How to Convert a PowerPoint File to Google Slides (And What Changes After You Convert It)

So you’ve got a PowerPoint file… but you need it in Google Slides.

Maybe your team lives in Google Workspace. Maybe you need real-time collaboration. Maybe you’re just trying to survive.

The good news: converting a PowerPoint to Google Slides is easy.

The bad news: your deck may not survive the conversion without some… emotional damage.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn:

• How to convert a PowerPoint file into a true Google Slides file
• What happens after conversion (and what commonly breaks)
• What to check before you share the final deck

Let’s do it.

Step 1: Upload your PowerPoint file to Google Drive

If your PowerPoint file is already in your Drive, you can skip this step.

Otherwise:

1. Open Google Drive
2. Upload your .pptx file

Step 2: Open the PowerPoint in Google Slides

1. In Google Drive, find your PowerPoint file
2. Double-click it

Google will open it using Google Slides automatically.

✅ But here’s the important thing:

Even though it opens in Google Slides, it’s still a PowerPoint file.

It has not been converted yet.

Step 3: Convert it into a true Google Slides file

While the file is open:

1. Go to File
2. Click Save as Google Slides

Now it’s officially a Google Slides presentation.

What you’ll notice afterward

If you go back to your Google Drive and refresh, you’ll see:

• The original PowerPoint (.pptx) file
• A new Google Slides version of the same file

So yes — you now have two separate files.

This is the part people don’t expect.

Google Slides does not support everything PowerPoint supports — and some elements may:

• change
• disappear
• flatten into images
• or quietly become a different thing entirely

Here are the biggest ones to watch out for.

1) Multi-column text does NOT carry over

PowerPoint supports multiple text columns inside a text box.

Google Slides does not.

Example

In PowerPoint you might have:

• Text box → 2 columns
• Custom spacing
• Neat formatting

After conversion:

✅ the text is still there

❌ it becomes one column

So if your slide layout depends on columns, you’ll need to rebuild it manually.

2) Slide layouts have improved (image placeholders now work!)

This is a rare moment of good news:

Older PowerPoint → Google Slides conversions had a huge issue:

• Slide layouts had text placeholders…
• but no image placeholders

That meant you couldn’t easily use layouts the way templates are meant to work.

Now:

✅ Google Slides layouts include image placeholders

So if you’re working with templates and layouts, it’s much easier than it used to be.

3) Charts convert into static images (ouch)

If your deck contains charts… brace yourself.

In PowerPoint:

✅ charts are live

✅ data is editable

✅ you can right-click → Edit Data

✅ you can click data points

After conversion to Google Slides:

❌ charts become static images

Meaning:

• no data editing
• no formatting updates
• no interaction at all

What you’ll have to do

If you want editable charts in Google Slides, you’ll need to:

1. Recreate them using Insert → Chart
2. Google automatically links charts to a Google Sheets file
3. To edit the data, you open the sheet (“Open source”)
4. Then return to Slides and click Update

So yes… it’s rebuild time.

4) Fonts may get swapped

Google Slides supports Google fonts.

PowerPoint supports everything installed on your computer.

So if your PPT uses custom fonts that aren’t part of Google Fonts:

❌ they will be replaced automatically

✅ your content stays, but the look changes

This can affect:

• layout
• spacing
• line breaks
• slide overflow

Translation: it can get messy fast.

5) Animations are limited (and may be replaced)

PowerPoint is animation-heavy. Google Slides… is not. There are animations, but they’re basic and limited.

If your PowerPoint uses:

• complex motion paths
• sequences
• emphasis effects
• layered animation builds

Then after conversion you may see:

• animations removed
• replaced with fade
• replaced with zoom
• or just… nothing

If your deck relies heavily on animation timing, you’ll probably need to rework it before (or after) converting.

Okay, credit where it’s due:

Collaboration is top-tier

Google Slides is fantastic for:

• multiple people editing at once
• comments and suggestions
• version history
• easy sharing without email attachment hell

And it’s hard to beat for team workflows.

Bonus: Cropping images is easier in Google Slides

In PowerPoint, cropping is fine — but involves menus. In Google Slides:

✅ double-click an image to crop instantly

✅ no hunting around for the crop tool

It’s a small thing, but genuinely nice.

If you expect Google Slides to match your PowerPoint deck perfectly…

…you’re going to have a bad time.

After conversion, you should review:

• text columns (they’ll break)
• fonts and spacing
• charts (they’ll be images)
• animations and transitions
• overall layout and alignment

Especially for:

📌 data-heavy decks

📌 template-driven decks

📌 animation-heavy decks

Recap

To convert PowerPoint to Google Slides:

1. Upload PPT to Google Drive
2. Open it (it will open in Slides, but still be PPT)
3. File → Save as Google Slides
4. Review the converted deck carefully

And now you know what breaks, why it breaks, and what to fix.