Insert an action button to change slides

Action buttons help you move through your presentation more easily. You can either click the button or rest the pointer on the button to change slides.

Do any of the following:

Insert an action button on every slide

1. On the View menu, point to Master, and then click Slide Master.

2. On the Home tab, under Insert, click Shape, point to Action Buttons, and then click the action button that you want.

   

3. Drag across the location in the slide where you want the button to appear.

   Tip: To change the size of the action button, drag a corner until the button is the size that you want. To keep the button width and height proportions the same, hold down SHIFT as you drag.

4. In the Action Settings dialog box, select how to initiate the action by doing one of the following:

To initiate an action	Click
When you click the action button	The Mouse Click tab
When you rest the mouse pointer on the action button	The Mouse Over tab

1. Tip: Any object such as clip art or text can be an action button. To create an action button, select the object. On the Slide Show tab, under Set Up, click Action Settings.

2. Click the actions that you want, and then click OK.

Action	Description
None	Cancels a previous action setting
Hyperlink to	Jumps to another slide, presentation, URL, file, or ends the presentation
Run program	Runs a program selected from the application menu or from a URL address
Run macro	Runs a previously created or loaded macro
Object action	Links an object such as a document or spreadsheet in the presentation
Play sound	Plays a selected sound
Highlight click	Adds a visual highlight to a linked object in the presentation

1. When you complete the changes in slide master view, on the message bar click Close Master to return to normal view.

Insert an action button on a single slide

1. Select the slide that you want to add the action button to.

2. On the Home tab, under Insert, click Shape, point to Action Buttons, and then click the action button that you want.

   

3. Drag across the location in the slide where you want the button to appear.

   Tip: To change the size of the action button, drag a corner until the button is the size that you want. To keep the button width and height proportions the same, hold down SHIFT as you drag.

4. In the Action Settings dialog box, select how to initiate the action by doing one of the following:

To initiate an action	Click
When you click the action button	The Mouse Click tab
When you rest the mouse pointer on the action button	The Mouse Over tab

1. Click the actions that you want, and then click OK.

Action	Description
None	Cancels a previous action setting
Hyperlink to	Jumps to another slide, presentation, URL, file, or ends the presentation
Run program	Runs a program selected from the application menu or from a URL address
Run macro	Runs a previously created or loaded macro
Object action	Links an object such as a document or spreadsheet in the presentation
Play sound	Plays a selected sound
Highlight click	Adds a visual highlight to a linked object in the presentation

Add a sound to an action button

1. On the slide, select the action button.

   If the action button is located on every slide, select the action button on the slide master.

2. On the Slide Show tab, under Set Up, click Action Settings.

   

3. In the Action Settings dialog box, select how to initiate the action by doing one of the following:

To initiate an action	Click
When you click the action button	The Mouse Click tab
When you rest the mouse pointer on the action button	The Mouse Over tab

1. Select the Play sound check box, and then select the sound that you want.

See also

Open an application from within a presentation