You can change a PowerPoint template at any point — before you start, mid-presentation, or after you've added all your content

PowerPoint lets you swap templates in three main ways: by starting with a new template before you add slides, by applying a different template design to an existing presentation, or by changing individual slide layouts within the same template. The method you choose depends on whether you've already built your presentation or are starting fresh.

The simplest approach is to change the template before you add content. If you've already filled slides with text and images, PowerPoint will reformat them to fit the new template's layout — though you may need to adjust positioning or text size afterward. The process takes seconds either way.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change templates before, during, or after building your presentation, and PowerPoint will reformat existing slides to match the new design.
  • The Design tab on the ribbon holds all template options — click any design thumbnail to apply it to your entire presentation instantly.
  • You can also browse templates from the File menu by selecting New and searching by category, industry, or keyword.
  • If you want to keep your current template but change only certain slides, use the Slide Layout options in the Design tab instead.
  • Custom templates you've created or downloaded can be stored in PowerPoint's template folder so they appear in your template list automatically.

Changing the template using the Design tab

Open your presentation in PowerPoint. At the top of the screen, click the Design tab on the ribbon. You'll see a row of template thumbnails — these are the built-in designs that come with PowerPoint. Hover over any thumbnail to see a preview of how your slides will look with that template applied.

Click the template you want. PowerPoint applies it to every slide in your presentation immediately. If you have more templates available than what fits in the visible row, click the arrow on the right side of the template gallery to scroll through additional options. You can also click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the template section to open a larger browsing window.

If the template changes your slide layout in a way you don't like — for example, moving text boxes or changing font sizes — you can undo the change by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) and trying a different template.

Finding and applying templates from the File menu

Click File in the top-left corner, then select New. PowerPoint shows you categories of templates organized by type: business, education, design, and others. You can also type a keyword into the search box — for example, "blue" or "minimal" — to narrow down options.

When you find a template you want, click it to see a full preview. Click Create to start a new presentation using that template. This method is useful if you want to browse a wider selection than what appears in the Design tab, or if you're starting a presentation from scratch and want to choose the template first.

Note that templates from the File menu are downloaded from Microsoft's online library, so you need an internet connection to browse and create presentations this way. Once downloaded, the template is stored on your computer.

Changing individual slide layouts without switching templates

If you like your current template but want to change how a single slide or a few slides are formatted, use the Slide Layout option instead of changing the entire template. Click the Design tab, then look for the Layouts section (usually to the right of the template thumbnails). Click the layout you want to apply to the currently selected slide.

This is useful when you want a title slide to look different from content slides, or when you need a blank slide for an image. The layout change affects only the slide you've selected, not the whole presentation.

Saving and reusing custom templates

If you've designed a presentation you want to use as a template for future projects, you can save it as a template file. Click File, then Save As. In the Save As dialog, change the file type from "PowerPoint Presentation" to "PowerPoint Template" (the exact name varies slightly by version — look for "Template" in the dropdown). Choose a name and location, then click Save.

PowerPoint stores custom templates in a specific folder on your computer. On Windows, this is usually Documents > Custom Office Templates. On Mac, it's typically Documents > Microsoft User Data > Office 16 Macros > PowerPoint > PowerPoint Script Files. Once saved there, your template will appear in the Design tab and in the File > New menu automatically.

If you've downloaded a template from another source, you can move it to this same folder so PowerPoint recognizes it. Make sure the file ends in .potx (the standard PowerPoint template format) rather than .pptx (a regular presentation file).

What happens to your content when you change templates

When you apply a new template to a presentation that already has slides, PowerPoint tries to fit your existing content into the new design. Text usually stays in place, but font sizes, colors, and positioning may shift to match the new template's style. Images and shapes are typically preserved but may need to be resized or repositioned to look right.

Complex layouts — slides with multiple text boxes, overlapping shapes, or custom positioning — sometimes don't translate perfectly to a new template. If this happens, you can manually adjust individual slides by clicking and dragging elements, or you can undo the template change and try a different one.

To minimize disruption, it's easiest to choose your template before you add a lot of content. If you've already built a full presentation and want to change the template, plan to spend a few minutes reviewing each slide to make sure everything looks correct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a template I found online?

Yes. Download the template file (it should end in .potx), then move it to your Custom Office Templates folder. On Windows, that's Documents > Custom Office Templates. On Mac, it's Documents > Microsoft User Data > Office 16 Macros > PowerPoint > PowerPoint Script Files. Once moved, it will appear in your Design tab and File > New menu.

What if the new template doesn't look right on my slides?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo and try a different template. If you've made other changes since applying the template, undo may revert those too. Alternatively, you can manually adjust individual slides by moving text boxes, resizing images, or changing font sizes to match the new template's style.

Can I change the template for only some slides?

Not directly — applying a template changes all slides at once. However, you can use different slide layouts within the same template to vary the look. Click Design, then choose a different layout from the Layouts section for individual slides. This keeps the same template but changes how that specific slide is formatted.

Do I need internet to change templates?

No. The templates built into PowerPoint (visible in the Design tab) work offline. Templates from the File > New menu require internet to browse and download, but once downloaded, they're stored on your computer and can be used anytime.

Will changing the template delete my content?

No. Your text, images, and other content stay in the presentation. The template only changes the visual design — colors, fonts, backgrounds, and layout. Content may shift position or resize to fit the new template's style, but nothing is deleted.