If you no longer want slide numbers in a PowerPoint 2013 presentation, remove them through the Header and Footer controls rather than deleting the number placeholder from every slide individually.
Remove slide numbers from the presentation
- Open the presentation in PowerPoint 2013.
- Select the Insert tab.
- Choose Slide Number in the Text group.
- On the Slide tab of the Header and Footer dialog, clear the Slide number checkbox.
- Select Apply to All.
The numbers should disappear from slides that use normal slide-number placeholders.
If a number remains on some slides
The remaining number may be ordinary text rather than an automatic slide-number field. Click it to see whether it is a normal text box. It may also be part of the presentation’s Slide Master or a custom layout.
Open View > Slide Master if the same unwanted text appears consistently across slides. Be careful when editing a master because changes can affect every slide that uses that layout.
Hide the number only on the title slide
If you want numbering on most slides but not the opening title slide, leave Slide number enabled and use the Don’t show on title slide option when appropriate.
PowerPoint 2013 is obsolete software
PowerPoint 2013 is no longer supported by Microsoft. The basic Header and Footer concept remains available in newer PowerPoint versions, but organizations should use a supported Microsoft 365 or Office release for current security and compatibility.
Before distributing the presentation, export or preview the final file and check several slide layouts to make sure no manually typed numbers remain.
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.