Converting PowerPoint Presentations to Word Documents

Use the export tool to send your PowerPoint contents into a Word file

Presenting company annual report statement document.

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A PowerPoint document cannot be converted into a Word document. PowerPoint documents are slide-based files intended for projection whereas Word documents present text intended for print. However, PowerPoint supports a create handouts utility that exports PowerPoint presentation slides and notes into a format that Word accommodates. Even better, the changes you make in Word can flow back into PowerPoint.

Information in this article applies to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, and PowerPoint 2016. However, PowerPoint has supported an export-to-handouts feature in some fashion since at least Word 2010.

How to Export PowerPoint Content as Word Handouts

Send your PowerPoint outline and notes to Word in just a few steps:

  1. Select File > Export to display the Export window.

    File menu in PowerPoint with the Export heading highlighted
  2. Select Create Handouts.

    Export screen in PowerPoint with the Create Handouts option highlighted
  3. In the Send to Microsoft Word dialog box, select your preferred page layout, then (at the bottom of the box) choose whether to paste the slides into Word, which will make a copy, or paste a link, which will tie back to PowerPoint.

    Pasting a link means that any changes you make in Word will reflect back in PowerPoint. However, you must have access to the PowerPoint document when you edit the Word document, otherwise you cannot access the slide links.

    Send to Microsoft Word window in PowerPoint with the Paste and Paste Link options highlighted
  4. Select OK.

    Send to Microsoft Word window in PowerPoint with the OK button highlighted
  5. Word opens with the exported document.

    word with exported powerpoint file

Another way to send paper copies of your presentation, and to bypass Word, is to print your slideshow to PDF. The Save as Adobe PDF feature in PowerPoint exports a full-color, full-page version of each slide on one page of a PDF, with speakers' notes included as an annotation on the relevant slide.

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