How to link to another slide in PowerPoint on Mac: step by step for Microsoft 365

What a slide link does during a show

A slide link is a hyperlink whose target is another slide in the same file. The object you link becomes a clickable trigger while the show runs. Microsoft's hyperlink article uses the same steps for text, shapes and pictures, so the method does not change with the object.

PowerPoint bookmarks every slide automatically. That is why the slide list is ready inside the link dialog. You do not need to set up bookmarks before you link. Microsoft's bookmark article describes this behavior.

Finding the Link command on a Mac

On PowerPoint for Mac, the fastest route is ⌘K. The Link command also sits on the Insert menu, and it opens the same Insert Hyperlink dialog. Microsoft's shortcut list gives ⌘K for Insert a hyperlink, and Indezine's Mac list matches it. Indezine notes that its shortcuts assume a US English keyboard layout, so check the key on your own keyboard.

Choosing This Document and the target slide

The Insert Hyperlink dialog has a list of places on the left. Pick This Document for a link inside the same deck. Then find the slide list. In the bookmark article, Microsoft calls it Slide Titles, and you open it with the small chevron. Click the title of the slide you want, then click OK.

Expect the names to differ. Microsoft's pages do not always use the same label for the same option. Match the words on your screen to the table, and move on.

Test the link in Slide Show

A slide link does not jump while you edit. Start the show, click the linked item and watch the target slide appear. If the jump lands on the wrong slide, return to Normal view, select the same object, press ⌘K and pick the right target. The new target replaces the old one.

Microsoft's own test step happens in Normal view. Right-click the linked item and choose Open Hyperlink. That opens the target without starting the show, so you can check several links quickly. Use Slide Show for the final check, because it shows what the audience sees.

Why Link to this Slide may not show on right-click

Some people look for an option called 'Link to this Slide' on the right-click menu, and many cannot find it on Mac. A 2021 Microsoft Q&A thread shows the confusion. An MVP answer says the option does not exist, while a Microsoft support reply in the same thread says it exists in Microsoft 365 for Mac, with no menu path.

Do not spend time hunting for it. The Insert Hyperlink dialog is the path Microsoft documents. Its support article covers Microsoft 365 for Mac, PowerPoint 2024 for Mac and PowerPoint 2021 for Mac.

Make the link easy to spot

A link that looks like plain text is easy to miss in a show. Select the linked text, go to the Home tab, and open the Font Color arrow. Choose a color that stands out on your slide. Use the same color on every linked item, so the audience learns what to click.

Linking to a slide in a different file

This is the limit that trips people up. Microsoft says PowerPoint for macOS cannot link to a specific slide in another presentation. If the target lives in another file, copy the slide into your current deck first, then link to the copy.

A copied slide becomes part of your deck. Check its fonts, layout and images after the copy. The source file stays the same, so keep it as your backup.

Worked example: a contents slide with links

Say you have a contents slide at the start of a deck, with one line for each section. Build the contents slide first. Then select a line, press ⌘K, choose This Document, pick the first slide of that section and click OK. Repeat for each line.

Next, add a link back on each section slide that points to the contents slide. That gives your audience a way back without leaving the show. Run the show from the beginning and click every link once. If a link lands on the wrong slide, change only that link's target.

Mistakes that break slide links

• Testing in Normal view and assuming the link is broken. Links only jump in Slide Show.
• Selecting the whole text box when you meant one word. Select the words you want to click.
• Deleting a target slide and leaving the link in place. Pick a new target for that link.
• Assuming a link made on Windows needs a fix on Mac. Microsoft's Insider post says links created on any platform work on the others.

Update PowerPoint when links stop working

If links stop working after an update, update Office before you change the deck. Open any Office app and choose Help > Check for Updates. If Microsoft AutoUpdate opens, click Update or Update All, then relaunch the app. That update page is titled for work or school Macs, so a personal install may look slightly different.

The release notes list PowerPoint for Mac builds from September 16 to October 27, 2026. The newest build listed is 16.114.3, build 26102720. None of the notes mention hyperlinks or the Insert menu. Newer builds may exist, so check the release notes again if your version is newer.

Linking in PowerPoint for the web

If you also edit in a browser, the path is slightly different. Microsoft's Insider post describes Insert > Link > This Presentation, then a slide by number or title, then Insert. Links you create on any platform work on the others, so a link made on the Mac works in the web version.

On the web, the Insider post gives Ctrl+K for the slide link option on Windows. Microsoft's keyboard page lists ⌘K in the Mac column of its web table. Test the link in the browser before you present from it.

What to do after the links work

Once the links work, you will present the deck. Presenter View shows your notes and the next slide while the audience sees the current one. Read how to use Presenter View in PowerPoint on Mac before the talk.

If the deck should run alone at a booth, read how to loop a slide show in PowerPoint on Mac. Then test the loop from start to finish, and check that your links still jump to the right slides.