Office Settings & Configuration

How to Enlarge and Restore a Shape on Click in PowerPoint

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to animate a shape in PowerPoint so that it enlarges when clicked and returns to its original size upon a second click.

How to Enlarge and Restore a Shape on Click in PowerPoint

Product: PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating interactive presentations where clicking a specific shape zooms in on it, and clicking it again zooms out, often used for puzzle-like adjacent shapes.
Observed behavior: The shape needs to dynamically change size using emphasis animations and triggers, while staying visible above adjacent shapes without being hidden.

Before you start

Ensure your presentation is open in PowerPoint and open the Animation Pane from the Animations tab to easily manage multiple effects applied to a single shape.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Up Grow/Shrink Animations with Triggers

Apply two separate emphasis effects and link them to a click trigger on the shape itself.

To achieve a toggle effect where a click enlarges the shape and the next click shrinks it back, you must stack two separate Grow/Shrink animations. You will also need to adjust the custom size of the second animation so it mathematically reverses the first.

Add the initial Grow animation

Select your target shape, navigate to the Animations tab, and choose the 'Grow/Shrink' emphasis effect.

Add the restore Shrink animation

With the shape still selected, click the 'Add Animation' button (do not just select a new effect from the gallery, as this replaces the first one) and choose 'Grow/Shrink' again.

Configure the reverse size

In the Animation Pane, double-click the second Grow/Shrink effect to open Effect Options. Go to the Size dropdown, select 'Custom', and type in approximately 66% (to reverse a default 150% growth), then press Enter.

Set up the animation triggers

Select both animations in the Animation Pane, click 'Trigger' in the Advanced Animation group, choose 'On Click of', and select the name of your shape.

Set Up Grow/Shrink Animations with Triggers

Trigger Timing: By setting both animations to trigger on the same shape's click, PowerPoint will automatically sequence them. The first click plays the enlarge effect, and the second click plays the shrink effect.

Solution 2

Adjust Shape Layering to Prevent Overlap Issues

Ensure shapes placed closely together do not hide each other when they expand.

Effortless Presentation Design

Create Interactive Shape Animations in WPS Presentation

WPS Presentation provides a fully featured Animation Pane, allowing you to easily add multiple emphasis effects, customize zoom sizes, and set up interactive click triggers without complex workarounds.

1. Open your slide in WPS Presentation: Launch WPS Office, open your presentation file, and select the shape you want to animate.
2. Add Custom Animations: Navigate to the Animation tab, click 'Custom Animation' to open the task pane, and add your Grow/Shrink emphasis effects.
3. Configure the Trigger: Right-click the effects in the task pane, select 'Timing', click 'Triggers', and choose 'Start effect on click of' to link it to your shape.

Easily combine multiple animations on a single objectIntuitive Animation Pane for precise trigger and timing controlFully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) formatsFree to download and use for all your presentation needs

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my shape not return to its exact original size after the second click?

To restore the exact size, the second Grow/Shrink percentage must be the mathematical inverse of the first. For example, if your first animation grows the shape to 150%, the shrink effect should be set to roughly 66% or 67% (since 100 divided by 150 equals 0.666).

Can I apply this animation to multiple puzzle shapes on the same slide?

Yes. You can set up independent triggers for each shape. Just ensure that the two Grow/Shrink animations for a specific shape are strictly linked to the click trigger of that exact shape, rather than the slide background.

Why is my enlarged shape appearing behind other objects?

PowerPoint renders objects based on their static z-order (layering). If a shape is on a lower layer, it will expand underneath higher-layer objects. You must right-click the shape and select 'Bring to Front' before presenting so it overlaps adjacent elements during the animation.

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