How to Add Text Transitions and Animations in PowerPoint

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Last Updated: September 6, 2025

Adding eye-catching transitions to the individual slides of your PowerPoint presentation can enhance your message, increasing the chance that your viewers will remain interested. Some of the most visually appealing transitions are those that add text to a slide while it's being viewed. To take advantage of this creative feature, insert text animations into your PowerPoint with just a few easy steps. See Step 1 below to begin.

Steps

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If you will be creating a new presentation, save it with a descriptive name.

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4
Decide which type of text animation to add by reviewing the available selections.
- In PowerPoint 2003, find the animations under the Slide Show menu.
- In PowerPoint 2007 and 2010, click the Animations tab to add effects.
6
Choose your animation, selecting the "By 1st level paragraphs" option.
- The choices listed are fade, wipe and fly in.
- You can, instead, choose a custom animation effect. Click the Custom item in the dropdown menu and a Custom Animation window will launch.
- Choose to modify the Entrance, Emphasis, Exit and Motion Paths of the 1st level paragraph items. Select the effect you want to apply from the list of Basic, Subtle, Moderate or Exciting animations.
- You can click on each effect as you add them to see and change more options, such as the timing or their ability to change to other levels of paragraphs.

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Tips

Save your PowerPoint presentation file often, especially if you are working with advanced features such as text transitions. It may be easier to close a file and reopen a fresh copy than to remove effects that do not work as you intended.

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Warnings

Do not add effects in such volume that the slide and text transitions become the focus of your presentation. Your creative effects should lend interest to your work, not overpower it.

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