How to Start PowerPoint Slide Numbering From a Custom Number

When you add slide numbers in PowerPoint, the first slide always shows the number 1 by default. This becomes a problem when your presentation is part of a larger deck, such as a chapter in a training manual or a section in a corporate report. You need the slide numbers to continue from a specific value, not restart at 1. This article explains how to set a custom starting slide number in PowerPoint and shows you where the setting is located.

How PowerPoint Slide Numbering Works and Why You Need a Custom Start

PowerPoint assigns a sequential number to each slide based on its position in the slide sorter. The first slide is 1, the second is 2, and so on. This numbering is used by the slide number placeholder, which you can insert via the Header & Footer dialog. The problem is that there is no direct “start at” field in the Header & Footer settings. The only way to change the starting number is to modify the slide size settings, because the slide size dialog contains a hidden option called “Number slides from.”

This setting is available in PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2021, PowerPoint 2019, and PowerPoint 2016. It works on both Windows and Mac versions, though the menu path differs slightly on Mac. The setting does not change the physical size of your slides. It only changes the internal counter that PowerPoint uses to generate slide numbers. After you set a custom start number, every slide number in the presentation updates automatically. This includes the numbers in the slide master, any slide number placeholders you added, and the numbers displayed in the slide sorter view.

Steps to Start Slide Numbering From a Custom Number

Follow these steps to change the starting slide number in PowerPoint. The process takes less than one minute and does not require any manual editing of individual slides.

1. Open your presentation and go to the Design tab
   Click the Design tab on the ribbon. It is located between the Insert and Transitions tabs.
2. Click Slide Size, then Custom Slide Size
   In the Customize group on the right side of the ribbon, click the Slide Size button. From the dropdown menu, select Custom Slide Size. This opens the Slide Size dialog box.
3. Locate the Number slides from field
   In the Slide Size dialog box, look at the bottom of the window. You will see a section labeled Number slides from. The default value is 1. Click inside the field or use the up and down arrows to change it.
4. Enter your desired starting number
   Type the number you want the first slide to display. For example, type 5 if you want the first slide to show the number 5. The number can be any positive integer. PowerPoint does not allow zero or negative numbers.
5. Click OK
   After entering the number, click the OK button. PowerPoint will ask if you want to scale the slide content to fit the new slide size. Since you did not change the slide dimensions, click Maximize or Ensure Fit — either option works because the size has not changed.
6. Verify the slide numbers
   Go to the Insert tab and click Header & Footer. In the Slide tab, make sure the Slide number checkbox is selected. Click Apply to All. The slide numbers now start from the custom number you entered.

If the slide numbers do not appear after changing the start number

The custom start number only works if you have already inserted slide number placeholders. If your slides do not show any numbers after you change the setting, you need to add the slide number placeholder first. Go to Insert > Header & Footer, check the Slide number box, and click Apply to All. The numbers will appear in the default location defined by your slide master. You can move or reformat the number placeholder on the slide master if needed, but the numbering itself will follow the custom start value.

Common Issues When Setting Custom Slide Numbering

Slide numbers reset to 1 after reopening the presentation

This happens when you change the number but do not click OK in the Slide Size dialog. The setting is not saved until you click OK and then close the dialog. Open the Slide Size dialog again and confirm that the Number slides from field shows your custom value. If it shows 1, repeat the steps and click OK. The setting persists across saves and file closes once it is applied correctly.

Custom start number does not affect the slide sorter thumbnails

The slide sorter view in PowerPoint always shows the slide position number in the bottom-left corner of each thumbnail. This number is based on the slide’s position in the deck, not the custom start number. The custom start number only affects the slide number placeholder that you insert via Header & Footer. If you need the sorter view to reflect your custom numbering, you cannot change that — it is a fixed feature of the application. You can work around this by adding a text box with your custom number on each slide in the slide master, but that requires manual updates if you move slides.

PowerPoint for Mac: Different menu path

On PowerPoint for Mac, the setting is located in a different place. Click the Design tab, then click Slide Size and select Custom Slide Size. The Number slides from field appears at the bottom of the same dialog. The steps are otherwise identical. The setting is compatible between Windows and Mac versions. A presentation saved on Windows with a custom start number will display the same numbers when opened on Mac, and vice versa.

Slide Numbering: Default Start vs Custom Start

Item	Default Start (1)	Custom Start (any positive integer)
Default starting number	1	User-defined (e.g., 5, 10, 100)
Where to set it	Not configurable — always 1	Design > Slide Size > Custom Slide Size > Number slides from
Affects slide sorter thumbnails	Yes — shows position number	No — sorter always shows position
Affects printed handouts	Yes — prints the slide number placeholder value	Yes — prints the custom value
Persists after file close	Yes	Yes — if you click OK before closing

You can now set a custom starting slide number in PowerPoint using the Number slides from option in the Slide Size dialog. This setting is useful when combining multiple presentations into a single sequence. After setting the number, remember to add the slide number placeholder from Insert > Header & Footer if it is not already visible. For advanced control, you can also use the slide master to reposition the number placeholder or change its font without affecting the custom numbering value.