What works in Slides and PowerPoint?
A link from a slide to the live wheel works in both apps. Neither app has a built-in way to run a live web page inside a slide, so the wheel spins in your browser.
| Method | Google Slides | PowerPoint | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linked text | Yes | Yes | Opens the live wheel in the browser |
| Linked button or picture | Link the text inside a shape | Yes, on Windows and Mac | Looks like a button; opens the live wheel |
| Share link as the address | Yes | Yes | Opens your entries and settings on any computer |
| Screenshot of a wheel | Yes | Yes | A still picture that can't pick anything |
| Video or GIF of a spin | Yes | Yes | The same result every time it plays |
| Live wheel inside the slide | No built-in option | Only through a third-party add-in | Not tested by Wheel Spinning |
Make a share link first
A share link opens the wheel with your exact entries and settings on any computer, with no account and no expiry. On a different computer, a plain link to the site opens the sample names, not your list.
- Build the wheel: type the entries, then set the colors, spin time and sounds in Customize.
- Press Share, then Copy link.
- Paste the link into your slide, using the steps for your app.
The link stores the wheel inside itself, after the # sign, so nothing is saved on a server. Edit the wheel later and the old link still opens the old version, so copy a new link after changes. Wheels with many images leave the images out of the link.
A share link opens the full wheel page, with Full screen, the Results tab and every setting. For a page that shows only the wheel and its Spin button, press Copy link in the embed generator and use that wheel link instead.
How to add the wheel to Google Slides
To add the wheel to Google Slides, highlight text on a slide, choose Insert > Link, paste the link and click Apply.
- Type the link text on the slide, such as "Spin the wheel", and highlight it.
- Choose Insert > Link, or press Ctrl + K (⌘ + K on a Mac).
- Paste the share link into the Link field and click Apply.
- Present the slides and click the link to open the wheel in your browser.
For a button look, draw a shape, type a label such as "Spin" inside it and link that text. These steps follow Google's help page on links in Docs, Sheets and Slides.
How to add the wheel to PowerPoint
To add the wheel to PowerPoint, select text, a shape or a picture, then choose Insert > Link. Paste the wheel's share link as the address.
| Version | Steps |
|---|---|
| Windows | Select text, a shape or a picture. Choose Insert > Link > Insert Link, pick Existing File or Web Page, paste the link into Address and select OK. |
| Mac | Select text, a shape or a picture. Choose Insert > Link, paste the link into Address and select OK. |
| PowerPoint for the web | Highlight text. Choose Insert > Link, type the display text, paste the link into Address and select Insert. |
| iPhone, iPad and Android | Tap where the link goes. Choose Insert > Link > Insert Link, fill in Address and Text to display, then tap Done or Insert. |
To test the link before the talk, right-click it in Normal view and choose Open Hyperlink. A picture of your wheel makes a clear button: take a screenshot of the wheel, insert it and link the picture. The steps follow Microsoft's guide to adding a hyperlink to a slide.
Tips for spinning during a presentation
Open the wheel once before you start presenting, so switching to it later takes one keystroke.
| Tip | How |
|---|---|
| Switch between slides and the wheel | Alt + Tab on Windows, ⌘ + Tab on a Mac |
| Show only the wheel | Press Full screen on the wheel; Esc leaves it |
| Spin from the keyboard | Space, or Ctrl + Enter (⌘ + Enter on a Mac) |
| Make names readable | Turn on Slow spin and pick the Hyperlegible label font in Customize |
| Check the sound | Play one spin through the room's speakers before the audience arrives |
| Keep a backup | Download the JSON backup from the Share dialog in case the link gets cut |
On a single screen, Full screen covers the slides, so press Esc and switch back when the spin is done. For 2 lists at once, such as a name and a question, press Add wheel to place up to 4 wheels side by side, then press Spin all.
The main spin the wheel page has every option used in this guide. The specialist wheels suit common moments in a talk.
| Moment in the talk | Wheel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Calling on people in the room | Random name picker | Attendee names, each removed after they answer |
| Choosing the next topic | Decision wheel | Agenda items, with a higher weight on the main topic |
| Settling a quick question | Yes or no wheel | "Do we take questions now?" |
| Drawing a door prize | Prize wheel | Prizes with their odds shown as percentages |
Link each wheel from the slide where it is used, and make one share link per wheel so every link opens ready.
Can a wheel spin inside a slide?
No. Neither Google Slides nor PowerPoint has a built-in way to run a live web page inside a slide. Google's help page on images and videos lists photos, videos, audio, GIFs and stickers as what Slides can add. Microsoft's article on live web pages in PowerPoint points to an add-in called LiveWeb rather than a built-in command. Wheel Spinning has not tested LiveWeb or any other add-in.
Pictures and recordings don't replace a live draw:
- A screenshot of a wheel is a still image, so it can't pick anything.
- A GIF or video of a spin shows the same result every time it plays.
- A Spin animation on a wheel picture turns it by the amount you set, so it stops in the same place every time.
A link to the live wheel is the only method in this guide that draws a new random result on every spin.
Putting a wheel on a website instead
For a website, a blog or another page that accepts embed code, use the embed a wheel generator. It turns your entries and options into iframe code, so visitors spin the wheel on your page.
Questions about wheels in slides
Can I embed a spinning wheel directly in Google Slides?
No. Google Slides has no built-in option for a live web page. Link text on the slide to the wheel's share link instead.
Can I embed a spinning wheel in PowerPoint?
No, not without an add-in. Microsoft points to the third-party LiveWeb add-in for live web pages. A link to the wheel works without one, on Windows, Mac, the web and mobile.
Will the link work on the presentation computer?
Yes, when you use a share link. The entries and settings travel inside the link, so any computer with a current browser and internet access opens the same wheel.
Does the link work in presenter mode?
Yes. Click the link during the slideshow and the wheel opens in your web browser. Switch back to the slides when the spin is done.
Can the audience spin the same wheel on their phones?
Yes, but each phone draws its own result. When the link is short enough for a QR code, show the code from the Share dialog on the screen. Everyone who scans it gets a personal copy of the wheel, so results differ between phones.