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• Presentations

Free eBook Download : Guide to Making Great Presentations

 If you're working on a Google Slides presentation you'll want to be sure to grab our free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . This eBook teaches you all about the presentation process. Discover how to write, design, and deliver a presentation with impact.

 In this tutorial we use the visually appealing  Circles template .  You'll find more great Google Slides templates  on Envato Elements.

How to Time Slides on Google Slides (Quick Start Guide)

Do you want to get started on using Google Slides to time slides right away? Watch our quick start video below:

Watch this short tutorial screencast or learn even more in steps below, that complement this video.

Jump to content in this section:

How to Set Slide Timing on Google Slides

How to get google slides to play automatically, find more premium google slides templates, more envato tuts+ google slides tutorials.

• Make the Perfect Google Slides Slideshow (Free PDF eBook Download)

Download a Premium Google Slides Template Today!

Google Slides has many features related to timing including auto advance and automatic looping. Learn more in the following steps:

1. Choose a Template

In this tutorial, we'll work with the Envato Elements Google Slides template, Circles . Download it now if you'd like to follow along.

Circles is a Google Slides template that you can use to add your Google Slides auto transition or Google Slides auto advance. It comes with over 150 total slides and five premade color schemes.

Circles also comes with handcrafted infographics and illustrations. You can easily add an image by dragging and dropping an image of your choice into the picture placeholder.

2. Choose a Timing Between Slides

Let's go to the File menu and click on the Share menu. Next click the Publish to the web option. On this menu you can choose a timing to play for each and every slide on the drop-down menu.

There are a variety of pre-built options that you can choose from here. This sets up the timing that we want to play between each slide.

2. Test Your Specific Timing

Let's choose a short timing to demonstrate. Make sure to also check the options underneath such as Starting the slideshow as soon as the player loads or Restart the slideshow after the last slide if you want your presentation to loop.

3. Publish a Timed Video

Now, let's go ahead and publish the video with the link selected. We'll paste it in and open it up and you can see here that after a few seconds that we're auto-advancing through the slides according to our timings.

That's all there is to it. While the option is somewhat limited it really comes in handy if you need to leave your slideshow on Google Slides autoplay with each slide cycling through a loop.

Here's how to use the Google Slides auto-transition on your slides:

1. Present Mode

Click on the Slideshow button above the ribbon to start Presenter mode.

Presenter mode has many helpful features that you can use to make your presentation look more professional, such as:

• Google Slides automatic transition
• closed captions

2. Open the Options Menu

If you want to know how to get Google Slides to play automatically, drag your mouse to the lower left corner of the screen.

When you click on the three dots, it’ll open a menu. In the menu, you get several options:

• Open speaker notes
• Turn on the laser pointer
• Turn on the pen
• Exit full screen
• Exit slideshow
• Captions preferences

3. Set Auto-play

The menu has a feature you can use as a Google Slides automatically advance slides feature. This feature is called the Auto-play feature.

Click on the Auto-play option. Another menu appears when you click on this option in the menu. This is where you choose how fast you want your slides to move on. You can choose one second to a minute. You can even choose to put your slides on a Loop .

4. Play Your Video

Once you choose what timing you want for the Google Slides auto-advance feature, you’ll know the time of your choice is chosen when a checkmark is beside it. Next, click Play . Now, your slideshow should start playing.

Looking for a template to use for your next presentation? Read these articles for curated lists of presentation templates:

Learn even more about how to create presentations using Google Slides in our Google Slides learning guide . We also have an assortment of quick Google Slides lessons such as these:

Google Slides templates can take your slide decks to the next level. If you want to get a head start on your presentation design, check out the Google Slides presentation templates in this article: 

Make the Perfect Google Slides Slideshow ( Free PDF eBook Download )

You've just learned how to time slides on Google Slides. To learn other great methods of creating powerful Google Slides presentations, we've got the perfect resource to help you. Our eBook walks you through writing, designing, and presenting a presentation. 

Download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . Get it for free with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.

Do you want to save time? Do you want an impressive slideshow? You can get both of those with premium Google Slides templates from Envato Elements. If you want to know what Envato Elements is, then keep reading.

Envato Elements is a premium subscription service where you pay a low monthly fee to become a subscriber. Once you become a subscriber, you gain unlimited access to digital assets. This includes many different digital assets, such as:

• premium Google Slides templates

Professionals make every premium template look impressive and stylish. You also save time using a premium template because it's already designed for you.

A good template will have slides named. All you need to do is add your text into text placeholders and pictures into the picture placeholders. You still can if you like to add personal touches to your presentation template design. 

Try Using the Google Slides Automatic Transition Feature in Your Slide Show!

After downloading a premium template , try using the Google Slides automatically advance feature for your slides. When you use this feature, it’ll make your presentation smoother and look professional.

If you make many Google Slides slideshows, sign up for an Envato Elements subscription. It’s easy to sign up, and after signing up, you gain access to all the digital assets you need. Editorial Note : This tutorial was last published in October of 2018. It's been completely reviewed and updated by Sarah Joy for accuracy and relevancy.

How to Insert Timer Into Google Slides? [An EASY Way!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Whether you want to allow your audience a few seconds to answer a quiz question, or whether you want to let your audience know the time left for the break to end, having a ticking timer on Google Slides is a great way to do that!

But, Google Slides doesn’t provide the option to add a timer by default. So, how do you insert a timer in Google Slides?

To insert a timer in Google Slides, you can add a video that contains a countdown timer. Alternatively, you can also use the “Slide Timer” extension. Using the extension allows cusotmization of text formatting, and a few additional features which are not available when using a video!

This article will provide you with more insights on adding a timer in Google Slides. We will be discussing a few different methods. You will get the step-by-step process along with the images so you too can add it to your presentation!

So, let’s get started!

1. How to Insert a Timer in Google Slides?

I’ve captured all the steps in a video format as well. If you wish to learn by watching a video instead of reading this article, you can do so by clicking on the play button on the video below –

If you prefer learning through reading, you can continue to do so by going through the steps in the rest of the article!

When you need to give your audience time to complete an action such as think of an answer, writing a solution, responding to a question, or perhaps even ensuring that people come back on time after a break, it is good to have a timer displayed on the screen.

This will make sure that everyone is aware of the time left to finish the task required!

Although Google Slides doesn’t offer a direct option to add a timer in the presentation, there are multiple ways to insert a timer in Google Slides.

In this article, we shall take a look at two different methods.

1a. Method 1 – Inserting a Video

The first method includes inserting a video that has a timer. You can use any video for this purpose. The easiest way to find such a video is through YouTube.

One thing to keep in mind is that when you add a YouTube video to the presentation, you will need to make sure that your computer is connected to the internet for the video to work when you are giving the presentation.

For safety purposes, you can perhaps download the video and upload it to the presentation to make sure it works. However, for the purpose of this example, I’ll show you how to add a timer by inserting a video in Google Slides .

Let’s take a look at the steps one-by-one:

Step-1: Search for a Video with a Timer on YouTube

There are a ton of different video options available on YouTube for a timer video. Simply type in the duration of the timer that you want in the search bar.

For the sake of this example, I’ve gone with a 3 minuter timer.

From the options that appear in the search, go with single color background (ideally black). You’ll get to know why, in a minute!

Step-2: Copy the Video URL

Once you have chosen a video, open it by clicking on it.

Then, click on the address bar. Select the URL and copy it using the “ Ctrl+C ” options. You can also right-click on it and click on “ Copy “.

Step-3: Click on the Option to Insert a Video

Now, go back to your Google Slides presentation. Open the slide where you want to insert the timer.

Then, click on the “Insert” tab in the menu bar and select the “Video” option from the “Insert” menu. This will prompt an “Insert video” dialog box.

Step-4: Insert the Video in your Presentation

The next step is to insert the video. Click on the “ Search ” tab first. Here, in the search bar, paste the URL (link) that we copied in step 2 and hit enter.

You can also search for a term instead of pasting the link. So, for instance, instead of going on YouTube to find a video, you can also use the search bar here to do the same. But, I usually get much better results faster when I search it on YouTube and paste the link here.

Once you have the video appear below, click on it to select it. Then, click on “ Select ” to insert it on your slide.

You can also upload a video at this point by clicking on the “ Google Drive ” option. That option will allow you to add a video that you may have either downloaded or perhaps received from your colleague.

Step-5: Adjust the Playback Settings

Now, the next step is to adjust the playback settings for the video.

When you insert the video on the slide, the “ Format ” panel on the right should automatically appear. If it doesn’t, simply right-click on the video, and click on the “Format” option.

Here, you can adjust the starting and ending point of the video along with tweaks to a few additional settings.

Step-6: Adjust the Video and Slide Background

Now, the last thing that I recommend you do is first, make the video as big as possible such that it fits the slide on the top and the bottom.

This will display the video on the complete slide during the slideshow mode.

If there is still some blank space left on the slide, then you can choose to change the slide background to match the background of the video (just the way I’ve done it in the image above).

This is where choosing a video with a monotone background (as mentioned in step 1) comes in handy!

If you are unable to find the color for your slide back in the default options provided that match with the background of the video, you can use the eyedropper tool for color matching in Google Slides .

Once you’ve made the changes, simply enter the presentation in the “ Slideshow ” mode and watch the timer tick!

Method 2 – Using the Slides Timer Extension

If you don’t want to add a video to your presentation or if you want more customization to the way the text looks for the timers, and make a few changes to it, you can use the “ Slides Timer ” extension.

The “Slides Timer” extension has been designed by ClayCodes ; a third-party open-source creator.

The Slides Timer extension comes as a Google Chrome browser extension rather than an “Add-on” item.

Through this add-on, all you need to do is type in a simple text-based code and it will convert the code into a function. We shall take a look at the

To add the extension, you have to first click here to find the Slides Timer extension in the Chrome Web Store.

Then follow the 3 quick steps.

Step-1: Click on “Add to Chrome”

The first step is to click on the “Add to Chrome” button located on the right side of the screen. This will prompt a dialog box.

Step-2: Click on the “Add Extension” button

In the dialog box, click on the “Add Extension” button to allow access to the extension. You will now see another dialog box notifying that the Slide Timer extension has been added.

Step-3: Click on the “Slides Timer” extension

Now all you have to do is open the Google Slides presentation. Then click on the “Extensions” icon which looks like a puzzle piece beside the browser “Search bar” . In the “Extensions” dialog box, click on the “Slides Timer” extension to access a tutorial.

How to Use the Slides Timer Extension?

The Slides Timer extension has various features that you can use. You can create a timer, stopwatch, clock, etc.

To create a countdown timer, you have to first click on the “Text box” icon in the toolbar located right under the menu bar.

In the text box, type in “<<“preferred time”->>” . For example, for a five-minute countdown, type in “<<5:00->>” in the text box.

Next, click on the “Slideshow” or “Present” option and the text will be automatically converted to a countdown timer.

To create a count-up timer or a stopwatch, type in “<<“preferred time”+>>” in a text box in the slide where you want to add the timer.

For example, if you want the stopwatch to start at zero seconds, type in “<<00:00+>>” . It will be automatically turned into a stopwatch on the “Present” screen.

In the example above, I’ve started my stopwatch from “5:00”. You can see the stopwatch counting up in the slideshow mode in the image above.

You can also display the current time in the local time zone using the Slides Timer extension. To do so, insert a text box in the preferred slide and type in “<<time>>” . In the “Present” screen, this will show the time in the AM/PM format.

To add the current date in your Google Slides presentation slide, insert a text box and type in “<<date>>” . In the “Present” screen, this will turn into “mm/dd/yyyy” format date. This will always show the current date when you present without any manual adjustment.

Move to Next Slide

With Slides Timer, you can also add a timer that automatically moves to the next slide when time is up. For example, you can create a countdown trigger that moves to the next slide after 2 minutes. All you have to do is insert a text box and type in “<<02:00-+>>” .

2. How to Time Your Slides to Autoplay in Google Slides?

Google Slides does provide you with an option to time the slides such that you can set it on “Autoplay” and let the slides automatically keep changing!

This is a great option especially when you are at an event, and you just want put the presentation on the screen, set it, and forget it!

This topic actually deserves an entire article! Thus, I’ve written a separate post to cover the nuances of this topic in great detail in a step-by-step manner. Check out my other article on this topic here !

Credit to benzoix (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

• PC & Mobile
• Google Slides

How To Insert a Timer into Google Slides

Dominic Anderson As a content marketer by day and tech enthusiast by night (and some of the day too), I share my thoughts about new platforms and fixes for the problems I’ve encountered with the technology I use. Read more September 29, 2023

During a Google Slide presentation, you should time how long you stay on one slide or give your audience the chance to engage in discussions or answer any questions. You may also need to use a screen countdown during activities or breaks.

Adding a timer to your Google Slides helps you do this seamlessly. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Add a Video Timer to Your Google Slides Presentation

Here are detailed steps for inserting a timer into a Google Slides presentation and how to format the settings.

Select Your Slide

You might want to insert a timer into a slide with content. Alternatively, you might want to create a separate timer slide if you plan on doing a timed activity in your Google Slides presentation. If you need one timer for several slides, insert the video in each slide and adjust the settings individually.

Go to the Video Selection Page

Follow these steps to navigate to your video selection page in Google Slides:

Your video selection page with three tabs will open, and you can select a video timer to insert on your page.

Choose a Video Timer

In the video selection page, choose a video timer for your Google Slides presentation by selecting from these options:

• Look for a video on YouTube

When looking for a video, search for the timer length you’d like to use, for example, “five-minute timer.“ Note that the video hyperlinks to a third-party account when you use the URL or search option. If the uploader deletes the video, you won’t be able to use the timer in a Google Slide presentation.

Using a video timer you’ve uploaded to your Google Drive is a more reliable way of having one for your Google Slides presentation.

Reposition and Resize Your Video

To move your video to a different position or resize it in your Google Slide, click on it and use one of these options:

Edit the Video’s Playback Options

You can set your video in Google Slides to start playing as soon as you switch to a slide, or you can edit when a video plays. Here’s what you need to do:

In the video format options, you can also adjust more playback settings, like muting the audio in the video. if you can’t source a timer with specific requirements, you can make your video timer start and end at a particular time. For example, if you need a 50-second timer or a 10-second timer.

Add a Google Slides Timer Using the Slides Timer Extension

If you’re not keen on adding a video timer to your Google Slides presentation, or if you’d like a more customizable timer, you can try the Slides Timer Google Chrome browser extension. This add-on allows you to input a text-based code which it converts to a function.

• Go to “Slides Timer.”

Uses of the Slides Timer Extension

You can use several useful features with the Slides Timer in your Google Slides presentations.

Here are steps for creating a countdown timer with the Slides Timer:

• Go to the “Text box” icon in the toolbar under the menu.
• In the text box, input “<<“specified time”->>”. For instance, if you want a 3-minute countdown, you’d type “<<3:00->>” in the text box.
• Select “Slideshow” or “Present,” and your text is converted automatically into a countdown timer.

To add a stopwatch or count-up timer using the Slides Timer, input “<<“specified time”+>> in a text box where you like to insert the timer.

Here’s an example: If you need a stopwatch to begin at zero seconds, input “<<00:00+>>.” This automatically turns it into a stopwatch on the “Present” screen.

The Slides Timer Chrome extension can display the current time in a local time zone. To display this, add a text box to your Google Slide, then input “<<time>>.” This shows the time in AM/PM format on the “Present” screen.

To insert the date in a Google Slides presentation slide, add a text box, then input “<<date>>.” This formats the date into “mm/dd/yy” in the “Present” screen. This continuously displays the current date if you present it with no manual adjustment.

Move to the Next Slide

You can also use the Slides Timer to move onto another slide automatically when the time is up. For instance, if you’d like to move to another slide after five minutes, you can add a text box and input “<<05:00-+>>.”

Benefits of Using a Timer in Google Slides

When you’ve mastered how to use timers in your Google Slides presentations, you’ll experience some of these great benefits.

Pace Your Presentation

A video timer in your Google Slides presentation can help you track the time you take to discuss each slide. If your presentation time is limited during a meeting, allocating the time you’d like to take on each slide and using a timer helps you pace yourself. Additionally, you can include everything you need to discuss within your time frame.

There’s also the option to set your timer to automatically advance by moving to the next slide after a specified time so you remain on schedule.

Respecting Other People’s Time

Using a timer in Google Slides ensures your presentation doesn’t infringe on another speaker’s time. Timers also show your audience how much time they have to ask questions or prepare for a transition to the next speaker.

Provides Flexibility

In Google Slides, you can stop a timer early if you’re ready to move to the next slide and have the flexibility to adjust your timer. For example, if you’ve provided time for questions but didn’t get many requests. Or if you’re asked an interesting question that might take longer to answer, or have thought of another idea you’d like to incorporate into your presentation.

Using Visual Aids for Activities

If you’ve incorporated activities in your Google Slides presentation, timers help your audience remain focused as they can see how much time they have to complete an activity.

Timing Breaks

Timers in Google Slides presentations let your audience know how long breaks are, which is especially useful for teachers giving long online lessons.

Organize Your Presentation With Ease

Using a timer in your Google Slides presentations helps track your time on each slide and the time given for activities that your audience can see. Inserting a timer using the steps outlined above includes using the Video and Insert options, and the Slides Timer Google Chrome browser extension. Once you’ve inserted your video in Google Slides, you can resize and position it and edit its playback settings.

Have you ever used timers in your Google Slides presentations? Did they help you keep your presentations well organized? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Dominic Anderson September 27, 2023

Dominic Anderson September 14, 2023

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How to add a timer to your Google Slides presentation by inserting a video

• You can easily add a timer to your Google Slides presentations, to help you keep track of how long you're taking during a presentation. 
• However, Google Slides has no built in timer function, which means the best way to do it is to add a YouTube video with a timer to each slide.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Time can be vital when you're giving an important presentation at work. Spend too much time on one slide and you could end up running too long and losing your audience, or go too fast and risk leaving people confused. 

Adding a countdown timer to your Google Slides presentation can help you avoid those missteps and stay on track.

Here's how to set it up.

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1. Go to slides.google.com on your PC or Mac computer and create or open a presentation. 

2. Select the slide you want to add a timer to in the left sidebar. 

3. In the top toolbar, select "Insert" and then "Video."

4. Search for "five-minute timer," or whatever length timer you desire. If you already have a URL handy, paste it into the search bar and click the video thumbnail when it appears.

5. Alternatively, you can also open a new tab, find a specific timer video on YouTube, and copy and paste that video's URL. You can also use a video from your Google Drive.

6. Click "Select."

7. Resize and reposition the video as desired.

Repeat this process for as many slides as you need. Remember, though, that the video on your slide will be visible to everyone you're giving the presentation to as well.

When you give your presentation, you'll need to click the video to start your countdown timer. Or, you can set it to autoplay when the slide appears in your presentation:

1. Right-click the video and select "Format options."

2. In the side menu that appears, click "Video playback."

3. Check the box that's labeled "Autoplay when presenting."

Related coverage from  How To Do Everything: Tech :

How to change the background on your google slides presentation, how to hide specific slides in google slides so they won't show up during a presentation, how to print google slides from your preferred browser on a computer, how to add a gif to google slides using a url, how to change the text color in google slides on your computer or mobile device.

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