How to use

Use a PowerPoint timer

Build the timing plan from the deck so Timerinator follows the slide show and PowerPoint stays the system of record.

Timerinator showing a PowerPoint-based timer
PowerPoint timers follow the active slide show, current section, speaker changes, callouts, and slide limits.

  1. Break the deck into sections

    Use PowerPoint sections for the major parts of the presentation. Timerinator imports each section name, counts only visible slides, and uses the section as the timing structure.

  2. Add timing hints in speaker notes

    Put section-level timing tags in the notes of the first visible slide in a section. Use SECTIONTYPE: Demo for a timed demo block, SECTIONTYPE: QA for questions and discussion, DURATION: to set the section duration, and MINTIME: to protect a minimum duration when time is redistributed.

  3. Mark speaker changes

    For multiple presenters, add SPEAKER: followed by a speaker name or initials as the first non-empty notes line on the slide where that person begins. Speaker tags on hidden slides carry forward to the next visible slide.

  4. Add slide annotations

    Add CALLOUT: for a short visible reminder or MAXTIME: for a per-slide time limit. These tags can appear on any notes line; Timerinator uses the first matching tag on each visible slide.

  5. Open the deck in Timerinator

    Use the Timerinator desktop app to open the PowerPoint file. Timerinator imports the sections, speakers, colors, note tags, and slide counts.

  6. Review the imported timer

    Check the section durations, colors, speakers, demos, Q&A blocks, and breaks. If the deck changes later, refresh from PowerPoint instead of maintaining a separate plan by hand.

  7. Start the slide show

    Run the PowerPoint slide show from the presenting computer. Timerinator follows the active slide, current section, speaker, callout, and break state.

PowerPoint timer running with slide-aware timing information
During the show, the timer stays synchronized with the PowerPoint slide show.

PowerPoint note tags

SPEAKER:
Starts a speaker run. Put it on the first non-empty notes line.
CALLOUT:
Shows a short slide callout on the timer.
MAXTIME:
Shows a slide-level limit. Accepts seconds, minutes, or time formats such as 90s, 5 min, or 00:01:30.
SECTIONTYPE:
Use Demo for a time block instead of slide-weighted timing. Use QA, Q&A, or Questions for a flexible questions block that keeps its PowerPoint slide anchor. The default is slide-based timing.
DURATION:
Sets the imported section duration.
MINTIME:
Sets the minimum duration Timerinator should preserve when redistributing time.