In today’s world, we probably couldn’t imagine a road trip without our GPS companions! Similarly, when navigating a presentation, we need a map to show us how to read the collection of text and images on each slide.

While some people may rely on visual placement to understand which content or image of the slide to focus on first versus fifth, reading order supports people without visual context or using a keyboard for navigation to successfully land on each element in the correct sequence. For example, reading order communicates to assistive technology devices that they should read the title first before the author’s name when they encounter a slide.

When setting the reading order, follow these pro-tips to create a smooth ride for everyone in your audience:

1. Use Premade Templates — Avoid extra text boxes

The Layout tab in Google Slides provides different ways to arrange the content on a slide. Some options include:

• Title Slide: Typically used for the first slide of a presentation and includes placeholders for the name of the presentation and the author
• Title and Body: The most commonly used layout to introduce a topic and related content on the same slide
• Title and Two Columns: Arranges information side-by-side and helps with comparing and contrasting ideas
• Section Title: Used to introduce new topics within a presentation, which sets the stage for subsequent slides

If the text boxes are not moved and new content is not added, the original reading order set by Google stays intact. Not only does using slide layouts as they are organized preserve the reading order, but also reduces the amount of work needed to correct the reading order.

2. Correct the Reading Order as Needed

In addition to the placeholders on a slide, what if we wanted to add an image diagram with an alt text description? Google Slides prompts screen readers and keyboards to navigate a slide in chronological order, starting with the back-most layer (earliest content created) to the front-most layer (latest content created). For example, if an image with an alt text description were most recently added, its alt text description would be read last.

Sometimes, however, we may want to reorganize the flow of content. In this case, we may want the alt-text image description to read after the title text. To rearrange the reading order, right-click on that image, go to Order and select Send Backward to move it.

Note: Avoid using the Send to Back option as it will make the element the first in the reading order.

3. Test the Reading Order

Now that we’ve finished the heavy lifting, let’s perform a final test to make sure that our reading order map navigates correctly by trying it out ourselves! Click outside of the slide into the gray area and press Tab to check if it outlines the title placeholder in blue. Then, continue pressing Tab until you have landed on each piece of content. If the tab key lands on elements in a logical order (matching the way you would like someone to read a slide), then that slide is ready for the road. If not, reorder the content using the Order option.

Before sharing the presentation, make sure that you test every slide as each follows a different layout.

More Resources

Want to learn more about how to ensure a smooth journey through your Google Slides presentations? Check out the following resources:

• Reading Order: Google Slides (Perkins)
• Layout and Reading Order (The Accessibility Guy)