PowerPoint Custom Show vs Hidden Slides: When to Use Each

You have a single presentation file but need to deliver different versions to different audiences. Hiding slides and creating custom shows both solve this problem, but they work in completely different ways. Hidden slides stay in your file and can be shown on demand during a presentation. Custom shows let you build separate slide sequences from the same deck without deleting anything. This article explains the exact differences between these two features and when you should use each one.

How Hidden Slides and Custom Shows Work in PowerPoint

Hidden slides are individual slides you mark as hidden using the Hide Slide command. When you run the main slideshow, PowerPoint skips these slides automatically. The slide thumbnail in the left pane appears with a diagonal slash through its number to indicate its hidden status. During a live presentation, you can right-click anywhere on the screen and choose See All Slides or type H to jump to a hidden slide. Hidden slides remain in the file and count toward the total slide count shown in the status bar.

Custom shows are separate slide sequences you build from the slides in your current presentation. You can include any slide multiple times and in any order. Each custom show has a unique name. When you start a custom show, PowerPoint plays only the slides you added to that show. The original slide order and visibility settings are not changed. Custom shows appear in the Slide Show tab under Custom Slide Show. You can also set a custom show as the default show type in the Set Up Slide Show dialog.

Prerequisites for Using Each Feature

Both features work in PowerPoint 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365. Hidden slides require no special setup. Custom shows require you to have at least two slides in your presentation. Neither feature works in PowerPoint for the web. You must use the desktop version to create or run custom shows. Hidden slides can be created in PowerPoint for the web but cannot be accessed during a slideshow in the browser.

Steps to Create and Use Hidden Slides

1. Select the slide to hide
   Open your presentation and click the slide thumbnail in the left pane. You can select multiple slides by holding Ctrl and clicking each thumbnail.
2. Apply the Hide Slide command
   Right-click the selected thumbnail and choose Hide Slide from the context menu. The slide number now appears with a diagonal line through it. You can also use the Slide Show tab and click Hide Slide in the Set Up group.
3. Run the main slideshow
   Press F5 to start from the first slide or Shift+F5 to start from the current slide. PowerPoint skips all hidden slides automatically.
4. Show a hidden slide during the presentation
   Right-click anywhere on the screen, point to See All Slides, and click the hidden slide you want to show. You can also press H to jump to the next hidden slide in the sequence.
5. Unhide a slide
   Right-click the hidden thumbnail again and choose Hide Slide to toggle the hidden status off. The diagonal line disappears.

Steps to Create and Run a Custom Show

1. Open the Custom Shows dialog
   Go to Slide Show > Custom Slide Show > Custom Shows. Click New to create a new custom show.
2. Name the custom show
   In the Define Custom Show dialog, type a descriptive name in the Slide show name box. Use names like Executive Summary or Technical Deep Dive so you can identify the show later.
3. Add slides to the show
   In the Slides in presentation list, click a slide and then click Add to move it to the Slides in custom show list. You can add the same slide multiple times. Use the up and down arrows to reorder slides.
4. Run the custom show
   Go to Slide Show > Custom Slide Show and select your named show from the list. PowerPoint plays only the slides you added in the order you specified.
5. Set a custom show as the default
   Go to Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show. Under Show slides, select Custom show and choose your show from the dropdown. Now pressing F5 runs only that custom show.

When Hidden Slides Are the Better Choice

Use hidden slides when you need quick access to backup content during a Q and A session. For example, you might hide a slide with detailed financial data that you only show if an audience member asks a specific question. Hidden slides are also useful for slides that contain sensitive information you want to keep in the file but not display automatically. You can unhide them instantly with a right-click, which is faster than switching to a custom show.

Hidden slides work well when you present live and control the slideshow yourself. The ability to jump to a hidden slide with the H key or the See All Slides menu is seamless. You do not need to stop the main presentation to start a separate show.

When Custom Shows Are the Better Choice

Use custom shows when you need to deliver completely different presentations from one file without manual intervention. If you present to sales teams in the morning and engineering teams in the afternoon, you can create a custom show for each audience. Custom shows are also required when you set up a kiosk or self-running presentation because the Set Up Show dialog lets you disable right-clicking and keyboard shortcuts that would normally unhide hidden slides.

Custom shows allow you to reuse slides in multiple sequences. You can include the same company overview slide in every custom show without duplicating it. This keeps your file size smaller and ensures that edits to the original slide update every show that includes it.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Hidden slides appear in the slide count even when skipped

The total slide count shown in the status bar and in Print settings includes hidden slides. If you print handouts, hidden slides are printed unless you uncheck Print Hidden Slides in the Print dialog. To avoid confusion, check the Print Hidden Slides option before printing.

Custom shows break when slides are deleted

If you delete a slide that is included in a custom show, PowerPoint does not automatically remove it from the show. When you try to run the custom show, you get an error message that the slide is missing. Always review and update custom shows after deleting slides from the main deck.

Hidden slides cannot be accessed in kiosk mode

When you set a presentation to Browsed at a kiosk (full screen), the right-click menu and the H key are disabled. Hidden slides become permanently invisible. If you need to show hidden content in a kiosk, convert those slides to a separate custom show and link to it using an action button.

Custom Show vs Hidden Slides: Key Differences

Item	Hidden Slides	Custom Shows
Visibility during main show	Skipped automatically	Not part of main show
Access during presentation	Right-click or H key	Must start separately
Slide reuse across sequences	Not possible	Same slide can appear in multiple shows
Works in kiosk mode	No	Yes
Slide count impact	Included in total count	Not counted separately
Printing behavior	Prints unless unchecked	Only main slides print

You can now decide between hiding a slide for quick backup content and creating a custom show for a tailored presentation sequence. Try combining both features: hide slides you might need during Q and A and build a custom show for a specific audience. When you set up a custom show as the default, remember to update the show after adding new slides to the main deck.