- Captivate User Guide
 - Get to know Captivate
 - Adobe Captivate releases
  
- Adobe Captivate 13
 - Adobe Captivate 12
 
 - Project setup
 - Import from PowerPoint
 - Generative AI in Captivate
  
- Generative AI overview
 - Generate text
 - Generate images
 - Generate avatar
 - Generate transcripts
 
 - Add and edit text
 - Add and edit images
 - Add and edit media
 - Interactive components
 - Create quizzes
 - Add widgets
 - Interactions and animations
 - Enhance your e-learning project
 - Simulation projects
 - Timeline and TOC
 - Review and collaborate
 - Preview and publish
 - Accessibility
 - Design options in Adobe Captivate
 - Additional resources
 
Learn how to import PowerPoint presentations into Adobe Captivate to convert slide-based training content into interactive eLearning projects quickly and efficiently.
Overview
Adobe Captivate simplifies the process of transforming PowerPoint presentations (PPTX) into interactive eLearning modules. You can directly import your presentations into Captivate, eliminating the need to recreate content manually and accelerating course development.
All imported PowerPoint objects are converted into Captivate objects, allowing you to easily edit, customize, and enhance them with interactions, animations, and triggers within Captivate, making your slides more dynamic and engaging.
This feature is handy for:
- Instructional designers with existing PowerPoint-based training materials.
 - Subject matter experts looking to build eLearning courses.
 - Anyone who wants to convert slide decks into engaging, interactive learning experiences.
 
Topics in this page:
Key benefits:
Many Instructional Designers and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) already have valuable training materials in PowerPoint. With Adobe Captivate, these presentations can be imported directly, eliminating the need to rebuild them from scratch.
- Save time: Import existing slides instantly instead of recreating them manually.
 - Simplify the process: Bring content into Captivate without needing advanced authoring expertise.
 - Work faster under deadlines: Convert PowerPoint decks into ready-to-publish projects within minutes.
 - Use resources efficiently: Reduce duplication of effort and speed up go-to-market timelines.
 - Maintain visual consistency: Preserve original layouts and design while enhancing them with interactivity.
 
Only presentations in the PPTX (MS PowerPoint 2007 and onwards) format can be imported into Adobe Captivate version 13 and onwards.
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Launch Adobe Captivate.
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On the welcome screen, select Import PowerPoint from the left menu.
The welcome screen provides quick access to PowerPoint import functionality for converting existing presentations. The welcome screen provides quick access to PowerPoint import functionality for converting existing presentations.  - 
    
Browse and select your PPTX file. The import begins automatically, converting your slides into a Captivate project.
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View the slides in Captivate and check if the content has imported successfully. The imported slides are non-responsive and marked with a PowerPoint icon in the slide navigator.
PowerPoint icons in the slide navigator help you distinguish imported content from native Captivate slides. PowerPoint icons in the slide navigator help you distinguish imported content from native Captivate slides.  
When a PowerPoint presentation is imported, its original slide dimensions are retained and set as the project dimensions. As a result, project dimension settings in Project properties are disabled for these imported projects in Captivate.
Post import behavior
Understand non-responsive behavior
Imported PowerPoint slides are non-responsive, meaning they retain their fixed layout and design. Unlike default, responsive Captivate slides, they do not adjust for different screen sizes or devices.
- Objects remain in the same position as in the PowerPoint slide.
 - Responsive project layouts and device views are unavailable.
 - Content blocks like widgets and interactive components cannot be applied to imported slides.
 
| 
                    
     Feature / Behavior  | 
                
            
                
                    
     Imported slides  | 
                
            
                
                    
     Default Captivate slides  | 
                
            
        
|---|---|---|
| 
                    
     Positioning and layout  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Non-responsive and fixed; matches the original PowerPoint layout.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Responsive by design; flexible and adapts to screen size.  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Slide navigator icon  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Displays the icon that indicates it is imported from a PPTX project.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     No icon is displayed.  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Adding new objects  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Limited to text, media, and shapes only.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Full access to objects, widgets, responsive content blocks, and interactive components, except for shapes.  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Device view options  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Not available.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Available.  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Simulation slides  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Disabled for imported projects.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Disabled for imported projects.  | 
            
        
| 
                    
     Best use cases  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Ideal for saving time for creation and preserving the original slide layout and visuals.  | 
            
                
                
                    
     Enhance imported projects by incorporating quizzes, menus, assessments, and responsive interactions.  | 
            
        
Although imported slides are non-responsive, you can combine them with default Captivate slides in the same project. This lets you add enhancements while preserving your original PowerPoint content.
- Insert quizzes between content slides.
 - Create assessment and feedback slides.
 - Add new slides with interactions and widgets for mobile-friendly content.
 
What imports successfully
Text
- All basic formatting: font, size, bold, italics, underline, strikethrough.
 - Text alignment and bullet points with custom icons.
 - Indentation, spacing, and special characters.
 - Text effects like shadows and highlights.
 
Media
- Images with size, rotation, border styles, and transparency.
 - Audio files (MP3/WAV) including slide and background audio.
 - Embedded MP4 videos with basic playback functionality.
 - Slide notes (converted to AI narrator transcripts). Learn more about working with media on imported slides.
 
Others features
- Supported shapes- converted to editable Captivate shapes.
 - Slide themes and background elements.
 - Basic animation properties (duration and delay).
 - Accessibility reading order maintained from PowerPoint.
 
Troubleshooting PowerPoint import
When you import a PowerPoint (PPTX) file into Adobe Captivate, you may see error messages related to file integrity, permissions, or unsupported features. Use the following table to identify and resolve common issues.
| Error scenario | Error message | Recommended fix | 
|---|---|---|
| Corrupt or damaged files | Import failed. The PowerPoint file appears to be damaged or unsupported. | - Open the file in Microsoft PowerPoint to verify it works. - Save a new copy in PPTX format and try again. - Remove unsupported embedded objects (macros, add-ins).  | 
| Password-protected files | Import failed. The PowerPoint file is protected with a password. | - Remove the password protection in PowerPoint. - Save the file as PPTX without a password and re-import.  | 
| Files stored on a network drive | Import failed. The file is stored on a network drive, which may be causing issues. | - Move the PPTX file to a local drive. - Confirm read/write permissions. - Re-import the file from the local path.  | 
| Partial import or feature mismatch | Some PowerPoint features have been adapted for Captivate and may appear slightly different. | - Review imported slides for differences in animations, transitions, or fonts. - Reapply unsupported effects directly in Captivate. - Use equivalent Captivate features for animations and interactions.  |