How to share a PowerPoint as a link (4 ways)
OneDrive, Google Slides, PowerPoint for the web, or a rendered link. Which to use, and what each does to your fonts.
Updated 2026-09-08
There are four sensible ways to turn a .pptx into a link. They differ in what happens to your fonts and animations, whether the viewer needs an account, and whether you can see who opened it. Here they are, roughly in order of how often people reach for them.
1. Share from PowerPoint via OneDrive or SharePoint
If the file is saved to OneDrive or a SharePoint site, click Share in the top right of PowerPoint, choose Copy link, and set the permission to Anyone with the link can view. The recipient opens the deck in PowerPoint for the web.
Good: it's the live file, so animations and embedded video play, and if you edit the deck the link updates.
Watch out for: company IT policies. Many organisations disable "anyone with the link", which means your recipient hits a sign-in wall. Fonts that aren't in Microsoft's cloud font set get substituted. And you get no view analytics beyond a generic "viewed" flag on business plans.
2. Import into Google Slides and publish
Upload the .pptx to Google Drive, open it with Google Slides, then use File > Share > Publish to web or a plain view-only share link.
Good: free, no account needed for the viewer, and a familiar interface.
Watch out for: conversion drift. Google Slides does a reasonable job with simple decks, but custom fonts, SmartArt, grouped shapes, and some transitions come out wrong. Check every slide before you send it. There is no view tracking on a published link.
3. Export to PDF and share the PDF as a link
In PowerPoint, File > Export > Create PDF (or Save As and pick PDF). Upload the PDF to PDF Deck and you get a link that opens in any browser.
Good: the slides look identical everywhere because the PDF carries the fonts. Nothing to install, no account for the viewer, and you get view tracking, an optional password, a QR code, and a presentation mode that steps through one slide at a time. If you fix a slide, upload the new PDF and the same link shows it.
Watch out for: animations, transitions, and embedded video don't survive a PDF export. What you share is the finished appearance of each slide.
4. Upload the .pptx directly
Skip the export step. Drop the .pptx onto the PowerPoint to link page and PDF Deck renders it to a browser-friendly document for you. Same result as option 3, one fewer step, and you never have to find the export menu on a phone.
Which one should you use?
| If you need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Animations and embedded video to play | OneDrive link | It's the live file |
| Collaborators to edit | OneDrive or Google Slides | Editing links are built in |
| The slides to look exactly right on every device | PDF Deck | Rendered pages carry the fonts |
| To know when it was opened | PDF Deck | View tracking on every plan |
| A password, or your own domain on the link | PDF Deck | Password is free; custom domain from $6/mo |
| Nothing to sign in to, ever | PDF Deck or Google Slides | No viewer account required |
Tips before you share any deck as a link
- Check slide size. 16:9 fills a laptop screen; 4:3 leaves bars. Either is fine, just be deliberate.
- Embed fonts or use system ones. This matters most for options 1 and 2. For a PDF it's automatic.
- Delete hidden slides. A PDF export includes them unless you untick Include hidden slides.
- Keep the file under 20 MB if you can. Compress pictures before exporting (File > Compress Pictures on Mac). Everything loads faster.
- Test the link on your phone. That's where most people will first open it.
Sending a deck to investors specifically? There's a separate guide on how to share a pitch deck with investors.