PowerPoint 2013 supports comments so reviewers can leave feedback on a slide without changing the visible presentation content. Comments are intended for collaboration and editing; they do not normally appear as part of the projected slide show.
Add a comment to a slide
- Open the presentation and select the slide that needs feedback.
- Select the object or area related to the comment when appropriate.
- Open the Review tab.
- Choose New Comment.
- Type your feedback in the comments pane.
- Save the presentation.
Comments are different from speaker notes
Use comments for reviewer discussion, questions, and editing feedback. Use the Notes pane for information the presenter may want while delivering the presentation. Neither should be treated as ordinary slide content.
Review comments before sharing externally
A presentation can contain comments that are not obvious while viewing slides normally. Before sending a final deck to customers, students, or the public, inspect and remove internal comments that should not leave the organization.
Deleting a comment does not change the slide
Removing a comment removes the review note, not the text or object it discusses. If a reviewer requested an edit, make the edit separately before deleting or resolving the feedback.
Office 2013 is no longer supported
Microsoft ended support for Office 2013 in April 2023. PowerPoint 2013 still performs basic commenting, but it no longer receives normal security updates. Use a supported Microsoft 365 or Office release for regular collaboration and presentations obtained from untrusted sources.
Modern PowerPoint versions use newer commenting workflows, so current Microsoft 365 screenshots and collaboration features can differ substantially from PowerPoint 2013.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.