What is a POTX file?
POTX stands for PowerPoint template. It was created by Microsoft and first released in 2007. POTX is the template version of PPTX. Most downloadable PowerPoint designs come as POTX files: opening one starts a fresh presentation with the design, while the template itself stays unchanged.
| Type | presentation |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | opens in PowerPoint, where it starts a new presentation with its design; Google Slides and LibreOffice Impress open it too |
| Common uses | company slide designs and downloadable presentation templates |
| MIME type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template |
How to open a POTX file
Whether a POTX file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | PowerPoint or the free LibreOffice Impress opens PPT, PPTX and ODP. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Keynote opens PPT and PPTX; LibreOffice Impress opens ODP. |
| iPhone and iPad | Keynote and the PowerPoint app open PPT and PPTX; ODP needs an app such as Collabora Office. |
| Android | Google Slides and the PowerPoint app open PPT and PPTX; ODP needs an app such as Collabora Office. |
| Web browser | POTX opens in PowerPoint, where it starts a new presentation with its design; Google Slides and LibreOffice Impress open it too. |
Want the technical details? See what a .potx file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
POTX compared with other presentation formats
How POTX stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POTX | Lossless | slide masters, layouts, themes and sometimes sample slides in a ZIP of XML files | 2007 | company slide designs and downloadable presentation templates |
| PPTX | Lossless | slides with text, images, charts, animations and speaker notes | 2007 | presentations for work, school and conferences |
| PPT | Lossless | slides with text, images and animations in a binary file | 1997 | older presentations and slide decks from legacy systems |
| ODP | Lossless | slides with text, images and transitions in a ZIP of XML files | 2005 | presentations made in LibreOffice and OpenOffice |
| Either | 1993 | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
How to use the POTX converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your POTX files on the box, or press Choose POTX files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting POTX files
Converting a POTX file keeps every slide and its text: what can change is fonts, effects and animations, where formats do not match feature for feature. A few habits keep the result close to the original.
- Keep the original presentation; a PDF cannot play animations, transitions or video.
- Unhide the slides you want included; hidden slides are left out, as they are when you present.
- Embed fonts in PowerPoint so unusual typefaces look the same in the PDF.
- Compress large photos in the deck to keep the file under the size limit and the PDF easy to email.
- Speaker notes are not included in a PDF of the slides; export notes separately if you need them.
Convert POTX files from the command line
LibreOffice does the same on your own computer, without opening a window:
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf input.potxConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
POTX converter FAQ
What is a POTX file?
POTX stands for PowerPoint template, a presentation format created by Microsoft in 2007. POTX is the template version of PPTX. Most downloadable PowerPoint designs come as POTX files: opening one starts a fresh presentation with the design, while the template itself stays unchanged.
How do I open a POTX file?
POTX opens in PowerPoint, where it starts a new presentation with its design; Google Slides and LibreOffice Impress open it too. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common POTX conversion?
POTX to PDF is the conversion people search for most. The POTX is opened by LibreOffice, the open-source office suite, on our conversion server and exported to PDF with its layout: one page per slide, with the text, images, shapes and charts as they appear on the slide.
Does converting POTX files here upload them?
Yes. POTX conversions need LibreOffice, an open-source program that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the POTX converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert POTX files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your POTX files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several POTX files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.