How to Set Action Buttons for Non-Linear Presentation Flow

You want to let your audience choose which slide to see next rather than follow a fixed order. Action buttons in PowerPoint let you jump to any slide, run a macro, or open a file with a single click. This article explains how to add action buttons to create a non-linear presentation flow where viewers navigate based on their interests. You will learn the exact steps to insert, configure, and test action buttons for interactive slideshows.

What Action Buttons Do and What You Need Before Starting

Action buttons are pre-drawn shapes with built-in click actions. When you click or hover over one during a slide show, PowerPoint performs an assigned action such as going to the next slide, returning to the first slide, or opening a website. This enables non-linear navigation where the presenter or audience can skip sections, revisit previous topics, or branch to supplementary content without leaving the presentation.

Before you add action buttons, plan your presentation structure. Decide which slides will act as navigation hubs, such as a main menu or table of contents. You should also create custom slide shows if you want to limit navigation to a subset of slides. No special software or add-ins are required — action buttons work in PowerPoint 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac.

Steps to Insert and Configure Action Buttons for Non-Linear Flow

Follow these steps to add action buttons to your slides and link them to specific destinations.

1. Open the Insert tab and select Shapes
   Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon. In the Illustrations group, click Shapes. Scroll to the bottom of the gallery to find the Action Buttons section. Choose a shape such as Action Button: Home, Action Button: Back or Previous, or Custom for a blank button you can label yourself.
2. Draw the button on the slide
   Click and drag on the slide to draw the button. Release the mouse. The Action Settings dialog box opens automatically. If it does not appear, right-click the shape and select Action Settings.
3. Choose the action type in the Action Settings dialog
   In the Mouse Click tab, select Hyperlink to. Open the drop-down list and pick the destination. Options include:
   – Next Slide: Goes to the next slide in the presentation.
   – Previous Slide: Goes to the previous slide.
   – First Slide: Jumps to slide 1.
   – Last Slide: Jumps to the last slide.
   – Last Slide Viewed: Returns to whichever slide was shown before the current one.
   – Slide…: Opens a sub-dialog where you can select any specific slide by title.
   – URL…: Opens a web page in the default browser.
   – Other PowerPoint Presentation: Launches another presentation file.
   – Custom Show: Plays a named custom slide show you created earlier.
4. Add text or an icon to the button (optional)
   To label a custom button, right-click it, choose Edit Text, and type a label such as “Menu” or “Back to Topics.” For a more polished look, you can right-click the button, select Format Shape, and adjust fill color, outline, or add an icon from Insert > Icons.
5. Copy the button to other slides
   Select the button and press Ctrl+C to copy. Navigate to each slide where you want the same button and press Ctrl+V to paste. The action settings remain intact. For navigation bars, paste the button on every slide in the same position.
6. Test the button in Slide Show mode
   Press F5 to start the slide show from the beginning, or Shift+F5 to start from the current slide. Click the action button to verify it jumps to the correct slide. If it does not work, return to Normal view and double-check the hyperlink target in the Action Settings dialog.

Creating a Menu Slide with Multiple Action Buttons

For a non-linear flow, create a menu slide that lists the main sections of your presentation. Insert one action button for each section. In the Action Settings dialog, select Hyperlink to > Slide… and pick the first slide of that section. Label each button with the section name. On each section’s last slide, place an action button that hyperlinks back to the menu slide.

Using Action Buttons with Custom Slide Shows

If you want to restrict navigation to a subset of slides, create a custom slide show first. Go to Slide Show > Custom Slide Show > Custom Shows, click New, and select the slides you want to include. Then, when configuring an action button, choose Hyperlink to > Custom Show and pick the custom show name. Check the box Show and return if you want the audience to return to the menu after the custom show ends.

Common Mistakes and Limitations When Using Action Buttons

Action button does nothing when clicked during the slide show

The most common cause is that the action settings were accidentally cleared or set to None. Right-click the button, select Action Settings, verify that Hyperlink to is selected, and the correct destination appears in the drop-down. Another cause is that the linked slide was deleted. Open the Action Settings dialog and choose a new slide from the Slide… list.

Clicking anywhere on the slide advances to the next slide instead of using the button

By default, a mouse click on any blank area of a slide advances to the next slide. To force the audience to use only action buttons, change the slide show mode. Go to Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show. Under Show type, select Browsed at a kiosk (full screen). This disables all mouse clicks except those on action buttons. Press Escape to exit the show.

Action button hyperlink breaks after moving slides

If you rearrange slides after setting action buttons, the hyperlinks still point to the original slide numbers. To fix this, open the Action Settings dialog for each affected button and reselect the correct slide from the Slide… list. PowerPoint does not update slide references automatically when slides are moved.

Action buttons do not appear in the exported PDF or video

Action buttons are interactive elements that only work in the live PowerPoint slide show. When you export to PDF or video, the buttons become static shapes. If you need interactive navigation in a non-PowerPoint format, consider using hyperlinks on text or images instead, though those also lose interactivity in most exports.

Item	Action Button	Hyperlink on Text or Image
Insertion method	Insert > Shapes > Action Buttons	Right-click text or image > Link
Visual style	Pre-drawn shapes with default icons	Customizable via font or image formatting
Destination options	Slide, custom show, URL, other presentation, last slide viewed	Slide, URL, email, other file
Works in Slide Show	Yes	Yes
Works in PDF or video export	No (becomes static shape)	No (becomes static text or image)

You can now build a non-linear presentation using action buttons that let your audience navigate to any slide. Start by creating a menu slide with buttons for each section, then copy navigation buttons to every slide. For a fully kiosk-style experience, enable Browsed at a kiosk to prevent accidental slide advancement. As an advanced tip, combine action buttons with Zoom for PowerPoint from the Insert tab to create a visual summary slide that jumps to any section with a thumbnail preview.