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Formatly formats your document — margins, spacing, fonts, headings, page layout, and structure — all matched to your chosen style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). We don't edit your writing, check grammar, or validate citations. You write it; we make it look right.

Which citation styles are supported?

Formatly supports APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, Chicago Manual of Style, Harvard, and Turabian. We continuously evaluate new styles based on user requests.

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How to Format a PowerPoint Presentation in APA 7th Edition: Slides, Citations, and References

Staring at a Blank Slide, Wondering Where Your APA Rules Went?

You have mastered the art of the APA 7th edition paper. Your margins are perfect, your running head is flawless, and your reference list is a work of art. Then, your professor assigns a PowerPoint presentation, and suddenly, all those rules feel useless. How do you cite a bullet point? Where does the in-text citation go on a slide? Does APA even apply to slides? It does, and the rules are more straightforward than you think. This tutorial will walk you through exactly how to format your slides, place citations, and build a reference page that keeps your professor happy and your grade safe.

Understanding the APA 7th Edition Logic for Slides

Before we touch a single slide, you need to understand the core principle: APA 7th edition treats a PowerPoint presentation as a non-recoverable source (if it is a live lecture) or a recoverable source (if it is posted online). For your academic submission, you are usually creating a recoverable document. The goal is clarity. Your audience should be able to follow your argument and find your sources, just like in a written APA 7th Edition paper. The slide itself is a visual aid, not a transcript. Keep text minimal and citations prominent.

Setting Up Your Slide Master

Step 1: Choose a Clean, Simple Template

Do not use a flashy, built-in PowerPoint theme with gradients and shadows. Start with a blank presentation. Go to the Design tab and select a simple, high-contrast template (white background, black text). Your content is the star, not the slide design.

Step 2: Set Consistent Fonts and Sizes

Go to the Slide Master view (View → Slide Master). Select the top slide (the Master Slide). Set your font to a standard serif font like Times New Roman (12pt for body text) or a sans-serif font like Arial (11pt for body text). Use bold, larger fonts (24-36pt) for titles. Consistency is key. Every slide you create will inherit these settings.

Step 3: Add a Running Head (If Required)

Some instructors want a running head on every slide. In the Slide Master, insert a text box at the top left. Type the shortened title (max 50 characters) in ALL CAPS. On the right side, insert another text box for the slide number. While APA 7th edition does not strictly require a running head for student papers, it is a safe bet for presentations. Check your assignment guidelines. If you need a refresher on the strict rules, see our guide on How to Format a Running Head in APA 7th Edition.

Formatting Individual Slides

Step 4: Structure the Title Slide

Your title slide is the equivalent of your paper's title page. Center the text vertically and horizontally. Include the following elements, each on a new line:

Title of Presentation (Bold, Title Case)
Your Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Instructor Name
Due Date

Step 5: Add In-Text Citations on Content Slides

This is the most common point of confusion. Every time you use an idea, quote, or statistic from a source, you must cite it on the slide. The rule is simple: put the citation as close to the relevant content as possible.

For a bullet point: End the bullet with the parenthetical citation. Example: "The brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text (Smith, 2020)."
For an image or figure: Place the citation directly below the image in a smaller font. Example: "Figure 1. Neural activity scan. From Brain Imaging Techniques by J. Smith, 2020, Oxford Press."
For a direct quote: Use quotation marks and include the page number or slide number if available. Example: "The results were 'statistically significant' (Jones, 2021, p. 45)."

Need a side-by-side comparison of how this differs from MLA or Chicago? Read our guide on How to Format In-Text Citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Step 6: Use Speaker Notes for Full Citations (Optional but Recommended)

Your slide should be a summary. Your speaker notes are where you put the full context. In the Notes pane below each slide, write out the full reference for any source you cited on that slide. This is incredibly helpful for your instructor and for you when you are presenting. It shows you have done the deep work without cluttering the visual.

Building the Final Reference List Slide

Step 7: Create Your Last Slide

Your final slide is your reference list. It is not a "Works Cited" or "Bibliography." It is a "References" slide. Follow the exact same rules as a paper-based Reference List in APA 7th Edition.

Title: "References" centered at the top of the slide.
Format: Use a hanging indent for each entry. If you are typing manually, press Ctrl+T (Windows) or Cmd+T (Mac) after typing the first line. For an automated solution, check our tutorial on How to Create a Hanging Indent in Word (the same logic applies to PowerPoint text boxes).
Order: Alphabetize by the author's last name.
Font Size: Use 12pt font. If you have many sources, you can go down to 10pt, but keep it readable.

Step 8: Cite Images and Figures Correctly

Images are a huge part of presentations. If you use a stock photo, a graph from a journal, or a screenshot, you must cite it. The format is: Figure X. Description of image. From "Title of Article," by A. Author, Year, Source. For example: "Figure 2. Growth in renewable energy usage. From 'Global Energy Trends,' by L. Green, 2022, Journal of Sustainability." If you need more detailed rules, see our guide on How to Format a Figure Caption in APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Pro-Tips for a Polished Presentation

Keep Bullet Points to a Minimum

A slide with a wall of text is a common mistake. Use the 6x6 rule: no more than 6 bullet points per slide, and no more than 6 words per bullet. Your audience should listen to you, not read your slide. The citation is the only exception—it can be longer.

Use Consistent Citation Placement

Pick a spot for your citations (e.g., bottom right corner of the slide) and stick to it. This creates a visual pattern that your audience can follow. Do not randomly place citations in the middle of the text.

Check Your DOI Formatting

If your source has a DOI, include it in the reference list as a hyperlink. The correct format is https://doi.org/xxxx. Do not use "DOI:" or "Retrieved from." Just the link. For a complete breakdown of the rules, read our guide on How to Format a DOI in APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Automate to Save Time

Manually formatting every citation and reference is tedious and error-prone. Tools like Formatly can automate the entire process, ensuring your in-text citations and reference list are perfectly formatted in APA 7th edition. This is especially helpful when you are converting a paper into a presentation. Instead of copying and pasting errors, you can generate clean, rule-based citations instantly. For more on why automation beats manual work, see Why Citation Engines Fail: The Case for Rule-Based Automation.

Stop Wrestling with Slide Formatting

Formatting a PowerPoint for APA 7th edition does not have to be a nightmare. You now have a clear, step-by-step process: set up your slide master, cite as you go, and build a proper reference list at the end. The hardest part is remembering the rules, but once you practice it once or twice, it becomes second nature. If you want to skip the manual work entirely and focus on your content, try Formatly. It handles the APA formatting for your slides, citations, and references so you can present with confidence.