How to Check Word Count in Google Slides Presentation

Simple Guide to Check Word Count in Google Slides 

A great presentation is a mix of compelling visuals and strong text. With its perfect blend, you can create impactful presentations. But how do you ensure your slides aren’t overloaded with text? Google Slides is the best platform for creating presentations. It excels in design and collaboration, but lacks in a direct word count feature, leaving many presenters wondering how to track their text volume. Whether you’re aiming for a snappy pitch or a detailed report, knowing your word count is crucial for managing your presentation’s length and keeping your audience engaged. In this guide, we’ll walk you through simple, effective workarounds to check your word count on Google Slides, empowering you to create polished and impactful presentations every time.

Finding Right Word Count for your Google Slides 

While you don’t find any option  to directly count word limit in Google Slides, understanding its importance is paramount. An ideal word count per slide is subjective and depends on the presentation’s purpose, but a general guideline is to aim for 20-30 words. However, a more effective principle is to prioritize clarity and impact. 

Select a word count that allows your visuals to shine and your key messages to be easily absorbed. If a slide requires more text, consider breaking it into multiple slides or utilizing speaker notes to elaborate. The goal is to strike a balance between informative content and engaging delivery, ensuring your audience remains focused and retains the essential information.

Why Word Count Matters in Google Slides 

Word count in Google Slides isn’t just about meeting an arbitrary number; it’s a key factor in delivering a successful presentation. It influences how your audience perceives and absorbs your message, ultimately determining the effectiveness of your communication.

Time Management and Presentation Length

Word count directly impacts presentation length. Text heavy slides requires more time to present. See word count in your Google Slides to ensure your presentation fits within the allocated time.

Clarity and Audience Engagement

Fewer words improve clarity and audience engagement. Text-heavy slides overwhelm viewers, making it difficult to grasp key points. Concise slides allow the audience to focus on your spoken words and visuals.

Professionalism and Impact

Well-managed word counts enhance professionalism and impact. Concise slides convey confidence and highlight the most important information, while text-heavy slides can appear cluttered and undermine your message.

Speaker Notes Management

Word count in speaker notes is crucial for staying on track and avoiding reading directly from slides. Appropriate word count also helps manage presentation length and prevents rambling.

Ways to Count Words in Google Slides

Method 1: Export to TXT File

This method involves downloading the text content of your Google Slides presentation into a plain text file, which can then be used to determine the word count

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to do it:

• Copy the text (Optional): If your text editor doesn’t show a word count, select all the text in the .txt file and copy it. You can then paste the text into  Google Docs or Microsoft Word to get the word count.
• Open your Google Slides presentation: Go to your Google Slides presentation.
• Go to File Menu: Click on “File” in the top menu.
• Select Download: Hover over “Download” in the dropdown menu.
• Choose Plain Text: Select “Plain Text (.txt)” from the list of file formats.
• Locate the downloaded file: Find the .txt file that was downloaded to your computer. The location varies depending on your browser and computer settings (Downloads folder, Desktop, etc.).
• Open the .txt file: Open the .txt file with a text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or any other text editor).

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages:
  • Simple: Relatively straightforward process.
  • Offline access: Works without an internet connection once the file is downloaded.
  • Preserves most text: Retains the basic text content from your slides.
• Disadvantages:
  • Loss of formatting: All visual formatting (fonts, colors, bullet points, etc.) is lost in the .txt file.
  • Requires extra steps: You might need to copy the text into another tool to get the word count.
  • Less user-friendly: May not be as intuitive for some users as the copy-paste method.

Method 2: Using Third-Party Tools

Several third-party tools, such as online word counters and browser extensions, can help you check the word count in your Google Slides presentation.

Online Word Counters

Many websites offer free online word counters like WordCounter where you can paste your text to get an instant count.

The website will immediately display the word count.

How to use:

• Copy the text from your Google Slides presentation (either slide by slide or by exporting to a text file as described in Method 1).
• Open a web browser and search for “online word counter”.
• Choose a word counter website from the search results.
• Paste the copied text into the text area on the website.

Browser Extensions

Some browser extensions can also provide a word count directly within Google Slides or other web applications.

• How to use:
  1. Open the web store or extensions page for your browser (e.g., Chrome Web Store for Chrome).
  2. Search for “word count extension”.
  3. Choose a word count extension from the search results and install it.
  4. The extension may automatically count words in text fields or require you to select the text you want to count. Refer to the extension’s instructions for specific usage.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Advantages:
  • Convenient: Quick and easy to use, especially online word counters.
  • Versatile: Works with text from various sources, not just Google Slides.
  • Often free: Most online word counters and many browser extensions are available at no cost.
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires internet access: Online word counters need an internet connection.
  • Accuracy may vary: The accuracy of some third-party tools may not be guaranteed.
  • Potential security concerns: Be cautious when using third-party tools and ensure they are from reputable sources, as you are pasting your presentation text into them.

conclusion

While Google Slides doesn’t offer a direct, built-in word count feature, managing your text is crucial for delivering impactful presentations. Keeping track of your word count helps you to ensure clarity, maintain audience engagement, and adhere to time constraints.

Here in the blogpost our presentation expert have shared simple yet effective methods for checking word count in Google Slides: copying and pasting into Google Docs, exporting to a text file, and using third-party tools.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that best suits your workflow and preferences. By employing these techniques, you can effectively monitor your word count and craft polished, professional presentations that leave a lasting impression