How to Set Custom Slide Timing Per Slide in Self-Running Presentations

You want a self-running PowerPoint presentation where each slide advances after a specific number of seconds instead of using the same timing for every slide. PowerPoint provides a feature called Rehearse Timings that records how long you spend on each slide, but you can also enter custom timings manually. This article explains how to set, adjust, and remove custom slide timings for individual slides in a kiosk or self-running presentation.

What Custom Slide Timings Do and When to Use Them

Custom slide timings allow each slide in a self-running presentation to advance after a different duration. This is useful for unattended kiosks, trade show displays, or training loops where some slides contain more text or complex graphics that require longer viewing time. By default, PowerPoint applies a uniform timing to all slides when you use the Rehearse Timings feature, but you can override individual slides manually.

The timing is stored in the slide’s Transition settings. Each slide can have its own value in the After field under the Transitions tab. When you set up the slide show to advance using timings, PowerPoint waits the specified number of seconds on each slide before moving to the next. You can also combine timings with mouse-click advancement for hybrid presentations.

Before you start, ensure your presentation is set to run as a self-running show. Go to Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show and select Browsed at a kiosk (full screen). This locks the presentation to timings only and disables manual mouse clicks unless you choose the Presented by a speaker option.

Steps to Set Custom Slide Timing Per Slide

The following method works in PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2021, and Microsoft 365. The steps are the same for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

1. Open the Transitions tab
   Select the slide you want to time. On the ribbon, click the Transitions tab. The Timing group appears on the far right side of the ribbon.
2. Uncheck On Mouse Click
   In the Timing group, uncheck the box labeled On Mouse Click. This prevents the slide from advancing when someone clicks the mouse during a self-running show.
3. Check the After box and enter seconds
   Check the box labeled After. In the spinner box beside it, type the number of seconds you want the slide to display before advancing. For example, type 10 for ten seconds. You can also use the up and down arrows to set the value.
4. Repeat for each slide
   Click each slide in the thumbnail pane on the left and repeat steps 1 through 3. Each slide can have a different timing value.
5. Set the slide show to use timings
   Click the Slide Show tab, then click Set Up Slide Show. In the dialog box, under Advance slides, select Using timings, if present. Click OK.
6. Test the presentation
   Press F5 to start the slide show from the beginning. Let the presentation run without clicking to verify each slide advances after its specified timing.

If You Need to Remove or Reset Timings

To remove the timing from a single slide, select that slide, open the Transitions tab, and uncheck the After box. The slide will stop advancing automatically. To remove all timings at once, select any slide, uncheck the After box, and then click Apply To All. This clears the After value on every slide.

To reset all timings to a uniform value, set the After field on one slide to your desired number, then click Apply To All. After that, go back and adjust individual slides as needed.

Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid

Timings Are Ignored When On Mouse Click Is Still Checked

If both On Mouse Click and After are checked, PowerPoint waits for a mouse click or the After duration, whichever comes first. For a true self-running presentation, uncheck On Mouse Click on every slide.

Slide Show Mode Is Not Set to Use Timings

Even with correct After values, the presentation will not auto-advance if Set Up Slide Show is configured to Advance slides manually. Open Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show and verify the Using timings, if present option is selected.

Animations and Media Override Slide Timings

If a slide contains animations set to start On Click or with a duration longer than the slide timing, the slide may not advance until the animation finishes. Set animations to start After Previous or adjust their duration to fit within the slide timing.

Timings Do Not Carry Over When Copying Slides

When you copy a slide from one presentation to another, its After timing is copied as well, but the target presentation’s Set Up Slide Show settings may not be configured to use timings. After pasting, check the destination presentation’s slide show settings.

PowerPoint Online vs Desktop: Custom Timing Differences

Item	PowerPoint Desktop	PowerPoint Online
Set custom After timing	Yes, per slide in Transitions tab	No, only uniform timing for all slides
Set Up Slide Show options	Full control, including kiosk mode	Limited, no kiosk mode
Apply To All button	Available in Transitions tab	Not available
Test timings in browser	Not applicable	Use Slide Show button, timings work if set in desktop version

PowerPoint Online does not allow you to set different After values for individual slides. You must use the desktop version to configure per-slide timings. After saving the file, the timings will play correctly in the online slide show.

You can now set a unique auto-advance duration for each slide in a self-running presentation. Use the Transitions tab to enter the exact number of seconds per slide and verify your slide show settings are configured to use timings. For advanced control, combine custom timings with animation delays to create a fully automated presentation that matches your content’s pacing.