How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation in PowerPoint 2013 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Want your PowerPoint presentation to play automatically and loop continuously—perfect for kiosks, trade shows, or unattended displays? With PowerPoint 2013, it’s easy to set your slideshow to loop indefinitely until you manually stop it.

In this detailed, step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to loop a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint 2013, plus how to fine-tune settings like slide timing and transitions for smooth, professional playback.

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Why Loop a PowerPoint Presentation?

Looping a PowerPoint presentation is ideal for situations where you want the slideshow to play continuously without manual control. Here are a few examples:

• 📊 Trade shows – display company highlights or product demos automatically.

• 🏫 Educational kiosks – keep information cycling for students or visitors.

• 🏢 Office lobbies – showcase achievements or announcements.

• 💼 Events or conferences – run visuals on repeat between sessions.

In PowerPoint 2013, looping your presentation ensures your content keeps playing until you press the Esc key—perfect for unattended scenarios.

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Prerequisites Before Looping a Slideshow

Before setting your PowerPoint to loop:

• ✅ Make sure all slides are finalized (text, images, animations).

• ✅ Remove any unnecessary transitions that may delay timing.

• ✅ Decide if you want automatic slide transitions or manual control.

• ✅ Test your presentation on the device you’ll be displaying it on.

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How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation in PowerPoint 2013 (Step-by-Step)

Let’s go through the exact process from start to finish.

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Step 1: Open Your PowerPoint Presentation

1. Launch Microsoft PowerPoint 2013.

2. Click File → Open.

3. Locate and open the presentation you want to loop.

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Step 2: Set Up Slide Show Options

1. Go to the Slide Show tab on the ribbon.

2. In the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show.

A dialog box titled Set Up Show will appear.

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Step 3: Enable “Loop Continuously Until ‘Esc’”

Inside the Set Up Show dialog box:

1. Under Show options, check the box labeled Loop continuously until ‘Esc’.

2. (Optional) If you don’t want users to manually advance slides, select Browsed at a kiosk (full screen).

👉 Note: In kiosk mode, slides will only advance automatically using preset timings—manual navigation is disabled.

3. Click OK to save your settings.

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Step 4: Set Automatic Slide Timings

To make your presentation loop seamlessly, you need to assign timings to each slide.

1. Go to the Transitions tab.

2. In the Timing group, look for Advance Slide options.

3. Uncheck On Mouse Click.

4. Check After, and set a time (e.g., 5 seconds).

5. Repeat this step for each slide, or click Apply To All to set the same timing for every slide.

Now, each slide will advance automatically after the specified time.

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Step 5: Rehearse Timings (Optional)

If you want precise control over how long each slide appears:

1. Go to the Slide Show tab.

2. Click Rehearse Timings.

3. PowerPoint will start the presentation in rehearsal mode.

4. Go through your slides — PowerPoint will record how long you spend on each.

5. When finished, click Yes to save the recorded timings.

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Step 6: Save and Preview Your Looping Slideshow

1. Save your presentation (Ctrl + S).

2. Go to Slide Show → From Beginning to preview it.

3. Verify that the slides advance automatically and loop continuously.

If everything runs smoothly, your presentation is ready to go!

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Alternative Method: Use Kiosk Mode

If you’re displaying your presentation at a booth, reception area, or display screen, Kiosk Mode is perfect.

Here’s how:

1. Open your presentation.

2. Go to Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show.

3. Under Show type, select Browsed at a kiosk (full screen).

4. Check Loop continuously until ‘Esc’.

5. Set slide timings (as shown above).

6. Save and play the slideshow.

Your presentation will now play in a loop automatically, without user input.

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How to Stop a Looping Presentation

When your slideshow is looping, it will keep playing until you manually stop it.

To stop:

• Simply press the Esc key on your keyboard.

This will exit full-screen mode and return you to the PowerPoint editor.

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Tips for Smooth Looping Presentations

• 🧠 Keep slides concise: Short messages and visuals work best in continuous loops.

• 🎵 Add background music: Use a track that loops naturally to maintain flow.

• 🕓 Optimize timings: Too short can feel rushed; too long can bore viewers.

• ⚙️ Test on display equipment: Ensure resolution and timing look good on the actual screen.

• 💾 Save in multiple formats: Save as a .pptx and export to .ppsx (PowerPoint Show) for easier auto-play.

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Common Issues and Troubleshooting

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FAQs

1. How do I make PowerPoint automatically repeat a slideshow?
Go to Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show, then check Loop continuously until ‘Esc’.

2. Will my animations and transitions still work in loop mode?
Yes! All animations and transitions play normally when looping.

3. Can I make only part of my presentation loop?
Not directly. You can, however, duplicate specific slides and loop them in a separate presentation.

4. Can I play a looping PowerPoint on another computer?
Yes. Save your presentation as a .ppsx file, and it will open directly in slideshow mode.

5. Does looping work if I export my presentation as a video?
Once exported as a video, the looping settings don’t apply—but you can enable looping in your video player settings.

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Conclusion

Learning how to loop a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint 2013 is simple and incredibly useful.

By enabling the “Loop continuously until ‘Esc’” option and setting up slide timings, your presentation can run automatically for any length of time. Whether it’s for a conference booth, waiting area, or digital signage — your slides will play seamlessly on repeat.

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✅ Key Takeaways