How to Cite a PowerPoint Presentation: Tips and Examples

PowerPoint presentations already frame discussions and lectures. Some even become the notes students rely on most. The real headache begins later, when a slide you want to quote ends up in your draft. Suddenly, you're left wondering how to cite it correctly.

Studies show that about a quarter of academic papers include citation errors. It's clearly important to help students better understand how to give credit where it's due. That's exactly what this guide will teach you. And if you're trying to make sense of your assignments as you're reading this post, you can always ask EssayHub to step in.

How to Cite a PowerPoint in APA Style

The APA approach treats a slide deck as a type of lecture or digital presentation. The reference requires:

• Presenter's name;
• Year of delivery;
• Title of the presentation in italics;
• Description of the medium in square brackets [PowerPoint slides];
• Source, if available (such as a course platform or institution).

In-text citation uses only the last name and year.

APA citation PowerPoint format:

• Reference List Entry: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Source.

In-Text Citation: (Author, Year)

How to Cite a PowerPoint MLA Style

MLA style cites PowerPoint as a lecture or an unpublished talk. A proper entry must list:

• Speaker's name;
• The title in quotation marks;
• The course/event (in Italics);
• The date;
• The location;
• Note that it was a PowerPoint presentation.

Citing a PowerPoint MLA gives readers all the key details while keeping the citation style consistent.

Here's an Example:

• Works Cited Entry: Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation." Course or Event, Day Month Year, Location. PowerPoint presentation.

In-Text Citation: (Last Name)

Check out our guide on writing an essay in MLA format.

How to Cite a PowerPoint in Chicago Style

Chicago gives students two citation systems. Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes or endnotes for full details. All sources then go in the bibliography. The Author-Date method works with parentheses in text and a full citation list at the end. 

Both methods expect you to list the same details: the presenter's name, the presentation title in italics, the type of material, the institution, and the date.

Citing a PowerPoint Your Readers Can Access

If you're using PowerPoint slides available online, the citation should point the reader to the exact location. Below are three common situations of citing PowerPoint presentations, each with examples in different styles.

PowerPoint on a Password-Protected Website

Slides on a platform like Canvas or Blackboard require a note that access is restricted.

• APA: Vega, M. (2023). Machine Learning in Financial Risk Analysis [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas. https://canvas.harvard.edu (login required).
• MLA: Vega, Martin. "Machine Learning in Financial Risk Analysis." Finance 402, 15 Feb. 2023, Harvard University. Canvas, https://canvas.harvard.edu. PowerPoint presentation.
• Chicago: Martin Vega, Machine Learning in Financial Risk Analysis (PowerPoint presentation, Harvard University, February 15, 2023), Canvas, https://canvas.harvard.edu (restricted access).

PowerPoint on a Public Site

If the slides are freely available, list the full URL.

• APA: Tanaka, A. (2022). Urban Farming and Sustainable Cities [PowerPoint slides]. Slideshare. https://www.slideshare.net/atanaka/urban-farming.
• MLA: Tanaka, Akira. "Urban Farming and Sustainable Cities." Environmental Planning Conference, 12 May 2022, Kyoto University. Slideshare, https://www.slideshare.net/atanaka/urban-farming. PowerPoint presentation.
• Chicago: Akira Tanaka, Urban Farming and Sustainable Cities (PowerPoint presentation, Kyoto University, May 12, 2022), Slideshare, https://www.slideshare.net/atanaka/urban-farming.

PowerPoint Shared in a Classroom

When slides are distributed only in class, replace the URL with the course and institution.

• APA: Duarte, L. (2024). Cultural Identity in Latin American Literature [PowerPoint slides]. Lecture presented in Spanish 312, University of Texas at Austin.
• MLA: Duarte, Lucia. "Cultural Identity in Latin American Literature." Spanish 312, 3 Mar. 2024, University of Texas at Austin. PowerPoint presentation.
• Chicago: Lucia Duarte, Cultural Identity in Latin American Literature (PowerPoint presentation, University of Texas at Austin, March 3, 2024).

If you're about to create a slideshow of your own instead of citing an existing one, here are some interesting presentation topics to get you started.

Citing a PowerPoint Your Readers Can't Access

There are many situations where you need to cite a PowerPoint presentation that your audience cannot access. Because readers can't open the source, you are responsible for making the references transparent. So, you need to provide all the basic details we mentioned above. The reader should also know why they can not retrieve the file: label the slides as unpublished or restricted.

APA Example

• González, R. (2023). Artificial Intelligence in Public Policy [Unpublished PowerPoint presentation]. University of Michigan.
• In-text: (González, 2023)

MLA Example

• González, Rosa. "Artificial Intelligence in Public Policy." Public Administration Seminar, 6 Sept. 2023, University of Michigan. Unpublished PowerPoint presentation.
• In-text: (González)

Chicago Example

• Notes & Bibliography: 1. Rosa González, Artificial Intelligence in Public Policy (Unpublished PowerPoint presentation, University of Michigan, September 6, 2023).
• Author–Date: González, Rosa. 2023. Artificial Intelligence in Public Policy. Unpublished PowerPoint presentation, University of Michigan, September 6.
• In-text: (González 2023)

Citing Information Quoted in a PowerPoint

Presentations sometimes contain information from other works. That's when you need to cite the original source. Only when the original cannot be found should you cite the PowerPoint as a secondary source. You can track down the original source in several places:

• Look directly at the slide to see if the reference is listed.
• Review any lecture handouts or class notes.
• Ask the instructor where the material came from.
• Search your university library database for the cited book, article, or report.
• Check online for publicly available versions of the original work.

How to Cite a PowerPoint That Has Multiple Authors

Students must also cite collaborative presentations correctly. The structure of such citations changes depending on the style guide and the number of authors. Below are clear explanations of citing PowerPoint presentation examples for different styles.

APA PowerPoint Citation

In APA, list both authors if there are two. For three or more, list the first author followed by "et al."

• Two Authors Reference: Alvarez, C., & Nygård, L. (2023). Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare [PowerPoint slides]. Stanford University.
• Three+ Authors Reference: Alvarez, C., Nygård, L., & Ishikawa, M. (2023). Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare [PowerPoint slides]. Stanford University.

In-text examples:

• Two authors: (Alvarez & Nygård, 2023)
• Three+ authors: (Alvarez et al., 2023)

MLA Citation PowerPoint

MLA format citation requires that both authors be listed for two-person works. For three or more, you list the first author followed by "et al."

• Two Authors Works Cited: Alvarez, Carmen, and Lars Nygård. "Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare." Bioethics Seminar, 12 Mar. 2023, Stanford University. PowerPoint presentation.
• Three+ Authors Works Cited: Alvarez, Carmen, et al. "Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare." Bioethics Seminar, 12 Mar. 2023, Stanford University. PowerPoint presentation.

In-text examples:

• Two authors: (Alvarez and Nygård)
• Three+ authors: (Alvarez et al.)

Citing PowerPoint in Chicago Style

Chicago, whether using Notes & Bibliography or Author–Date, follows the same principle: include all names for two authors, or use the first author plus "et al." for three or more.

• Two Authors Bibliography: Alvarez, Carmen, and Lars Nygård. Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. PowerPoint presentation, Stanford University, March 12, 2023.
• Three+ Authors Bibliography: Alvarez, Carmen, Lars Nygård, and Minako Ishikawa. Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. PowerPoint presentation, Stanford University, March 12, 2023.

In-text examples:

• Notes & Bibliography (two authors): 1. Carmen Alvarez and Lars Nygård, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (PowerPoint presentation, Stanford University, March 12, 2023).
• Author–Date (three+ authors): (Alvarez et al. 2023)

Wrapping It Up: Getting PowerPoint Citations Right

Citing a PowerPoint becomes much easier once you know the rules. Each style guide has its own way of formatting, but the underlying goal never changes: make the source clear and accurate.

• APA highlights the author, year, and format.
• MLA emphasizes the speaker, title in quotation marks, and the course or event.
• Chicago offers Notes & Bibliography or Author–Date, but both require the same key details.
• Public and restricted presentations must be cited differently.
• Always cite the original source if a PowerPoint includes other work.
• Multiple authors follow simple rules: list both names if there are two, or the first plus "et al." if there are three or more.

If you want peace of mind with formatting, a PowerPoint presentation writing service like EssayHub can step in.