Reuse Slides in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

Reusing existing slides can significantly enhance efficiency and productivity. It eliminates the need to recreate content and frees up valuable time that can be better invested in refining and rehearsing the presentation. However, it is advisable to start by creating an outline of your presentation. Establishing an outline provides a structured framework and ensures that the narrative flow is intentional rather than inherited from previously created slides. Once this structure is in place, relevant slides can be selectively reused to support the revised storyline.

Microsoft PowerPoint includes a dedicated Reuse Slides feature that allows users to locate and insert specific slides into the current presentation. While the underlying functionality remains consistent across versions, minor interface variations may be encountered.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to reuse slides in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows:

1. Within PowerPoint, open your existing presentation, as shown in Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Presentation opened within PowerPoint 2016

   Where are Slides Inserted?

   Copied slides will always be inserted after the selected slide in the active presentation.

2. Select the slide after which you want to add new slides. Thereafter, access the Home tab of the Ribbon, and click the lower half of the New Slide button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, below, to bring up the drop-down menu that you see in Figure 2. Within the drop-down menu, select the Reuse Slides option, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Reuse Slides option
3. Doing so opens the Reuse Slides task pane, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, below.
4. 
   Figure 3: Reuse Slides Task Pane
4. Within the Reuse Slides task pane, click the Browse button to bring up a contextual menu with two options, as shown in Figure 4, below.
5. 
   Figure 4: Browse button contextual menu

6. Browse Slide Library

   The Browse Slide Library option lets you access slides from a Microsoft Office SharePoint Library. This option will only work if a Slide Library is set up for you. Do note that Slide Libraries are typically set up by large companies. If you are not sure about what happens in your company, ask your system administrator for help.

   Browse File

   The Browse File brings up a dialog box that lets you locate the presentation on your computer. The rest of instructions on this page assume you chose this option.

5. Choose the Browse File option to bring up the Browse dialog box, as shown in Figure 5, below. Locate the presentation you want to use as a source to import slides, and click the Open button.
6. 
   Figure 5: Browse dialog box
6. The selected file will be opened within the Reuse Slides task pane, displaying individual slide previews and their corresponding slide titles that can be seen in Figure 6, below.
7. 
   Figure 6: Slides in Reuse Slides Task Pane

   Keep Source Formatting

   To retain the slide formatting of the original slide, make sure to select the Keep source formatting check-box, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 6, above. If you do not select this check-box, the copied slide will take on the slide formatting using the design template of the new presentation.

7. To add a slide, click on it within the task pane. Alternatively, right-click on a slide and from the contextual menu that appears, as shown in Figure 7, below, choose an option. These options are explained below:
8. 
   Figure 7: Insert slide(s) options

   Insert Slide

   This option will insert the slide into the active presentation and the slide will use the Theme of the active presentation.

   Insert All Slides

   This option will insert all the slides into the active presentation and all the slides will use the Theme of the active presentation.

   Apply Theme to All Slides

   This option will apply the Theme of the selected slide to all the slides in the active presentation. No actual slides are inserted.

   Apply Theme to Selected Slides

   This option will apply the Theme of the selected slide to selected slides in the active presentation. No actual slides are inserted.

8. In Figure 8, below, you can see that the selected slide has been added to the new presentation below the first slide.
9. 
   Figure 8: Added slide
9. Save the presentation often.

Additionally, you can also reuse older slides using the drag and drop process, this is explained in our Reuse Slides through Drag and Drop in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial.