PowerPoint 2019 (Part 30): Action Buttons

Another tool you can use to connect to a website, file, email address, or slide is called an action button. Action buttons are pre-made icons that you can add to your presentation and set up to link to another slide, play an audio, or perform a similar action.

 

When someone clicks or hovers over the button, the selected action occurs. Action buttons can do many of the same things as links. Their intuitive style makes them particularly useful for self-running presentations at booths and kiosks.

Insert action buttons

You can insert action buttons on a single slide or a button on every slide. The latter option can be useful if you want every slide to link back to a specific slide, such as the title page or table of contents.

How to insert an action button on a slide

1. Click on the Insert tab.

2. Click on the Shapes command in the Illustrations group. A drop-down menu will appear with action buttons at the bottom.

 

3. Select the desired action button.

4. Insert a button into the slide by clicking at the desired location. The Action Settings dialog box will appear.

5. Select the Mouse Click or Mouse Over tab . Selecting the Mouse Click tab means the action button will only perform the action when clicked. Selecting the Mouse Over tab will make the action button perform the task when you move your mouse over it.

6. In the Action on click section , select Hyperlink to:, then click the drop-down arrow and choose an option from the menu.

 

7. Select the Play Sound box if you want to play a sound when you click the action button. Choose a sound from the drop-down menu or select Other sound to use an audio file on your computer. When you're finished, click OK.

How to insert an action button on all slides

If you want to add an action button to every slide, you can do so with a feature called Slide Master View . However, using Slide Master View can be a bit complicated if you haven't used it before. If you plan to edit your slides this way, please refer to the article: Slide Master View .

1. Click on the View tab.

2. In the Master Views group , click the Slide Master command. In the left navigation pane, scroll up and select the first slide.

3. Go to the Insert tab and select an action button from the bottom of the Shapes menu. Click on the slide to add the action button and select the desired options from the dialog box that appears.

4. Go back to the Slide Master tab and click Close Master View. The new action button will now appear on every slide.

 

To edit, move, or delete a task button inserted in this way, click the View tab , then click Slide Master. Click Close Master View after making any desired changes.

If you notice that an action button doesn't appear on certain slides, you may need to uncheck the Hide Background Graphics box .

How to test an action button

After creating an action button, you should test it.

1. Click on the Slide Show tab.

2. In the Start Slide Show group , click From Current Slide .

3. Click your action button.

4. After you have checked, right-click anywhere on the screen and select End Show.

If the action button isn't working as intended, follow the instructions below to edit it.

How to edit an action button

1. Select the action button.

2. Click on the Insert tab.

3. In the Links group , click the Action command. The Actions Settings dialog box will appear.

4. Edit the action or hyperlink, then click OK.

How to change the appearance of an action button

1. Select the action button.

2. Click on the Format tab.

3. To change the style or color of the button, use the tools in the Shape Styles group.

 

4. To change the shape of the action button, click Edit Shape in the Insert Shapes group. Choose a new shape from the drop-down menu.