A simple guide to creating a bullet list in your PowerPoint presentation
Do you want to add bullet points to your PowerPoint so it's easier to read? Luckily, you can insert bullet points easily with just a few clicks of the mouse. This wikiHow article teaches you how to add a bullet point in a PowerPoint presentation using a Mac and Windows computer.
Things You Should Know
- Select the text you want to bullet, then go to "Home > Bullet".
- If you're trying to make a bullet list from scratch, and you're in a "Title" box, only the first line will be bulleted. Pressing "Enter" will create a new unbulleted line.
- Use the "Text" box to create multiple bulleted lines.
Steps
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Open a PowerPoint presentation. Double-click an existing PowerPoint presentation , or open PowerPoint and create a new presentation .
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Select the slide you want to type on. Click a slide on the left side of the window to open the slide you want to place your bullet point on.
- Alternatively, you can create a new slide .
- If you don't see the slides of your PowerPoint on the left side of your screen, go to "View > Normal."
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Select a place to enter text. Click one of the text areas on the slide to place your cursor there.
- For example, you might click the "Title" box or the "Click to add text" box.
- If there's text that you want to add bullet points to, select that text instead.
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Click the Home tab. It's in the top-left section of the PowerPoint ribbon, which is the orange band atop the PowerPoint window.
- If you're using a Mac, the Home tab is different than the Home menu item that's in the top-left side of your Mac's screen.
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Select a bullet point format. Click one of the three-lined icons in the upper-left side of the "Paragraph" section in the Home toolbar. You will have at least two options: standard bullet points, and numbered bullet points.
- If you have an existing list of items you want to turn into bullet points, highlight them before selecting a bullet point format. This will add a bullet point to each individual line.
- You can also click in the top-right corner of a bullet point option to see different styles for that bullet point type.
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Create your bullet list. Type a word or phrase for your first bullet, then press ↵ Enter . This will create a bullet point for the first item and then create a new bullet point for your next item.
- If you're in a "Text" box, a new bulleted line will be created when you press "Enter/Return" but not if you're in a "Title" box. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- Press the Backspace key while your cursor is next to a new bullet point to stop using bullet points.
- *You can use different PowerPoint bullet formats to differentiate sub-points from main points. To do this, use the "Increase List Level" or press Tab on your keyboard.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I get original bullet points after a sub bullet point?Community AnswerPress 'Enter' after your last sub bullet; it will add another sub bullet. Place your cursor at the start of this sub bullet and press Shift + Tab. This will move the bullet back to the original position.
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QuestionHow do I make a new bullet after sub bullets?Community AnswerType in all the sub bullet points as usual and then get the cursor to the start of the line and press 'tag.'
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QuestionHow do I insert an arrow sign within a sentence in PowerPoint?Community AnswerYou go onto home and click the picture with three small dots followed by a line.
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Warnings
- Using too many bullet points may detract from the visual appeal of your PowerPoint presentation.Thanks
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References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 404,255 times.
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