Office Settings & Configuration

Fix PowerPoint Reading Order Not Showing All Slide Objects

WPS Editor Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The PowerPoint Reading Order pane does not display all the objects that are currently visible in the Selection pane.

How to Fix PowerPoint Reading Order Not Showing All Slide Objects

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing slide layouts and configuring the reading order for accessibility, especially when using pre-formatted templates.
Observed behavior: Some slide objects appear in the Selection pane but are completely missing from the Reading Order pane, making it impossible to arrange the reading sequence properly.

Before you start

Ensure your presentation is saved, and keep the Selection Pane open alongside the Reading Order pane to cross-reference visible objects.

Solution 1Recommended

Recreate the Problematic Slide

Rebuilding the slide without relying on the corrupted template often resolves reading order visibility issues.

Slides created from older or heavily modified templates can contain structural errors that prevent the Reading Order pane from correctly parsing the objects.

By manually moving the contents to a fresh layout, you bypass the underlying formatting bug.

Insert a New Slide

Navigate to the 'Home' tab and click 'New Slide' to insert a blank layout rather than duplicating the corrupted one.

Copy Slide Elements

Select the text boxes, images, and shapes from the original slide, press Ctrl+C to copy, and paste them onto the new blank slide with Ctrl+V.

Verify Reading Order

Open the Reading Order pane (Review > Check Accessibility > Reading Order Pane) and confirm all pasted objects now appear in the list.

Quick Check: If the reading order updates correctly after pasting, the original template layout was the cause of the missing objects.

Solution 2

Check Office Build and Update

The missing objects issue might be tied to a specific Microsoft Office build that requires a software update.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Use WPS Presentation for Seamless Slide Management

If Microsoft PowerPoint continues to struggle with template glitches and missing objects, try WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to manage your presentations flawlessly.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office suite for your operating system.
2. Install the Software: Run the installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions to set up the software.
3. Open Your Presentation: Launch WPS Presentation and open your .pptx file to seamlessly edit your slides without template errors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Selection pane show objects that the Reading Order pane hides?

This typically happens due to corrupted slide templates, grouped objects that the accessibility checker fails to parse, or known bugs in certain Microsoft Office builds.

How do I access the Reading Order pane in PowerPoint?

You can open the Reading Order pane by navigating to the 'Review' tab, clicking on 'Check Accessibility', and selecting 'Reading Order Pane' from the drop-down menu.

Does grouping objects affect the reading order?

Yes, grouped objects are often treated as a single item in the Reading Order pane. Ungrouping them by right-clicking and selecting Group > Ungroup may help individual elements appear properly for screen readers.

Can resetting the slide layout fix this missing object issue?

Sometimes. Resetting the slide layout by navigating to Home > Reset, or applying a different built-in layout, can force the Reading Order pane to refresh and properly display the missing objects.

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