What is a layout in PowerPoint?

A layout is a blank slide with placeholders predefined for a specific type of slides. For example, a section header playout is a blank slide with placeholders predefined for you fill in text to create a section header slide.

A number of layouts can be defined for various types of slides and save them as a slide master.

If you want to see the list of layouts in your current slide master, click the Home tab, then the Layout icon in the Slides group. For example, my current slide master has the following layouts:

1. Title Slide: A layout to create the title slide with 2 placeholders.

2. Title and Content: A layout for normal content slides with 2 placeholders.

3. Section Header: A layout for section header slides with 2 placeholders.

4. Two Content: A layout for content slides of two columns with 2 placeholders.

5. Comparison: A layout for slides of two columns and two headers usually for comparison purpose with 5 placeholders.

6. Title Only: A layout for blank slides with slide title only with 1 placeholders.

7. Blank: A layout for blank slides with 0 placeholder.

8. Content with Caption: A layout for content slides with captions on the right hand side with 3 placeholders.

9. Picture with Caption: A layout for picture slides with captions on the right hand side with 3 placeholders.

See the picture below:

⇒ Adding New Layouts to Slide Master in PowerPoint

⇐ Adding New Slide Masters in PowerPoint

⇑ PowerPoint Slid Master, Layout and Template

⇑⇑ MS PowerPoint - Frequently Asked Questions