Action Buttons in PowerPoint- Instructions

How to Create Action Buttons in PowerPoint: Video

            This video lesson, titled “Inserting Actions,” shows how to insert action buttons in PowerPoint. This video lesson is from our complete PowerPoint tutorial, titled “Mastering PowerPoint Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”

How to Insert Action Buttons in PowerPoint:

            You can add action buttons in PowerPoint to slides. Actions let users perform the action associated with a slide object by clicking or moving their mouse pointer over the object. Common actions include linking to slides, web pages, and email addresses and running programs. You can add an action to any slide object, but actions are often associated with action buttons in PowerPoint. PowerPoint includes an “Action Buttons” shape category that lets you insert buttons for common slide navigation actions.

            To insert action buttons in PowerPoint, click the “Insert” tab in the Ribbon. Then click the “Shapes” drop-down button in the “Illustrations” button group. Then click the action button face to insert from the “Action Buttons” category. Finally, click and drag over the area in the slide over which to add the action button. The action button appears in that location when you release your mouse button.

            After adding an action button, the “Action Settings” dialog box appears. You use this dialog box to set the action to occur for the button. However, for most action buttons in PowerPoint, the action is already programmed for you. There are only two events, or user actions, for which to program actions. The first is “Mouse Click,” which is when the user clicks the button. The second is “Mouse Over,” which is when the user rolls their mouse pointer over the button.

            To program an action in PowerPoint, if needed, click the tab for the event to which to add an action. Then, on the selected tab, select the option button for the action to run when the user triggers the event. Then use the adjacent drop-down or field to select the hyperlink to which to navigate or program or file to open. Then click the “OK” button to apply the action.

A picture of a user programming an action for one of the action buttons in PowerPoint.

            Alternatively, to manually apply an action to a selected slide object in PowerPoint, select any slide object. Then click the “Action” button in the “Links” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon to open the “Action Settings” dialog box. Then select the “Mouse Click” and/or “Mouse Over” tab to select for which event or events to program actions for the selected object.

            Then, on the selected tab, select the option button for the action to run when the user triggers the specified event. Then use the adjacent drop-down or field to select the hyperlink to which to navigate or program or file to open. Then click the “OK” button to apply the action.

Instructions on How to Add Action Buttons in PowerPoint:

1. To insert an action button shape in PowerPoint, click the “Shapes” drop-down button in the “Illustrations” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon.
2. Then click the desired action button face to insert in the “Action Buttons” category.
3. Then click and drag over the area in the slide where you want the action button to appear to insert it.
4. As soon as you insert an action button into a PowerPoint slide, the “Action Settings” dialog box appears.
5. You use this dialog box to set the action to occur for the button. However, for most action buttons, the action is already programmed for you.
6. There are only two events, or user actions, for which you can program actions. The first is “Mouse Click,” which is when the user clicks the button. The second is “Mouse Over,” which is when the user rolls their mouse pointer over the button.
7. To program an action in PowerPoint, if needed, click the tab that corresponds to the event for which you want the action to occur.
8. Then, on the selected tab, select the option button for the action to run when the user triggers the specified event.
9. Then use the adjacent drop-down or field to select the hyperlink to which to navigate or program or file to open.
10. Then click the “OK” button to apply the action.

Instructions on How to Add an Action in PowerPoint to a Slide Object:

1. Alternatively, to manually apply an action to a selected slide object in PowerPoint, select any slide object.
2. Then click the “Action” button in the “Links” button group on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon to open the “Action Settings” dialog box.
3. Then select the “Mouse Click” and/or “Mouse Over” tab, to select for which event or events to program actions for the selected object.
4. Then, on the selected tab, select the option button for the action to run when the user triggers the specified event.
5. Then use the adjacent drop-down or field to select the hyperlink to which to navigate or program or file to open.
6. Then click the “OK” button to apply the action.