose a location, then email the saved file. The recipient will need PowerPoint installed to play it.

Can I add captions or subtitles to a video in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint does not have a built-in caption tool. Add captions to your video file before inserting it using a video editor like DaVinci Resolve (free) or Adobe Premiere. Then insert the captioned video into PowerPoint.