Watch the walkthrough on YouTube
Notion Present mode turns a Notion page into a slide-style presentation. The key is using dividers: each divider creates a slide break. Columns, images, videos, and embeds can carry into the presentation, which makes Present mode useful for live walkthroughs, internal training, lightweight decks, and workshops built around Notion pages.
It is not a full replacement for Canva, Google Slides, or Keynote. It is a better way to present content that already belongs in Notion.
What is Notion Present mode?
Notion Present mode is a presentation view for Notion pages. Instead of scrolling a page like a document, you can move through the content slide by slide.
The feature matters because a lot of Notion work is already presentation-adjacent: onboarding docs, client workshops, operating system walkthroughs, training materials, project reviews, live build sessions, and template demos. Before Present mode, you could force a Notion page to behave like slides by adding awkward spacing and resizing the browser window. It worked, but it was clunky.
Open a Notion page, go to the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and choose Present.
Dividers create slides
Dividers are the slide breaks. If you type three dashes in Notion to create a divider, Present mode treats the content before and after that divider as separate slides. This is the difference between a long document in a presentation wrapper and an actual slide flow.
A good Notion presentation page usually follows this pattern:
- H1 or H2 for the slide title.
- Short supporting text or bullets.
- Image, embed, database view, or example if needed.
- Divider to start the next slide.
Do not build the page as a pile of toggles if the goal is to present. Toggles can be useful for source notes, but dividers are the presentation structure.
Columns and embeds carry into slides
Columns can carry into Present mode, which is useful for basic slide composition. Use columns for before-and-after comparisons, image-plus-bullets layouts, agenda-plus-context slides, or a live demo next to talking points.
Embeds can also work inside Present mode. That means you can include a YouTube video, a Canva embed, a gallery, or another Notion-friendly embed and present it from inside the page. This is useful for workshops because you can keep the narrative, links, examples, and resources in one Notion page while still presenting in a cleaner format.
In the video, Dave also shows the page switching into dark mode with Command + Shift + L. Treat dark mode as a presentation preference, not a design strategy. The content still needs to be structured clearly.
When to use Notion Present mode
Use Present mode when the source material is already a Notion page or when the presentation should remain useful after the meeting.
- Client onboarding walkthroughs
- Team training sessions
- Workshop agendas
- Startup operating system demos
- Template walkthroughs
- Internal process reviews
- Live Notion build sessions
Do not use Notion Present mode when the deck needs heavy visual design, custom animation, brand polish, print-ready layout, or complex chart storytelling. For sales decks, keynote talks, investor decks, and brand-heavy presentations, a dedicated deck tool is still better.
Setup checklist
- Duplicate the working page before restructuring it for slides.
- Replace long toggle sections with divider-separated sections.
- Use one clear heading per slide.
- Keep bullets short enough to scan from a distance.
- Use columns for simple side-by-side layouts.
- Test embeds before presenting live.
- Open Present mode and do one full run-through before the meeting.
FAQ
How do you create separate slides in Notion Present mode?
Add dividers between sections. Present mode uses dividers as slide breaks.
Can Notion Present mode show videos and Canva embeds?
Yes, embeds can work inside Present mode. Test them before a live presentation because embed behavior can vary by source and permissions.
Is Notion Present mode good enough for client presentations?
Yes, for workshops, walkthroughs, training, and process reviews. For polished sales decks or brand-heavy presentations, use a dedicated presentation tool.
The Workcraft take
Present mode is not a novelty. It is a sign that Notion pages are becoming operational interfaces, not just documents. When the same page can be the prep doc, the live presentation, and the leave-behind resource, you reduce the number of artifacts your team has to maintain.