How to add columns in Google Slides (step-by-step guide)

Adding a column to a slide can help you organize your thoughts and make your slide more visually appealing. Whether you are trying to create a simple three-column layout or add multiple columns with images and icons, this guide will walk you through the different methods to get what you need.

Here are 4 ways to add columns in Google Slides.

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Method 1: Use an AI presentation maker

An AI presentation maker like Plus AI can automatically generate multi-column layouts for your Google Slides. 

If you have an existing slide and you would like Plus AI to add an extra column, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the "Edit with Plus AI" menu
2. Click "Remix"
3. Write the instructions for a new column
4. Select the type of slide layout you'd like
5. Click Remix slide

To create a multiple column slide in Plus AI from scratch, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the "Edit with Plus AI" menu
2. Click "Insert"
3. Write a description of the slide you'd like
4. Select the type of slide layout you'd like
5. Click Generate slide

The best part of using an AI slides tool like Plus AI is it integrates directly with Google Slides and allows you to create and edit your content using AI instructions.

Method 2: Copy and resize from a pre-built layout

When you open a new Google Slides presentation, you typically already have access to several pre-built layouts that include columns. You can use these templates and then copy, paste, and resize the columns to fit your needs. Here are the steps:

1. Click on the "Layout" dropdown menu in the toolbar.
2. Choose a layout with columns.
3. Copy and paste the right-most column
4. Resize and reposition the column(s) as needed

This method allows you to quickly add columns to your slide without manually creating them from scratch. However, it will likely require some adjustments to match your presentation theme and design style.

Method 3: Create a table

Creating a table in Google Slides is another way to add a slide with columns to your presentation. "Columns" within a table are less flexible from a formatting perspective, but they do make it easier to keep all of your content aligned, especially if you need more than 5 columns or columns with different widths.

Here's how to create columns using a table:

1. Click Insert -> Table
2. Choose the number of columns and rows you need for your table.
3. Resize the table as needed depending on your column widths.
4. Add your content to the table cells.

Using this method will probably result in a less visually appealing result, but it is an easy way to organize your content in a structured format.

Method 4: Find and use a pre-existing template

If you are starting your presentation from scratch, one of the easiest ways to make pretty slides with more columns is to find a pre-existing template that offers a slide with the number of columns you need. There are many websites that offer professionally-designed templates, so you can just find one that meets your needs and replace the content with your own. (Here's the link to the example presentation above if you are looking to create a restaurant marketing strategy)

Plus offers a library of presentation templates that you can browse to find a set of slides that works for your presentation, and you can also use their AI function to rewrite the slides for you.

Other tips and tricks for great presentations

Here are some resources to help you create great presentations:

• Make slides look good - Here are some quick tips you can start trying out immediately to make your slides look like they were designed by a pro.
• PowerPoint Night ideas - Love presentations so much that you want to create and share them with your friends? Here are some ideas for fun presentations for a PowerPoint Night!

Conclusion

Adding columns in Google Slides - especially in a way that makes your slide looks good - is not always easy. The right solution really depends on your situation and exactly what you are trying to achieve. Hopefully you can use one of these methods to fit your content to your slide and make sure your presentation looks great!