How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation Online

PowerPoint presentations are commonly shared by email, but attaching the original presentation file is not the only way to let someone view your slides.

A presentation can also be made available online so viewers can access it without receiving the original PowerPoint file directly.

The best sharing method depends on what you are presenting, who needs to see it, whether the viewer needs the original file, and whether you want additional information about how the presentation is viewed.

1. Decide Whether the Viewer Needs the Original PowerPoint File

Before choosing a sharing method, consider whether the recipient actually needs a copy of the PowerPoint file.

If the recipient needs to edit the presentation, reuse slides, or collaborate with you on the original material, sending or sharing the editable PowerPoint file may make sense.

If the person's job is simply to view the presentation, however, there may be no need to distribute the original file at all. A hosted presentation can provide access to the slides without requiring you to send the source file directly.

2. Share the PowerPoint as an Email Attachment

The traditional method is to attach the PowerPoint presentation to an email.

This is familiar and convenient when the file is reasonably small and the recipient wants a local copy. The viewer can save the file, open it later, forward it, or use it offline.

The disadvantage is that once the original presentation is distributed, copies may continue to exist on other computers, inboxes, and storage systems. You may also have little information about whether the recipient ever opened or reviewed the presentation.

Attachments can still be perfectly appropriate, but they are only one of several ways to share a PowerPoint presentation.

3. Convert the PowerPoint Presentation to PDF

Another common approach is to convert the PowerPoint file to PDF before sending it.

A PDF can be useful when the viewer only needs to read the presentation and does not need PowerPoint installed. It can also reduce the risk of accidental changes to the slides.

However, a PDF is still a file that has to be sent, downloaded, stored, and possibly forwarded. Converting the format does not eliminate the basic limitations of sending a file attachment.

4. Host the PowerPoint Presentation Online

Instead of sending the original PowerPoint file, you can upload the presentation to an online presentation hosting service and give viewers access to the hosted version.

This can be useful when the objective is simply to let someone view the slides rather than download and edit them.

Depending on the hosting service, the recipient may be able to open the presentation using a web browser rather than PowerPoint itself.

Hosting can also reduce the need to repeatedly attach large presentation files whenever you want to send the same presentation to another viewer.

5. Share a Link Instead of a Large Attachment

Large PowerPoint presentations can be inconvenient to send by email, especially when they contain high-resolution photographs, graphics, embedded media, or many slides.

Email providers may impose attachment size limits, and large downloads can be inconvenient for recipients using mobile devices or slower connections.

Providing access to a hosted presentation can make the email itself smaller and simpler because the message only needs to contain the viewing information.

6. Make the Presentation Easy to Access

Online sharing is most useful when the recipient can understand how to view the presentation without confusion.

If a link, access code, password, or other instruction is required, provide it clearly in the message accompanying the presentation.

Test the viewing process yourself before sending it to other people. Make sure the presentation opens properly and that any access instructions are correct.

7. Consider How the Presentation Looks on Mobile Devices

People increasingly open business messages and presentations on phones and tablets as well as computers.

A presentation designed exclusively for a large monitor may contain text or charts that are difficult to understand on a small screen.

Before distributing the presentation widely, review it on more than one type of device. Pay particular attention to small text, detailed diagrams, tables, and crowded slides.

8. Think About Who Should Have Access

Not every presentation is intended for the general public.

A sales presentation, investor pitch deck, internal business presentation, client proposal, or confidential project presentation may be intended for a limited audience.

When choosing an online sharing method, consider whether the presentation should be publicly accessible or whether some form of controlled access is more appropriate.

9. Remember That Online Access Does Not Make Information Secret

Restricting access to a presentation can reduce casual distribution, but it should not be confused with an absolute guarantee that the information cannot be copied or shared.

A person who can view information may potentially photograph, screenshot, describe, or otherwise reproduce what they see.

For that reason, think carefully before including extremely sensitive information in any presentation that will be distributed outside your organization.

10. Consider Whether You Want to Know If the Presentation Was Viewed

Sending a PowerPoint attachment usually tells you that you sent the file, but it may tell you very little about what happened afterward.

Depending on the platform, hosting a presentation online may provide information about viewing activity.

This can be useful for sales presentations, investor pitch decks, proposals, training materials, and other presentations where knowing whether someone viewed the material may help guide follow-up.

11. Use Online Presentation Sharing for More Than Pitch Decks

Online presentation sharing is useful in many situations beyond startup fundraising.

Businesses may need to share sales presentations, proposals, product demonstrations, marketing presentations, training materials, project updates, investor reports, or educational presentations.

Whenever the goal is to let someone view a presentation without necessarily giving them the editable original file, hosting the presentation online may be worth considering.

12. Keep the Presentation Current

Business presentations often become outdated more quickly than expected. Prices change, products evolve, team members change, financial information is updated, and old statistics eventually become obsolete.

Before sharing an older presentation with a new viewer, review it to make sure the information is still accurate.

Good version control can help prevent an outdated presentation from being distributed accidentally.

PowerPoint Attachment vs. Hosted Presentation

Both approaches can be useful.

An attachment is a good choice when the recipient needs the original file, wants offline access, or needs to edit or reuse the presentation.

A hosted presentation can be useful when the recipient primarily needs to view the slides and you would prefer to provide online access rather than distribute another copy of the original presentation file.

The better method depends on the purpose of the presentation and the experience you want to provide for the viewer.

Share a PowerPoint Presentation Online With PitchDeckHost.com

PitchDeckHost.com was designed to let people host and share presentations online instead of relying entirely on email attachments.

You can upload a supported PowerPoint presentation, PDF, or other supported presentation file and provide viewers with access to the hosted presentation.

Although the service was created with pitch decks in mind, the presentation does not actually have to be a pitch deck. The same approach can be used for many kinds of business and professional presentations.

PitchDeckHost.com can also provide information about how a hosted presentation is viewed, giving you additional context after the presentation has been shared.

Learn About Pitch Deck Hosting