Office Settings & Configuration

How to Start and Stop PowerPoint Animations with Legend Clicks

Emma Brown Oct 20, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to start and stop continuous blinking animations on specific map pins by clicking corresponding legend symbols on the slide.

How to Start and Stop PowerPoint Animations with Legend Clicks

Product: PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating an interactive map slide where clicking different legend shapes triggers continuous animations for specific groups of pins, and clicking the legend again stops the blinking.
Observed behavior: Pins currently drop in when the slide starts, but the user needs a way to make them blink continuously only when a specific dot is clicked, and stop blinking upon the next click of that same dot.

Before you start

Ensure your presentation slide is fully prepared with all necessary map pins and legend symbols grouped correctly before applying advanced animation triggers. Open the Animation Pane to easily track your effect sequencing.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Overlay Shapes with Click Triggers to Stop Animations

Create an overlay shape that appears on a second click to cover or interrupt the blinking animation effect, effectively "stopping" the animation visually.

PowerPoint does not have a native 'stop animation on click' button. However, you can achieve this effect by using triggers to start the continuous blinking, and then using a second trigger to make a static, identical image appear over the blinking objects.

Add the continuous blink animation

Select the group of pins you want to animate. Go to the Animations tab, click 'Add Animation', and select an emphasis effect like 'Pulse' or 'Blink'. Set the timing repeat option to 'Until Next Click'.

Set the start trigger

With the blink animation selected, click 'Trigger' in the Advanced Animation group, choose 'On Click of', and select the corresponding legend symbol (e.g., the yellow dot).

Create an overlay shape to hide the blink

Duplicate the non-blinking version of the pins. Place this static duplicate exactly over the original blinking pins.

Animate the overlay to appear

Add an 'Appear' animation to this static duplicate shape. Set its trigger to happen 'On Click of' the exact same legend symbol used previously.

Adjust the animation pane sequence

Open the Animation Pane. Ensure the 'Appear' animation for the static shape is positioned after the 'Blink' animation under the same trigger group. On the second click, the static shape will cover the blinking effect.

Use Overlay Shapes with Click Triggers to Stop Animations

Test Your Interactive Slide: Switch to Slide Show mode to test the triggers. The first click on your legend should start the blink, and the second click should make the static overlay appear, successfully hiding the blinking effect.

Interactive Presentations

Easily Manage Interactive Animations in WPS Presentation

WPS Presentation offers a highly intuitive Custom Animation Pane and powerful trigger controls, allowing you to seamlessly set up interactive, clickable map legends and blinking effects.

1. Open your presentation in WPS Office: Launch WPS Presentation and open your slide file containing the map and legend shapes.
2. Access the Custom Animation pane: Navigate to the 'Animation' tab on the top ribbon and click 'Custom Animation' to open the task pane on the right side of your screen.
3. Apply and trigger effects: Select your pins, apply an emphasis effect like Blink, and use the 'Trigger' dropdown in the custom animation pane to easily link the effect to your legend clicks.

Fully compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) animation and trigger effects.Intuitive Animation Pane for managing complex sequences and precise timings.Rich library of entrance, emphasis, and exit effects to customize your slides.Free and lightweight presentation software alternative.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set an animation to stop automatically after a few seconds instead of clicking?

Yes. Open the Animation Pane, double-click the specific animation to open its Effect Options. Go to the Timing tab, and under 'Repeat', select 'None' or specify a set number of times instead of 'Until Next Click'.

Why is my trigger click advancing to the next slide instead of starting the animation?

This usually happens if you miss clicking the exact trigger shape during the presentation. To prevent this, go to the Transitions tab and uncheck 'On Mouse Click' under Advance Slide, so only your configured triggers will process clicks.

Can I trigger multiple animations with a single click?

Absolutely. Set the first animation's trigger to start 'On Click' of your target shape. Then, for any subsequent animations you want to happen simultaneously, set their start option to 'With Previous' and place them under the same trigger group in the Animation Pane.

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