How to Add a Bullet Point in PowerPoint

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a bullet point in a PowerPoint presentation. You can do this on both Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint.

Steps

1
Open a PowerPoint presentation. Double-click an existing PowerPoint presentation, or open PowerPoint and select a new PowerPoint presentation.
2
Select the slide you want to write on. Click a slide on the left side of the window to open the slide you want to place your bullet point on.

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3
Select a place to enter text. Click one of the text areas on the slide to place your cursor there.
- For example, you might click the "Title" box or the "Click to add text" box.
4
Click the Home tab. It's in the top-left section of the PowerPoint ribbon, which is the orange band atop the PowerPoint window.
- If you're using a Mac, the Home tab is different than the Home menu item that's in the top-left side of your Mac's screen.
5
Select a bullet point format. Click one of the three-lined icons in the upper-left side of the "Paragraph" section in the Home toolbar. You will have at least two options: standard bullet points, and numbered bullet points.
- You can also click
  in the top-right corner of a bullet point option to see different styles for that bullet point type.
6
Create your bullet list. Type a word or phrase for your first bullet, then press ↵ Enter. This will create a bullet point for the first item and then create a new bullet point for your next item.
- Repeat this process for each bullet point you want to add.
- Press the ← Backspace key while your cursor is next to a new bullet point to stop using bullet points.
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I get original bullet points after a sub bullet point?

Community Answer

Press 'Enter' after your last sub bullet; it will add another sub bullet. Place your cursor at the start of this sub bullet and press Shift + Tab. This will move the bullet back to the original position.
Question

How do I make a new bullet after sub bullets?

Community Answer

Type in all the sub bullet points as usual and then get the cursor to the start of the line and press 'tag.'
Question

How do I insert an arrow sign within a sentence in PowerPoint?

Community Answer

You go onto home and click the picture with three small dots followed by a line.
Question

How do I save a bullet point in PowerPoint for later use?

Community Answer

It's my understanding that in PowerPoint, you cannot save a bullet to a list like you can in Word. So basically, the functionality in Office is not common throughout the programs.

Warnings

Using too many bullet points may detract from the visual appeal of your PowerPoint presentation.

Thanks!
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About This Article

JL

Written by:

Tech Specialist

This article was written by Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 343,806 times.

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Co-authors: 13

Updated: May 6, 2021

Views: 343,806

Categories: PowerPoint Insertions

Article SummaryX

1. Open a slide.
2. Click where you want to insert text.
3. Click the Home tab.
4. Click the bullet point menu.
5. Select a format.
6. Create your list.

Did this summary help you?

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