representation of a team working together to each off feedback on presentation files

How to Track Changes in PowerPoint 

PowerPoint is great for building a sleek presentation. It’s also great for group chaos if your slides have to go through rounds of reviews or peer edits. If you’ve ever opened a deck to find someone’s made edits without telling you or noting what’s changed, then you know what we’re talking about.  

So, you’ve probably wondered if there is a way to track changes in PowerPoint, and in fact, there is! We’ll show you how to track changes in PowerPoint and how to know who edited what.  

PowerPoint Online: Show Changes in Real Time 

If your presentation is saved in OneDrive or SharePoint and you’re working in PowerPoint Online, you’ve got a feature called Show Changes. It’s kind of like a breadcrumb trail of edits. It shows you what changed and who changed it. 

Here’s how to turn on Show Changes in PowerPoint: 

  1. Open your file in PowerPoint Online. 
  1. Go to the Review tab. 
  1. Click Show Changes. 

From there, you’ll see highlights around anything that’s been edited recently, like text changes, formatting tweaks, or content that’s been added or deleted. Hover over an edit, and it’ll tell you who made the change. 

how to show changes in powerpoint online

How to See Changes in PowerPoint Using the Compare Tool 

Now, let’s take a look at how this is done using the Compare tool. This is the method you’ll have to use if you’re trying to make edits “offline” (using the desktop version of the app). You’re going to need two versions of the presentation file… one before changes are made and one after. 

  1. Save your original presentation. 
    Before you send it off for review, save a copy as your “before” file. 
  1. Let others make their edits. 
    Save another version of your presentation with a different name and share it with your reviewers. You can upload it to a shared location like OneDrive or SharePoint and send them the link. 
  1. Open your original file. 
    This is the version you’ll compare edits against. 
  1. Go to the Review tab > Click Compare. 
    Select the revised version of the file that someone sent back to you. 
  1. PowerPoint will highlight changes on the right side. 
    You’ll see a list of edits, including what was changed and who made the changes (as long as they’re signed into their Microsoft account). 

[READ MORE: How to Make a Copy of Your PowerPoint File]

How to Accept or Reject PowerPoint Changes 

As you review each change, you can accept or reject the changes. 

  • Accept a change: Click the checkmark to keep the edit. 
  • Reject a change: Click the X to remove it and keep your original content. 

You can move through changes one by one or review them by slide. If you’re dealing with a high-volume edit situation, this keeps things under control without manually sorting through every object and text box. 

Create PowerPoint
Slides with AI

Build AI-powered presentations from
any prompt, doc, or video

Start for free
Key statistics illustrating the driving factors behind the 2015 strategy for organizational growth and development.
A visual representation of Ray-Ban's sales strategy, featuring graphs and charts illustrating market trends and consumer behavior.
Infographic displaying key statistics that influence the development of smart cities, including technology and infrastructure data.
A professional presentation slide displaying key insights and challenges in the corporate consulting industry.

As you can see, there are a couple of ways to track PowerPoint changes, and the easiest way is if everyone is using the online version via Microsoft 365. If not, however, you still have options.  

Want more PowerPoint tips or need help making a deck look like it wasn’t built in a panic the night before? We’ve got tools for that, too.