[Libs-Or] Tech-Talk: POWERPOINT - Edit What You Can't See with the Selection Pane

Tue May 5 16:49:51 PDT 2026

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POWERPOINT - Edit What You Can't See with the Selection Pane

Intermediate

[An illustrated hand points to a red rectangular option in a list of three colored optionsyellow, blue, and redsuggesting making a selection or choosing from a menu.]

Have you ever used a premade template or Design Suggestions in PowerPoint ... and wanted to change part of the preset layout?

Maybe there’s a shape hiding behind an image. Or text buried under a graphic that you need to edit. You click, but the wrong object is selected. So you try again. It can feel like a guessing game of where to click.

There’s an easier way to work with everything on your slide. It’s called the Selection Pane.

The Selection Pane shows you all the parts of your slide in one place. Think of it like a layer list for everything on it. You don’t have to guess where to click. Just choose what you want from the pane. You can even select objects you can’t see.

The Selection Pane helps you:

·    Select objects that are hard to click
·    See what’s stacked on top or underneath
·    Hide items
·    Rename objects to stay organized

If you’ve ever said, “Why can’t I select this?”... this tool is your fix.

For instance, the light grey line on the PowerPoint slide shown below. It's a design technique that we didn't add ... it came with the template. On top of that, we can't select it to move it or delete it. That's where the Selection Pane comes in handy.

Every shape or text box is listed in this tool so that you show it or hide it.

[A presentation slide titled "Tech-Talk" features the topic "Scrub Your Name from the Web: How to Reduce Your Digital Footprint," with a photo of a smiling child wearing a helmet. Presenters listed: Linda Keefe and Judy Dir.]

[A menu with three options: Select All, Select Objects, and Selection Pane. The "Selection Pane..." option is highlighted with a red oval.]
How to Open the Selection Pane

Before you can take control of the objects on your slide, you’ll need to open the Selection Pane.

1. Go to the Home tab.
2. In the Editing group, click the down arrow for more choices.
3. Press Select.
4. Choose Selection Pane.

[A screenshot of the Selection pane in PowerPoint, listing placeholders such as Slide Number, Footer, Content, Text, Title, and Picture, with visibility toggles and reorder arrows on the right.]
How to Use the Selection Pane

Once it opens, you’ll see all of the objects on your slide. Each item in the Selection Pane is something on that page.

Click the name in the list to select an object. No more guessing where it is.

Show or Hide Objects

Next to each item is an eye icon. Click it, and the object hides. This helps when one item is covering another. Click it again, and it shows back up.

Reorder Layers

Objects are stacked like layers. Items at the top of the list are in front. Items at the bottom are behind. To reorder layers, click and drag items into the order you want.

Rename Objects

The default object names aren't always helpful. It is hard to tell the difference between TextBox 1 and TextBox 101! Double-click a name and rename it to something meaningful.

This makes your slide much easier to manage…especially when you have many objects.

[A cursor hovers over the "Selection Pane" option, which is circled in red, in a menu that also includes "Bring Forward," "Send Backward," and "Arrange" commands.]
Web 365 (Online)

Good news! The Selection Pane is available in the online version of PowerPoint. You can do the same things online as you can in the desktop app. However, the steps to get to it are a little different.

To use the Selection Pane in the online version:

1. Select an object on the slide.
2. Go to the Shape or Picture tab that appears on the ribbon.
3. In the Arrange group, click Selection Pane.

Google Slides

If you use Google Slides, you may be wondering if it has a Selection Pane too. Not exactly. But there are still ways to manage a busy slide.

Selecting Overlapping Objects

If your slide is crowded and hard to click, try this:

1. Click on any visible object.
2. Use the Tab key to cycle through the objects on the slide
3. Keep pressing it until the item you want is selected.

Changing Layer Order

Want to change what’s in front or behind? You can. Here’s how:

1. Click on the object you want to change.
2. From the menu, click Arrange.
3. In the drop-down menu, hover over Order.
4. Choose where you want the object to move.

[A dropdown menu with the "Order" option circled in red; submenu options include "Bring to front," "Bring forward," "Send backward" (highlighted), and "Send to back." Keyboard shortcuts are shown next to each action.]

NOTE: Google Slides does not let you hide objects or rename them for easier organization.

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Communications: Engaging

Announce Your Intentions

Have you ever been leading a team meeting or hosting a group session online and found yourself wishing people would speak up!

This happens to me every other month, with the Tech-Talk Admin meetings in Zoom. The attendees are interested and involved, but often reticent to share their ideas verbally.

Here is one technique that works very well. After a particular topic is shared and I'm ready for their comments, I announce that I'm going to call on each of them.

I typically add, that I'm going down the list alphabetically starting with Amy. That way, they know each of them is getting a turn to express their ideas ... and when it will happen. It takes the tension out of the session.

I also remind them that they can pass if they have nothing they want to say this time.

With this technique, everybody is included and feels valued, even it they have nothing to say on that topic. It works wonders. I'm more comfortable that I get the pulse of the group ... and that everyone has had a turn.

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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://slo.oregon.gov/conted/
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
971-375-3491 | darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>

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