Navigation Pattern

Section Marker Header

A quiet top-left section label that tells readers which part of the deck they are in.

section-marker-headerOPF extension pending

Use Case

Strategy, research, and annual planning decks with several major sections.

When to Use

Use when each slide should retain section context after being exported, printed, or excerpted.

When to Avoid

Avoid when section names are long enough to compete with the slide title.

OPF Config Options

Slide numbers
Enabled
Slide number format
{current}
Date format
Not used
Logo position
Not used
Legal line
Not used
Classification line
Not used
Header content
{section}
Footer content
Not used
Hide on title slide
Yes

Best Practices

1

Use section labels, not full agenda paths.

2

Align the label to the title grid so it feels intentional.

3

Change the label only at section boundaries.

Related How-to Articles

How to Structure Presentations with Slide Sections

Organize multi-section PowerPoint presentations using the pptx.dev API — with section dividers, narrative flow, and logical slide grouping.

How to Add Headers, Footers, and Slide Numbers in PowerPoint

Configure headers, footers, slide numbers, and date fields to add professional navigation and branding to your presentations.

OPF Config

headers-footers:section-marker-header
Open Presentation Format
{
  "design": {
    "layoutPreferences": {
      "slideNumbers": true
    },
    "headersFooters": {
      "pattern": "section-marker-header",
      "slideNumberFormat": "{current}",
      "dateFormat": null,
      "logoPosition": null,
      "legalLine": null,
      "classificationLine": null,
      "header": "{section}",
      "footer": null,
      "hideOnTitleSlide": true
    }
  }
}
Open in OPF Playground

Preview this config live at pptx.dev/playground.

Playground deep link: config=headers-footers:section-marker-header