6 Easy Steps to Make Bullet Lists in a PowerPoint Presentation

A simple guide to creating a bullet list in your PowerPoint presentation

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: November 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you want to add bullet points to your PowerPoint so it's easier to read? Luckily, you can insert bullet points easily with just a few clicks of the mouse. This wikiHow article teaches you how to add a bullet point in a PowerPoint presentation using a Mac and Windows computer.

Things You Should Know

Select the text you want to bullet, then go to "Home > Bullet".
If you're trying to make a bullet list from scratch, and you're in a "Title" box, only the first line will be bulleted. Pressing "Enter" will create a new unbulleted line.
Use the "Text" box to create multiple bulleted lines.

Steps

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Double-click an existing PowerPoint presentation, or open PowerPoint and create a new presentation.^{[1]
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Select the slide you want to type on. Click a slide on the left side of the window to open the slide you want to place your bullet point on.^{[2]
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- Alternatively, you can create a new slide.^{[3]
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- If you don't see the slides of your PowerPoint on the left side of your screen, go to "View > Normal."
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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.
- If there's text that you want to add bullet points to, select that text instead.
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.^{[4]
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- 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.^{[5]
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- If you have an existing list of items you want to turn into bullet points, highlight them before selecting a bullet point format. This will add a bullet point to each individual line.
- You can also click
  in the top-right corner of a bullet point option to see different styles for that bullet point type.^{[6]
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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.
- If you're in a "Text" box, a new bulleted line will be created when you press "Enter/Return" but not if you're in a "Title" box.^{[7]
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- Press the Backspace key while your cursor is next to a new bullet point to stop using bullet points.
- *You can use different PowerPoint bullet formats to differentiate sub-points from main points. To do this, use the "Increase List Level" or press Tab on your keyboard.

Community Q&A

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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.

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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.'

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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.

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