How to Apply Custom Animation in PowerPoint

What to Know

  • Multiple effects: Select object or text > Animations > Add Animation > choose animation. Select Add Animation before each effect.
  • Modify animations: Select Animation Pane > select down-arrow next to effect.
  • Reorder animations: Select the animation, and use arrows in Animation Pane to move animation up or down the list.

This article explains how to add custom animations to presentations in PowerPoint 2010 and later, and Microsoft 365. Animation effects are a great way to make bullet points, titles, graphics, and pictures stand out.

Apply Multiple Animation Effects

Add multiple animation effects to any object on a PowerPoint slide. Make images fly in, teeter, and fade out. Make words type onto the screen. Create bullet lists that change color as you cover each point and become transparent when you move to the next point. Use your imagination.

To apply multiple animation effects to an object:

  1. Choose the title, picture or clip art, or bullet list to apply the first animation. Select graphics by clicking on the object. Select a title or bullet list by clicking on the border of the text box.

  2. Select Animations.

    A screenshot of the PowerPoint Animations tab.
  3. Select Add Animation.

    A screenshot of the PowerPoint Add Animation feature.
  4. Select an animation from one of the different types of effects, such as Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, or Motion Path.

    A screenshot showing the PowerPoint animation type.
  5. Select Add Animation again and select another animation effect.

  6. Continue adding animations this way to create the custom animation you desire.

If you select an animation from the Animation group, it replaces the first animation effect rather than applying additional animation effects.

Modify an Animation Effect

After you've added multiple animations to an object, change the way the animations appear on the slide.

To modify how an animation acts:

  1. Select Animation Pane. The Animation Pane opens on the right side of the window.

    A screenshot of the PowerPoint Animation Pane.
  2. Select the down arrow next to the effect you want to modify. From here, change when the animation starts, the effect options, and the timing.

    Animation effects in PowerPoint Animation Pane
  3. To change when the animation will start, select one of the following:

    • Start On click: Starts the animation on the mouse click.
    • Start With Previous: Start the animation at the same time as the previous animation (could be another animation on this slide or the slide transition of this slide).
    • Start After Previous: Starts the animation when the previous animation or transition has finished.
  4. Select Effect Options to choose custom options, such as sounds and direction.

  5. Select Timing to choose custom timing settings, such as delay, duration, or repeat.

  6. Modify the options for each effect that you have applied to the object.

Re-Order Custom Animation Effects

After applying more than one animation to an object, you may want to re-order the animations.

To change the order of animations:

  1. Select the animation.

    A screenshot of the PowerPoint Reorder animation effects feature.
  2. Use the arrows at the top of the Animation Pane to move the animation up or down in the list.

Apply a Motion Path Animation

Motion path animation effects allow you to move an object across the slide. Customize these effects as needed.

To create a motion path:

  1. Select the object you want to animate.

  2. Select Animation.

  3. In the Animation Gallery, scroll down to Motion Paths at the bottom of the list and choose the motion path you want to use. Choose from Lines, Arcs, Turns, Shapes, and Loops.

    A screenshot of PowerPoint's Motion Paths animation settings.

    To make your own motion path, choose Custom Path. Then, drag to draw the motion path. Press Esc when you're finished.

  4. Select Effect Options to add custom options to the motion path animation. Choose to change the motion direction or edit the points in the path.

To preview a custom animation, select the object and select Animations > Preview.

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