Revolutionize Your Presentations: Unlock the Secret to Eye-Catching Hotspots in Powerpoint

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s not enough to create a simple PowerPoint presentation filled with bullet points and generic graphics. To truly captivate your audience, you need to think outside the box and incorporate visual cues that engage your viewers. One way to achieve this is through the use of hotspots in PowerPoint.

Hotspots are clickable areas on an image or graphic that allow you to link to a specific slide or website. They’re an excellent way to draw attention to specific information within your presentation and create an interactive experience for your audience. In this article, we’ll discuss how to create hotspots in PowerPoint and provide tips on how to incorporate them into your presentation.

How to Create Hotspots in PowerPoint

To create hotspots in PowerPoint, you’ll need to have an image or graphic that you want to use as your visual aid. Here’s how to create a hotspot:

  1. Insert an image or graphic onto your slide.

  2. Click on the image or graphic to select it.

  3. Click on the “Insert” tab in the Ribbon.

  4. Click the “Action” button in the Links group.

  5. In the “Action Settings” dialog box, select “Hyperlink to:” and choose the location you want to link to.

  6. Hit “OK” to save the hyperlink.

  7. To test the hyperlink, go into presentation mode and click on the hotspot to ensure it takes you to the correct location.

Tips for Using Hotspots in PowerPoint

Now that you know how to create hotspots in PowerPoint, here are a few tips on how to use them effectively in your presentations:

  1. Use hotspots sparingly. While hotspots are a great visual tool, too many can overwhelm your audience. Use them only to highlight key points or provide additional information.

  2. Incorporate hotspots with text. When creating a hotspot, add a text box near it that describes what the viewer can expect to see when they click on the hotspot.

  3. Make sure the hyperlink works. Test each hyperlink to ensure that they take the viewer to the correct location. There’s nothing more frustrating than clicking on a hotspot only for it to lead to the wrong slide or website.

  4. Choose relevant images. The image or graphic you choose should be relevant to your presentation and the point you’re trying to make. If the image doesn’t add value, it’s best to leave it out.

Unlocking the Power of Hotspots

Hotspots are a fantastic way to revolutionize your presentation and create an interactive experience for your audience. By incorporating them into your PowerPoint presentation, you can guide your viewers through your content and highlight important information that you want them to remember. So, take the time to experiment with hotspots and think about how you can use them to captivate and engage your audience. With a little creativity and effort, you’ll be on your way to creating eye-catching presentations that will leave a lasting impression.

Your PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be a linear show that only moves from slide to slide. Add variety and authority by linking to information on other slides, presentations, or websites. A cool way to create these links is to use an image map.

What Is an Image Map?

An image map is a graphic object that contains hotspots, or transparent hyperlinks, to other objects or websites. For example, in a photograph showing a variety of women’s clothing, if you select a dress, you’re sent to another slide or website containing information about the dresses. If you select a hat, you’re sent to the slide or website about hats.

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and PowerPoint for Microsoft 365.

How Could You Use an Image Map in PowerPoint?

In the example used in this tutorial, the fictitious ABC Shoe Company has a PowerPoint presentation on their previous year’s sales figures. Hotspots or invisible links are placed on areas of the sales chart that is shown in the presentation. These hotspots will link to the specific slide containing the pertinent data.

Use Action to Make Hotspots on the Image Map

To link a specific area, the hotspot, of the image map, first let PowerPoint know that this area is going to be the hyperlink to another location.

In this example, specific areas of a column chart will be linked to other slides in the presentation.

Draw a Rectangle Around the Area That Will Be the Hotspot on the Image Map

Creating the hotspot is as easy as drawing a rectangle on the image map. In this example, an area on the column chart will become the first hotspot on the image map.

  • Go to Insert, select Shapes, and choose a Rectangle shape.
  • Drag to draw a rectangle around the area on the column chart that will become the first hotspot on the image map. Don’t be concerned about the color of the rectangle; the color will later become invisible.
  • Go to Insert and, in the Links group, select Action.
  • In the Actions Settings dialog box, select Hyperlink to and select the dropdown arrow to see various options. Your options include:
  • Various non-titled slides such as Next Slide, Previous Slide, and Last Slide
  • End Show
  • Custom Show
  • Specific slide title
  • Specific URL on the web
  • Other file
  • Other PowerPoint presentation
  • In this example, select Slide to select a specific slide title.
  • There are several linking options available in the Action Settings dialog box. Your options include:
  • Hyperlink to: Shown in this tutorial.
  • Run Program: Starts another program when the hyperlink is clicked.
  • Run Macro: Starts a macro that is contained in the presentation.
  • Object action (2007 and later): Performs an action. (Available only if your presentation contains an OLE object.)
  • Play a Sound: Plays a sound file that you have included in the presentation.
  • All of these hyperlink options are available on Mouse Click or Mouse Over (when the mouse simply hovers over the object).
  • In the Hyperlink to Slide dialog box, under the Slide title, choose the slide title that the hotspot on the image map will link to. Select OK when you have made your selection.
  • Select OK to close the Action Settings dialog box.

Format the Image Map Shape to Make the Hotspot Transparent

Return to the slide containing the newly drawn rectangle on the image map. The next step is to make this rectangle invisible, but the link to the specific slide will remain.

Go to Insert, select Shapes, and choose a Rectangle shape.

Drag to draw a rectangle around the area on the column chart that will become the first hotspot on the image map. Don’t be concerned about the color of the rectangle; the color will later become invisible.

Go to Insert and, in the Links group, select Action.

In the Actions Settings dialog box, select Hyperlink to and select the dropdown arrow to see various options. Your options include:

  • Various non-titled slides such as Next Slide, Previous Slide, and Last Slide
  • End Show
  • Custom Show
  • Specific slide title
  • Specific URL on the web
  • Other file
  • Other PowerPoint presentation

In this example, select Slide to select a specific slide title.

There are several linking options available in the Action Settings dialog box. Your options include:

  • Hyperlink to: Shown in this tutorial.
  • Run Program: Starts another program when the hyperlink is clicked.
  • Run Macro: Starts a macro that is contained in the presentation.
  • Object action (2007 and later): Performs an action. (Available only if your presentation contains an OLE object.)
  • Play a Sound: Plays a sound file that you have included in the presentation.

All of these hyperlink options are available on Mouse Click or Mouse Over (when the mouse simply hovers over the object).

In the Hyperlink to Slide dialog box, under the Slide title, choose the slide title that the hotspot on the image map will link to. Select OK when you have made your selection.

Select OK to close the Action Settings dialog box.

  • Right-click the rectangle on the image map.
  • The Shape Styles context menu appears.
  • Select Style.
  • Scroll down to Presets and select the first option, Transparent - Black, Dark 1.
  • The rectangle is now transparent. Select the rectangle and selection handles appear to define the hotspot shape.

Check the Hotspot on the Image Map in Slide Show View

Test out your hotspot on the image map by viewing the slide in Slide Show view.

Right-click the rectangle on the image map.

The Shape Styles context menu appears.

Select Style.

Scroll down to Presets and select the first option, Transparent - Black, Dark 1.

The rectangle is now transparent. Select the rectangle and selection handles appear to define the hotspot shape.

  • Go to Slide Show and, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning. Or, press F5.
  • Advance the slide show to view the slide containing the image map.
  • Hover over the hotspot. The mouse pointer changes to the hand pointer to indicate that this area is a hyperlink to another location.
  • Click the hotspot on the image map to see if it links as you intended. In this example, the hotspot linked to the Third Quarter Sales slide successfully.

Once this process is complete, add other hotspots to your image map to link to other slides or websites.

Go to Slide Show and, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning. Or, press F5.

Advance the slide show to view the slide containing the image map.

Hover over the hotspot. The mouse pointer changes to the hand pointer to indicate that this area is a hyperlink to another location.

Click the hotspot on the image map to see if it links as you intended. In this example, the hotspot linked to the Third Quarter Sales slide successfully.

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