Teams: let attendees explore interactive PowerPoint slides

Key insights

• Each attendee can explore supported interactive slide content without changing the presenter's view.
• The demonstration creates an interactive slide from PowerPoint's Copilot area using Plugins and skills.
• The demonstrated skill is called Create Interactive Slide.
• The supplied material does not specify licensing, rollout status, or tenant requirements.

PowerPoint Live in Teams can let meeting attendees explore supported interactive slide content independently while the presenter continues presenting. This is useful for presenters running training, onboarding, or educational sessions where attendees may want to inspect content at their own pace. Ami Diamond [MVP] demonstrates creating an interactive slide and sharing it in a Teams meeting.

What it does

In a typical presentation, attendees follow the slide currently shown by the presenter. With the interactive slides in the demonstration, attendees can navigate and activate elements for themselves, while the presenter remains on their own slide and continues to control their presentation. Each participant's interaction is separate rather than a change to a shared slide state.

The distinction matters in meetings where a diagram, project plan, or other slide contains details people may want to explore in a different order. Attendees can inspect those elements without asking the presenter to go back or interrupting the presentation. The publisher describes this as a way for participants to focus on the information most relevant to them; that benefit depends on the content and how the meeting is run.

PowerPoint Live is the Teams meeting presentation experience used to share a PowerPoint deck. The demonstration pairs it with an interactive slide created using a PowerPoint and Copilot skill. These are related but separate parts of the workflow: the skill creates the slide content, and PowerPoint Live shares the presentation in the meeting.

Who it is for and what you need

This approach is relevant to Teams meeting presenters and attendees who want to explore slide content independently. It may suit sessions with interactive project milestones or other content that benefits from individual exploration. The example in the demonstration includes a project milestone, with selectable content that changes the displayed text.

The transcript describes opening the Copilot icon, selecting the plus sign, choosing Plugins and skills, and then selecting Create Interactive Slide. It says the skill is available in PowerPoint on the web and desktop, but the supplied material does not identify specific application versions, licensing requirements, tenant settings, or geographic availability. Confirm those details in your own environment before planning a rollout.

The deck must be shared as a Live presentation in a Teams meeting for the behavior shown. The research notes identify PowerPoint Live as a way to share a PowerPoint file in a meeting rather than broadcasting the desktop, but the supplied sources do not provide an official Microsoft reference link to verify its file support or full feature requirements. The material also does not establish whether every interactive element or deck will behave the same way.

How it works

1. In PowerPoint, open the Copilot area and select the plus sign.
2. Choose Plugins and skills, then select Create Interactive Slide. The demonstration shows this route in the web and desktop experiences.
3. Create or open a presentation that contains interactive content. In the example, a project milestone element responds when selected by changing the text shown on the slide.
4. Join or start a Teams meeting. Share the presentation as a PowerPoint Live presentation rather than sharing only the visible desktop or application window.
5. Have attendees open the presentation and try its interactive elements. The presenter can continue on their current slide while attendees navigate or interact independently.

Before using this in a live session, test the slide with the same sharing method and account setup you plan to use in the meeting. The source material demonstrates separate accounts and tenants, but does not describe the configuration or whether that setup is required. Tell attendees that their interactions do not move the presenter's view, so they know they can explore without disrupting the presentation.

For more about meeting features and related guidance, browse our Teams coverage.

Limitations and open questions

The demonstration establishes independent interaction as the central behavior: attendee activity does not alter the presenter’s current slide. That also means it should not be treated as a shared interactive canvas. If a meeting requires everyone to see or build on the same contribution, this specific behavior does not provide that synchronized experience.

The available information does not spell out which interactive elements are supported, how to turn the skill on or off, or what happens with every Teams client and presentation setup. It does not state required licenses, administrator controls, rollout stage, or regional availability. The publisher calls the skill new, but the material does not provide a Microsoft rollout announcement or date to establish its broader status.

PowerPoint Live is presented as the method for sharing the deck in the meeting; ordinary screen sharing is not described in enough detail here for a full feature comparison. If interactive behavior does not work in a specific meeting, the source material does not identify a troubleshooting process or confirm an alternative way to preserve attendee-specific interactions. Test before relying on it for a time-sensitive session.

Sources

• Ami Diamond [MVP] demonstration of interactive PowerPoint Live slides
• Ami Diamond [MVP] on LinkedIn

Frequently asked questions

Can attendees interact with PowerPoint Live slides independently?

In the demonstrated setup, attendees can explore interactive content without changing the presenter's view or other attendees' interaction state.

How do I create an interactive slide for a Teams meeting?

The demonstration opens Copilot in PowerPoint, selects the plus sign, chooses Plugins and skills, and selects Create Interactive Slide. It then shares the deck in Teams as a Live presentation.

What license do I need for interactive PowerPoint slides in Teams?

The supplied material does not state licensing requirements. Check the feature in your organization's PowerPoint environment before relying on it.

Does an attendee's interaction change what the presenter sees?

No. In the demonstrated behavior, each attendee can interact independently while the presenter stays on their current slide.