Decide what to include in the count
Before you start counting, decide which text should be included in the total. For example, will you count only the text visible on the slides, or also speaker notes, references, and shape labels? If a teacher, organization, or application requirement specifies a method, follow it. If there is no specific rule, counting visible slide text and keeping notes separate is a practical choice.
This distinction matters: text visible in the presentation and speaker notes make up different scopes. If you combine them, state clearly what the total includes. Before you begin, write a short list of your decisions about including headings, diagram labels, references, and notes so you can apply the same criteria later.
Verify word counting in Slides
Google’s word count help page says that word counting is available in Google Docs but not in Google Slides. So don’t assume that Slides has a particular menu option. Product features can change, so check Google’s current help information and your own Slides interface before using it. If you see an option in the menu, verify in Google’s current product help that it really is a word-count function.
The method below does not automatically scan a Slides presentation. It gathers the text you choose to count in a temporary Google Docs file and uses Docs’ word-count tool. The result is therefore a count of the text you compiled; you still need to check separately whether it covers the entire source.
Compile the text in a temporary Docs file
- Work without changing the original presentation file. You do not need to reformat the slides for the count; the goal is simply to gather the text you selected in a separate document.
- Review the slides in order and transfer the text you want to include into the temporary Docs file. Marking each piece on a separate checklist with the slide it came from can make it easier to find anything you missed.
- Include or exclude headings, text boxes, and shape or diagram labels according to your initial decision. Don’t assume that text embedded in an image is editable text. If it should be counted, read and compile it separately by hand.
- If you are counting speaker notes, keep them in a separate section from the visible text. This lets you count the two scopes separately and combine them later if needed.
- Decide whether to include references using the same rule. Applying the decision to only some slides could produce a result that cannot be compared consistently.
These steps describe a compilation method; they do not claim that Google automatically transfers Slides text into Docs. You are responsible for ensuring that the text is compiled completely and without duplication during the transfer.
Open the count in Docs
Google Docs’ computer instructions say to open the word count using Tools > Word count. If you use a different language in your interface, the menu labels may look different; check the corresponding option in the interface and in Google’s current Docs help. For computer instructions on the feature, see Find the word count in Google Docs.
If you want to count only part of the text, select it and open the count window. According to Google’s help, if no text is selected, the document is counted; this count does not include headers, footers, or footnotes. This rule may affect the scope of the count in your temporary document. If you are counting a selection, check that it covers all the text you compiled. The count window may also show character and page information alongside the word count; use the relevant line for the word total.
Hypothetical example: a five-slide presentation
Entirely hypothetical example: A student wants to find the word count of the visible text in a five-slide presentation on “Composting in the School Garden.” The scope they chose includes headings and diagram labels, but excludes speaker notes and references.
The student transfers the text to be included from each slide, in order, into a temporary Docs file and marks the slide numbers on a checklist. Then they select all the text they compiled and open the word count in Docs. If they notice during comparison that a diagram label was not transferred, they add it according to the original scope and count again. Finally, they review all five slides one by one. The result is not an automatic count from Slides; it is the total for the text they compiled in Docs according to the scope they chose.
Check the result and find discrepancies
If the count is lower than you expected, check for skipped slides, text boxes, and any labels you decided to include. If text embedded in an image should be counted, make sure you have examined it separately. If the count is higher, look for duplicate pastes, headings added by mistake, and notes that may have become mixed in with the text.
If possible, don’t stop at checking only the first, middle, and last slides; compare the entire presentation with the compilation document. You cannot assume that Docs will automatically find a piece omitted or added twice in the compilation without comparing it with the source presentation. When sharing the result, state the scope you used, for example, “visible slide text; excluding references and speaker notes.”
If menu labels or options look different on your screen, don’t assume a command is available if you can’t see it. Check the current official help for Google Docs and Slides, and verify feature and interface information in your own product. If you see a difference between the help page and the interface, rely on Google’s current explanation rather than presenting an unclear feature as definitely available or unavailable.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a word count menu in Google Slides?
The Google help information provided says that word counting is not available in Slides. Check the current status in the product help and your own interface. If you need a count, you can compile the text you chose in a temporary Docs file and use the word count there.
Should I include speaker notes in the total?
That depends on the required criteria. If notes are required, compile and count them separately; if only visible slide text is required, leave them out. State the scope when you report the result.
Is the number in Docs the exact total for the presentation?
The count applies to the text you selected or compiled in Docs. To determine whether it represents the entire presentation, you need to compare the compilation with the source slides.
Final checklist
- I decided on the scope of the count; my decisions about visible text, notes, references, and labels are clear.
- I reviewed the slides in order and compiled the text I want to include in a temporary Docs file.
- I checked whether text embedded in images falls within the scope.
- I compared the compilation with the source presentation and checked for omitted and duplicated text.
- I stated that the total in Docs applies to the text compiled according to the scope I chose.
Related how-to guides
You can explore the relevant step in more detail with the Google Slides WordArt guide. You can explore the relevant step in more detail with the PowerPoint WordArt guide.
← Back to blog
