PowerPoint Slide Number Missing on Title Slide: How to Hide It

You inserted slide numbers in your PowerPoint presentation, but the number does not appear on the title slide. This happens because PowerPoint has a separate setting that controls whether the slide number shows on the first slide. By default, this setting hides the number on the title slide, which is often the desired behavior for a clean opening slide. This article explains exactly where that setting is located, how to toggle it on or off, and what to do if the number still does not appear.

Why the Slide Number Is Missing on the Title Slide

PowerPoint includes a built-in option that prevents the slide number from appearing on the first slide. This option exists because most presentations use the first slide as a title slide, and a page number on that slide is often considered unprofessional or distracting. The setting is part of the Header and Footer dialog, not the slide master. When you insert slide numbers through Insert > Slide Number, the Header and Footer dialog opens. In that dialog, a checkbox labeled Don’t show on title slide is checked by default. As long as that checkbox remains checked, the slide number will not appear on any slide that uses the Title Slide layout, regardless of how many times you reapply the slide number.

Steps to Show the Slide Number on the Title Slide

To display the slide number on the title slide, you must uncheck the Don’t show on title slide checkbox. The steps below work identically in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2021, PowerPoint 2019, and PowerPoint 2016.

1. Open the Header and Footer dialog
   Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon. In the Text group, click Header & Footer. The Header and Footer dialog opens with the Slide tab selected by default.
2. Locate the slide number checkbox
   In the Slide tab, check the box labeled Slide number if it is not already checked. This enables the slide number on all slides that have the placeholder.
3. Uncheck Don’t show on title slide
   Below the Slide number checkbox, find the checkbox labeled Don’t show on title slide. Uncheck this box. This tells PowerPoint to display the slide number on the first slide as well.
4. Apply the change to all slides
   Click the Apply to All button at the bottom of the dialog. Do not click Apply, which only affects the currently selected slide. After clicking Apply to All, the slide number should appear on the title slide.

If the number still does not appear after following these steps, proceed to the next section to check the slide master.

If the Slide Number Still Does Not Appear on the Title Slide

When the checkbox setting does not resolve the issue, the slide number placeholder may be missing from the slide master. Each slide layout in PowerPoint has a reserved area called a placeholder. If someone deleted the slide number placeholder from the Title Slide layout, the Header and Footer dialog has no target to populate. You can restore the placeholder in the slide master view.

Restore the Slide Number Placeholder in Slide Master View

1. Open Slide Master view
   Go to the View tab and click Slide Master. This opens a new ribbon tab and a thumbnail pane showing all layout masters.
2. Select the Title Slide layout
   In the thumbnail pane, click the second thumbnail from the top. This is the Title Slide layout. The main editing area shows the design of the title slide.
3. Reapply the slide number placeholder
   On the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, click Master Layout. In the dialog that appears, check the box for Slide number if it is unchecked. Click OK. A small placeholder box labeled <#>, representing the slide number, appears in the bottom-right corner of the slide layout.
4. Close Slide Master view
   Click Close Master View on the Slide Master tab. Return to Normal view and repeat the steps in the previous section to apply the slide number through Insert > Header & Footer.

How to Hide the Slide Number on the Title Slide Again

If you previously showed the number and now want to hide it again, the process is the reverse. Open Insert > Header & Footer, ensure Slide number is checked, then check the Don’t show on title slide box. Click Apply to All. The number disappears from the first slide while remaining on all other slides.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Several user errors can prevent the slide number from behaving as expected. Understanding these will save time when troubleshooting.

Clicking Apply Instead of Apply to All

The Header and Footer dialog has two buttons: Apply and Apply to All. Apply changes only the currently selected slide. If you are on slide 2 and click Apply, the Don’t show on title slide setting does not affect slide 1. Always use Apply to All when you want the setting to apply to every slide in the presentation.

The Title Slide Layout Is Not Used on Slide 1

The Don’t show on title slide checkbox only hides the number on slides that use the Title Slide layout. If your first slide uses a different layout, such as Blank or Content with Caption, the checkbox has no effect. To verify the layout of slide 1, right-click slide 1 in the thumbnail pane and choose Layout. The active layout is highlighted. If it is not Title Slide, select Title Slide from the list. The slide number behavior then follows the checkbox setting.

Slide Number Placeholder Overlaps Other Objects

On the title slide, the slide number placeholder may be positioned behind a logo, a background graphic, or a text box. If the number appears but is hidden behind another object, move or resize the placeholder in Slide Master view. Select the <# > placeholder on the Title Slide layout and drag it to a different corner, or reduce its font size so it fits within an open area.

Header and Footer Dialog vs Slide Master: Where to Make Changes

Item	Header and Footer Dialog	Slide Master View
Purpose	Turn slide numbers on or off and control title slide visibility	Add or remove the placeholder box that receives the slide number
Scope of change	Affects all slides or just the current slide	Affects every slide using that layout
Don’t show on title slide	Available as a checkbox	Not available; you must hide the placeholder manually
Restoring a deleted placeholder	Not possible	Use Master Layout > Slide number

Use the Header and Footer dialog for everyday show/hide control. Use Slide Master view only when the placeholder itself is missing.

Conclusion

The missing slide number on a title slide is almost always caused by the Don’t show on title slide checkbox in the Header and Footer dialog. Unchecking that box and clicking Apply to All restores the number immediately. If the placeholder was deleted from the slide master, restore it using View > Slide Master > Master Layout. For future presentations, set the default in the slide master before adding content. This avoids having to adjust each presentation individually.