How to replace text placeholders

To replace text in your PowerPoint slides, simply fill out the table in Excel.

➤ In the Placeholder column

Enter the exact text you want to replace in your PowerPoint slides. You can choose any format — for example: TITLE, <<title>>, [[Title]], or {{TITLE}}.

Just make sure the placeholder is distinct (something that won’t appear by accident) and case-sensitive. So Title, TITLE, and title are treated as different.

This same text must also appear somewhere in your PowerPoint template.

➤ In the Source column

Define where Excel2PPT should pull the replacement value from. You can use:

• A static value like 2025

• A named range like rngPresentationTitle

• A cell reference like Sheet1!C3

Here’s an example:

Where You Can Use Placeholders in PowerPoint

✅ Supported:

• Textboxes

• Shapes (e.g. rectangles, circles)

• Placeholders (except slide numbers)

• Tables

• Charts

  • Chart titles

  • Axis titles

  • Data labels

Note: Axis values must be changed in the source data, not via placeholder.

❌ Not Supported:

• SmartArt

Once set up, Excel2PPT will go through each slide and replace any matching placeholders with the correct values from your Excel table.