Create and insert GIFs in PowerPoint

12.07.2022  •  #PowerPoint #Template

Contents

GIFs are a great way to liven up presentation slides and add a dash of humor. with a touch of humor. The animated images grab the attention of your of your audience and add life to your presentation. GIFs are especially popular on social networks because they play automatically and can run in an endless loop. Due to their small file size, they are also ideal for presentations.

    Content

1. What are GIFs?

The abbreviation GIF stands for the English term Graphics Interchange format. GIF files can, in contrast to static image representations such as JPG or PNG, generate moving images. These moving images are displayed in the browser or in other output programs as an animation that is constantly repeated. For example, you can display a logo that that moves continuously.

Slidelizard Logo GIF

2. Why should you use GIFs?

GIFs and videos have many features in common, yet there are a few differences. For example, GIFs have a small file size, which gives them an advantage over videos. However, each pixel within a GIF can have 256 colors, which makes GIFs appear in lower resolution than videos.


GIFs vs. Videos

GIFs Videos
  • Low file size
  • Lower resolution
  • GIFs have no sound
  • Partially large files
  • High resolution videos
  • Videos can be accompanied by sound

3. Where to find GIFs?

Among the largest providers of GIFs is the online database Giphy. GIFs can be shared and saved here. Giphy offers its own GIF search, which is also integrated into Whatsapp Messenger. Another provider for GIFs is Tenor. Here, you can also find countless GIFs on various topics.
Note: However, caution is advised with online providers for GIFs, because in case of a commercial use of GIFs copyright can be violated. A better and also safer alternative is therefore to create your own GIFs.


4. Create GIFs in PowerPoint

GIFs can be easily created in PowerPoint.
Note: If you set transitions between slides, they will be exported as well. For a smooth transition between the slides, you can use for example the PowerPoint transition "Morph". This can be found under Transitions > Morph. For the Morph effect, however, you need at least two slides with the same element. In our example we have chosen no transition, so that the Thank You lettering jumps around slightly and looks more alive.


  1. Create the slides you want to make into a GIF. To make the GIF move, you could change the position of the elements or the colors between the slides. Create slides
  2. In order for the created slides to become a GIF, you must click on File and Export and then select "Create animated GIF". Click on File
    Export GIF
  3. The export settings can be found on the side. By selecting the box "Make background transparent" you can export a transparent GIF. Otherwise the background of the GIF corresponds to the background of the slide. In addition, you can determine the display duration of the individual slides. Since in our example we want to create a fast moving GIF we have selected a time of 00.10 seconds per slide. Below that you can limit the number of slides to be exported in the GIF.
  4. Click on Create GIF to export and save your GIF. Create GIF

5. Insert GIFs in PowerPoint

In order to insert an already existing GIF into a presentation, you follow these steps.

  1. Select the slide where you want to insert the GIF. Choose Slide
  2. Click on the tab Insert and then on Images. Insert GIF
  3. If you have already downloaded the GIF file, you can click on This device and then navigate to the location of the GIF. Click on the insert button and the GIF will be placed on the selected slide. Choose location
    GIF is inserted
  4. If you want to search for a suitable GIF online, click on Online Images. The online images window will open and in the search bar at the top you can type in your keyword. Add and an additional "GIF" to search for GIFs. Search Online GIFs
    Insert Online GIFs
  5. Click Insert and the GIF will be inserted on the selected slide.

6. Useful GIFs for presentations

We have created a PowerPoint with useful GIFs for your next presentation. In the presentation you will find slides with royalty-free GIFs:

Download presentation for free

FAQ

What are GIFS?

The abbreviation GIF stands for the English term Graphics Interchange Format. GIF files can generate moving images that constantly repeat themselves.


How can I insert GIFs into PowerPoint?

  1. Select the slide where you want to insert the GIF.
  2. Click on the tab Insert and then on Images.
  3. Navigate to the location of the GIF and select Insert.

How do I create GIFs in PowerPoint?

  1. Create the slides you want to save as a GIF.
  2. Click File > Export and select Create Animated GIF.
  3. Click on Create GIF to export and save the GIF.

About the author

Johanna Gumpelmeyer

Johanna is a marketing and design expert at SlideLizard and is responsible for brand strategy. She combines strategic thinking with a keen eye for clear design.



Top blog articles
More posts

20 Poll Ice Breaker Questions to ask in your next Presentation

Add Superscript and Subscript in PowerPoint

LIZ AI Produktbild
LIZ AI - Autopilot for PowerPoint

Your existing systems. Automatically orchestrated and centrally connected.

LIZ AI connects directly with your enterprise systems and automatically turns data into presentations. Content is intelligently generated, updated, and visualized directly in PowerPoint. Presentations are created in the background, stay up to date at all times, and automatically match your corporate design - without manual effort.

Learn more about LIZ AI

The Glossary for Presentations & AI

AI Grounding

AI grounding is the process of anchoring an AI system's outputs to verified, real-world data rather than relying solely on knowledge encoded during model training. A grounded AI retrieves relevant, up-to-date information from external sources before generating a response. This significantly reduces the risk of AI hallucinations and ensures that outputs are accurate, current, and contextually relevant — a critical requirement for enterprise AI applications where factual reliability is non-negotiable. Grounding is a core technique used in LLM-powered systems.

Learn more

Glossophobia

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. It is one of the most commonly reported phobias, affecting an estimated 75% of people to some degree. Symptoms range from mild anxiety and nervousness to severe physical reactions such as sweating, shaking, and a racing heart. Glossophobia can significantly limit a person's professional and social opportunities. It is generally treatable through practice, exposure therapy, coaching, and structured presentation skills training.

Learn more

AI Hallucination

AI hallucination describes the phenomenon where an LLM confidently produces content that is factually incorrect, fabricated, or entirely made up — presented as though it were true. Hallucinations occur because language models generate statistically probable text based on training patterns, without access to verified facts. In enterprise contexts, hallucinations in presentations are a serious risk. AI grounding — anchoring outputs to verified company data — is the primary strategy for preventing hallucinations in production AI systems.

Learn more

Title Slide

A title slide is the opening slide of a presentation, typically displaying the title, subtitle, presenter name, date, and company or event branding. It is the first thing the audience sees and sets the visual and tonal expectations for everything that follows. A strong title slide creates a professional first impression, establishes brand identity, and frames the topic clearly. It is often displayed on screen before the presentation begins as attendees are taking their seats.

Learn more

Be the first to know!

The latest SlideLizard news, articles, and resources,
sent straight to your inbox.

- or follow us on -