When I learned that Microsoft PowerPoint lets you add bookmarks to video and audio in PowerPoint, it completely changed how I use the program and, more importantly, dramatically elevated the quality of my presentations.

Why Add Bookmarks to Video and Audio Clips in PowerPoint?

You can add bookmarks to videos and audio clips in PowerPoint to trigger animations while the media plays. As well as making your slideshow more professional, this helps draw your audience’s attention to certain details in the video or audio clip.

The slide below contains a short video of someone kayaking, and I want to highlight three techniques the person is using that my audience would benefit from copying.

However, rather than the labels showing for the whole video, I want them to appear and disappear at different points so that they stand out individually and don’t overwhelm my viewers with an overload of information. The way to do this is by adding bookmarks to the video, which can be used as trigger points for the other objects’ entrance and exit animations.

How to Add a Bookmark to Video and Audio Clips in PowerPoint

Adding a bookmark to a video or audio clip you’ve inserted in your PowerPoint presentation is straightforward.

First, select the media item, and open the “Playback” tab on the ribbon.

Now, in the playback control beneath the video or audio clip, either click “►” and then pause the media at the point at which you want to add the first bookmark, or hover over and click the appropriate position on the playback timeline.

Finally, click “Add Bookmark” in the Playback tab you opened earlier, and see a yellow circle appear on the playback timeline.

When you continue playing the media or select a different point on the playback timeline, the yellow circle will turn white to indicate that it is no longer selected.

Repeat this process until you have added all your bookmarks.

How to Use a Bookmark to Trigger Animations in PowerPoint

Now that you’ve added the bookmarks to your video or audio clip, you’re ready to use them as trigger points for animations.

Start by selecting the first object or objects you want to animate. In my example, I want the text box containing the words “Relaxed grip” and the corresponding green rectangle to fade in at the first bookmark. So, I’ll select those items together, open the “Animations” tab on the ribbon, and click “Fade.” Notice the numerical labels in rectangular boxes confirming that I’ve successfully added the animations.

Once you reach this stage, it’s time to link the animation to the first bookmark. To do this, with the Animations tab still open, head across to the Advanced Animations group. There, click “Trigger,” hover over “On Bookmark,” and click “Bookmark 1.” The numerical labels I mentioned earlier turn to lightning symbols to confirm that the animation is linked to a trigger.

Next, I want the same two objects to fade out at the second bookmark. To do this, I need to select the objects again, click “Add Animation” in the Animations tab on the ribbon, and choose the Fade exit animation.

Finally, with those two objects still selected, click Trigger > On Bookmark > Bookmark 2.

Before you go ahead and add entrance and exit animations to the remaining objects, press Shift+F5 to launch your presentation at the current slide and check that the bookmark-linked animations you’ve just added behave as expected. When you’re happy, repeat the process for each object as necessary. Also, clicking “Animation Pane” in the Animations tab on the ribbon will help you manage the order of the animations, which is especially handy if there are many on each slide.

How to Remove Video and Audio Bookmarks in PowerPoint

Unfortunately, PowerPoint doesn’t let you reposition existing bookmarks if you realize you’ve put one in the wrong place on the playback timeline. Instead, you’ll need to remove any stray bookmarks and, if you wish, replace them with new ones.

To do this, hover over the video or audio clip, and click the bookmark you want to remove from the playback timeline to turn it yellow.

Now, in the Playback tab on the ribbon, click “Remove Bookmark,” and see the yellow circle disappear from the playback timeline.

If you add a new bookmark to replace the one you’ve just removed, remember to hover over it to check what it’s called. This will make using it as an animation trigger much easier later on.

Adding media bookmarks isn’t the only way to make your PowerPoint presentation more engaging. For example, creating a countdown timer, using the morph transition, and adding action buttons are all surefire ways to grab and maintain your audience’s attention.