graphic representing selecting a template for a powerpoint presentation

How to Apply a PowerPoint Template to an Existing Presentation 

If you want to have consistency across your presentations, you won’t get too far without a PowerPoint template. Templates in PowerPoint allow you to keep branding consistent across slides and presentations, and in doing so, saving a heck of a lot of time. That’s why it’s important to know how to apply a PowerPoint template to an existing presentation. 

There are going to be instances where you have created slides or have had slides shared with you that don’t contain the proper template. We’ll explain how to apply a template to your existing presentation and even make edits to it if necessary. 

But first, it’s important to understand the difference between templates and themes, as they’re often confused. Even in tutorials you’ll see online, the two terms are used interchangeably, even though they technically refer to different things. Below, we’ll break down what each term means so that there is no confusion are you read your way through this article. 

Templates vs. Themes: What’s the Difference? 

Put simply, templates include both the design and structure of a PowerPoint. Themes, on the other hand, change the appearance only. While they may be similar in their purpose, there are some differences to their functionality. 

Feature PowerPoint Template PowerPoint Theme 
File Type .potx .thmx 
What It Does Defines slide layouts, placeholders, default text, logos, etc. Defines colors, fonts, effects, and background styles 
Where It Works PowerPoint Desktop only PowerPoint Online and Desktop 
Edits Slide Structure? Yes (via Slide Master) No 
Changes Appearances Only? Yes and No Yes 

Where to Upload Your PowerPoint Templates 

If you have a custom template you’d like to apply to your PowerPoint slides, you’ll first want to know how to store it in PowerPoint so that it’s readily available. If you have already done this or will be using one of the standard PowerPoint templates, you can go ahead and skip to the section below. 

This step allows you to access the template when selecting File > New to create a new PowerPoint file.  

To save and access your custom template: 

  1. Open the PowerPoint file containing the template you want to use. 
  1. Save the file as a template: 
  • File > Save As 
  • Choose PowerPoint Template (.potx) from the Save as type dropdown menu. 
  • Save it to a location where you can easily access it, such as the Custom Office Templates folder. 

To set up the default template folder (if not done already): 

  1. Select File > Options > Save 
  1. Under Save presentations locate the box titled Default personal templates location. 
  1. If no folder location is listed in the box, create one in File Explorer under C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\Custom Office Templates 

[More From Twistly: How to Get Design Ideas for Your PowerPoint Presentations]

How to Apply a Custom Template to All Your PowerPoint Slides 

Now we can finally apply your template to existing slides. The process for this will look a bit different depending on if you are using the desktop or browser version of PowerPoint. The desktop version is recommended, as it will offer the full variety of options and template support. 

If you’re using PowerPoint for desktop: 

  1. Open Your Existing Presentation 
  • Launch PowerPoint and open the .pptx file you want to update. 
  1. Import the New Template 
  • Go to the Design tab. 
  • Click the More arrow. 
  • Select Browse for Themes… 
  • Choose the .potx file (your new template). 
  • This will apply the template’s Slide Master and layouts to your presentation. 
  1. Apply New Layouts to Existing Slides 
  • Click on a slide. 
  • Go to the Home tab. 
  • Click Layout, and choose one of the layouts from the applied template. 
  • Repeated as needed for the other sides. 
  • Go to each slide and click Layout, then select the new layout from the imported template. 
  • Repeat as needed to align your content with the new design structure. 
  1. Remove Old Formatting (optional but helpful) 
  • Select a slide, then click Home → Reset to reapply the layout’s default styles. 

If you’re using PowerPoint online: 

With the browser version of PowerPoint, you’ll be limited to applying themes… But this might be good enough for what you need. Here is how it’s done. 

  1. Open Your Presentation in PowerPoint Online 
  • Visit PowerPoint for the web and open your file. 
  1. Go to the Design Tab 
  • Click Design in the top toolbar. 
  1. Select a Built-In Theme 
  • Browse the theme thumbnails and click one to apply it. 
  1. Upload a Custom Theme (optional) 
  • Scroll to the end of the theme gallery and click “Browse for Themes…” 
  • Upload a .thmx file from your computer or OneDrive to apply custom colors and fonts. 

Keep in mind that just because you’ve applied the template doesn’t mean that everything will carry over cleanly. There may be some tweaks to be made to make sure things look perfect. Be sure to go through each slide and make any adjustments that are necessary. 

Now that you know how to apply a template to any existing PowerPoint across all slides, you’ll be able to quickly change the look of any presentation. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

A template includes layouts, placeholder text and sometimes custom Slide Master designs. A theme only changes the appearance, such as colors, fonts and animation effects. 

Generally, your content will stay intact. That said, there may be some fine-tuning required after the template is applied, as it won’t always be perfect. 

Not exactly. Templates are applied across the entire presentation. You can, however, create a custom layout in Slide Master view and apply that to specific slides.