Overview
Slide numbers and footers help audiences navigate long presentations and provide context like date, company name, or confidentiality notices. This guide covers how these elements work in pptx.dev-generated presentations.
The Headers & Footers gallery shows the OPF configuration patterns behind common slide number, date, logo, and confidentiality footer choices.
How Slide Numbers Work
PowerPoint files include built-in placeholders for:
- Slide number — auto-incrementing page number
- Footer text — custom text repeated on every slide
- Date/time — current date or fixed date stamp
The pptx.dev API generates these placeholders as part of the slide master, so they are available in the output file.
Enabling Slide Numbers
The API includes slide number placeholders in the generated .pptx file. Recipients can toggle visibility in PowerPoint:
- Open the .pptx file in PowerPoint
- Go to Insert → Header & Footer
- Check Slide number and optionally Footer
- Click Apply to All
Footer Best Practices
Common footer content for business presentations:
| Use case | Footer text |
|---|---|
| Confidential decks | "CONFIDENTIAL — Do not distribute" |
| Client presentations | "Prepared for [Client Name]" |
| Internal reviews | "Internal Use Only" |
| Conference talks | "Company Name — Event Name 2026" |
Slide Numbers vs. Page Numbers
- Slide numbers appear on individual slides in the presentation
- Page numbers appear when printing the presentation as handouts
Both are controlled by the same PowerPoint header/footer system and are embedded in the .pptx file structure.
Working with Placeholders
PowerPoint presentations use a placeholder system:
- Title placeholder — the main heading on each slide
- Body placeholder — supporting text, lists, or content
- Footer placeholder — bottom-of-slide text
- Slide number placeholder — auto-incrementing number
- Date placeholder — date display
The pptx.dev API populates title and body placeholders from your API request content. Footer and number placeholders are included in the slide master for end-user configuration.
Next Steps
- Structure your deck with sections
- Set backgrounds for consistent styling
- Browse all layouts to find the right slide structure