Tracking edits in presentations may feel like playing detective with slides instead of clues. Without clarity on what’s changed, your carefully planned delivery or standout opening could unravel fast.
Rather than digging through emails or playing spot-the-difference with slides, learning to track changes is way more efficient.
📌 Over a million companies use Microsoft 365, so PowerPoint is likely your presentation tool of choice. However, mastering this process may seem tricky since it’s built for visuals, not version control.
This article explains how to track changes in PowerPoint. We’ll also introduce ClickUp, the everything app for work, which helps you create and manage presentations like a pro.
How to Track Changes in PowerPoint for Better Collaboration
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Track Changes in PowerPoint
Collaborating on slides is often the most impactful way to create well-rounded presentations. When working with multiple teams, document version control keeps everyone organized without restricting creative ideas.
Here are the steps to track and manage edits on your PowerPoint slides.
Step 1: Save a draft copy of your presentation
Before starting any collaborative editing or review, save a draft of your PowerPoint presentation. Keeping the unedited, original file as your review copy simplifies comparing edits and easily reverts changes.
Here’s how:
- Open your presentation in PowerPoint
- Navigate to the File tab on the top left corner and click Save As
- Choose a location, rename it, and click Save
💡 Pro Tip: Name your original draft ‘Original_File Name’ to eliminate any possible confusion when dealing with version tracking.
Step 2: Share a second version for review
With the original version safe, share the current file for review. Creating this second version sets up a sandbox for your team to suggest updates and also avoids the risk of duplication.
This is what you need to do:
- Login to OneDrive or SharePoint account and click on ‘New & Upload’
- Select ‘Files upload’ and choose the presentation file you want to send out for review
- Navigate to the three dots beside the file, choose ‘Share’
- Finally, add the email IDs that need access and press send to share access via mail
OneDrive also lets you copy the link if you prefer to ping your team for feedback directly through edits and comments.
✨ Trivia Byte: PowerPoint was originally called ‘Presenter’. Also, it was developed for Apple Macintosh in 1987, not Microsoft!
Step 3: Compare and merge versions
Now, everything is set up for comparison. After your team confirms that all edits and suggestions are made, download the latest version of the edited file.
To upload and track these changes, follow these steps:
- Open the original PowerPoint file
- Go to the Review tab and select Compare
- Choose the edited version and click ‘Merge’
🔍 Did You Know? 67% of listeners are persuaded by verbal presentations when they come with visuals.
Step 4: Review all changes and comments
After merging different presentation versions, every change and comment is uploaded into the same file.
All changes are stored in the ‘Reviewing Pane’ in the ‘Compare’ section. The Review tab also has a separate comments task pane.
Once you’ve selected the reviewing pane, a separate revisions task pane will appear at the left of the PowerPoint window.
Changes made to each slide, be it content, formatting, or even placement of visuals, and who has offered the update (included in brackets) will be shown.
👀 Quick Tip: If you need clarification on an update, it is always a good idea to call the person who suggested it for a quick discussion. Gaining more perspective over the phone may even lead to better ideas.
Step 5: Updating changes to the slides
Now, you need to finalize your presentation by accepting or rejecting changes. Each update is on a sticky note marked with a checkbox for quick decisions.
To complete the update, you need to keep this in mind:
- Check the box next to a change to accept it
- Leave the box unchecked to reject the change
- Once done, select ‘End Review’ from the Compare section
💡Pro Tip: PowerPoint has a feature that lets you record yourself presenting. This is perfect if you or your team prefer to rehearse for the best delivery.
Summarize this article for me pleaseLimitations of Tracking Changes in PowerPoint
PowerPoint is definitely a popular presentation tool, but it’s not without issues. Before setting PPT files as your default, consider these limitations PowerPoint comes with:
- No dedicated change tracking: Lacks detailed options that come with tracking changes in Word and competitors like Google Workspace. Aside from being hard to track edits, PowerPoint’s review feature is available only on Windows OS and not macOS
- Lacks productivity features: Does not have efficient real-time editing, task creation, or even messaging features. This creates a heavy disconnect when collaborative presentations or actionable work points
- Complex review process: Tracking feedback is manual, especially when consolidating comments and edits from multiple collaborators. Managing slide changes in PowerPoint quickly becomes time-consuming and prone to human errors
- Limited customization options: Offers basic templates and design options but lacks advanced customization. Compelling animations, transitions, and effects preferred for complex presentations are unavailable
- File size issues: Struggles with large presentations featuring high-resolution images or embedded media. Even working with presentations on the web application results in bugs and glitches
Summarize this article for me pleaseTracking Changes with ClickUp
PowerPoint struggles with large media files and lacks versatility in change management. Creative teams may feel its visuals are basic. The disconnect between functionality and appeal makes looking for an exit natural.
If you prefer something more advanced in visuals and analytics, ClickUp is an excellent choice. Its 30+ powerful tools are all geared towards improving project insights and nailing executive-level presentations.
To blend change management, collaboration, and dynamic visualization, ClickUp’s comprehensive canvas-style tool is a game-changer.
ClickUp Whiteboards is the tool you need for everything from presentation brainstorming to planning delivery. It offers a blank canvas that supercharges visuals with quick text boxes, sticky notes, arrows, and even brushes and pens.
The solution also features mind maps if your team needs to link relationships and flowcharts in your presentations. Its live editing makes collaboration with Whiteboards a breeze, especially over calls or online discussions. To make it even more seamless, making direct suggestions is just a click-and-tag away.
You can also weave in transitions, create dedicated slides, and integrate video animation tools on Whiteboards. If you need to follow up on something, you can turn anything on the board into a detailed task.
Plus, every edit is recorded in the detailed change history with timestamps and user information.
💡 Pro Tip: Teams learn better with visuals, as all steps are laid out neatly. So, prioritize more PowerPoint flowcharts, graphs, and infographics over text!
Don’t want to switch between platforms for slides and documents? ClickUp offers a dedicated documentation tool, too.
📮 ClickUp Insight: Over 60% of a team’s time is spent searching for context, information, and action items.
According to research by ClickUp, teams lose precious hours jumping between different tools. To prevent broken communication, integrate messaging into your workflows with a centralized platform that unites project management, collaboration, and communication.
ClickUp Docs is every team’s ideal content hub for anything from change management policies to stellar project briefs. The solution’s line-wise version tracking, assigned comments, and instant mentions work flawlessly, even with large files, high-resolution images, and heavy videos.
Docs is also integrated with ClickUp Brain, an AI feature that polishes content language, creates project summaries, and generates insights with just one click. It even lets you embed tables, whiteboards, tasks, and videos within the same document.
Its highly customizable markdown formatting, nested pages, and advanced workflow automations take flexibility to the next level. In short, ClickUp Docs elevates the quality of your deck and packs features that make handling team edits a breeze.
Here’s what Tyler Guthrie from Home Care Pulse has to say about this feature:
Setting up slides and documents from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially for those last-minute meetings. ClickUp simplifies the process with numerous ready-to-use project update templates.
The ClickUp Presentation Template is a solution designed to create ready-to-impress slides instantly. This whiteboard template includes over 12 high-detail slides, making it easy to hit the ground running.
Here’s why you will love using it:
- With dedicated spaces for an introduction, body, and conclusion, it covers the agenda, objectives, key visualizations, and a summary
- Includes a handy legend to help you categorize each slide. This helps the audience stay engaged and sets your presentation’s direction
- Every vibrant slide is fully customizable, from content to color themes
🔮 Bonus: Creating lists, delivering timely projects, and tracking timelines can be difficult. Explore the best free project plan PowerPoint templates to make your project planning easy!
Summarize this article for me pleaseSupercharge Your Version Control Practices with ClickUp
PowerPoint is great for quick slides and clear explanations, especially with animations and within the Microsoft ecosystem. It gets the job done.
However, unlike Microsoft Word, creating content and tracking edits on PowerPoint can be a headache when the whole team is involved. That’s where ClickUp steps in.
Beyond showing who changed what and when, it offers diverse visualizations, task management, AI-powered analytics, and advanced automation. It even has advanced permission to keep change management tidy and needs just a few clicks to revert even minor insights.
Want to supercharge your practice version control? Sign up on ClickUp for free today!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
