How to Add a Spinning Wheel to PowerPoint

Why put a wheel in a presentation

A random spin turns a passive slide deck into an interactive moment. Teachers use it to pick who answers the next question, trainers to choose a scenario, and hosts to award prizes during a webinar or company meeting. The spin draws attention back to the front of the room and gives everyone a reason to watch. The challenge is that presentation software isn't built to run live web pages. PowerPoint and Google Slides display slides, not interactive apps. So the practical question is how to move smoothly between your slides and a live wheel. This guide covers three reliable methods, with their pros and cons.

Before you start: build and save the wheel

Whichever method you use, prepare the wheel in advance. Enter the names or options, choose a high-contrast palette that reads well on a projector, set the spin duration and sound, and give the wheel a clear title. Then click Share to create a link. The link contains the wheel's entries and settings, so it opens the same wheel on any computer. That's essential if you're presenting from a different machine than the one you prepared on.

Option 1: link to the wheel from a slide

This is the most common method and works in PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides. On the slide where you want the spin, add a button, a picture of a wheel or simply some text such as "Spin the wheel!". Select it and insert a hyperlink to your share link. In PowerPoint, use Insert, then Link. In Google Slides, use Insert, then Link.

During the presentation, click the link. Your browser opens with the wheel ready. Press fullscreen, spin, announce the result, then close or minimise the browser to return to your slides. PowerPoint stays in slideshow mode in the background, so you pick up exactly where you left off.

Pros: simple, works everywhere, and the wheel is fully interactive. Cons: switching windows takes a couple of seconds, and audiences briefly see your browser. Practise the switch so it's smooth.

Option 2: keep the wheel in a second window

For sessions with many spins, open the wheel in a browser window before you start and leave it there. Switch between the slideshow and the browser with Alt+Tab on Windows or Cmd+Tab on Mac. This avoids reopening the wheel each time and keeps the history of spins in one place, which is useful if you're tracking who has answered.

If you have two screens, such as a laptop and a projector, you can put the wheel on the projector only when you need it. In PowerPoint's presenter view, the audience sees only the slideshow; switching the projected display to the browser shows the wheel. Some presenters prefer to duplicate their screen during spins to avoid confusion about which window is shown.

Pros: fast switching and continuous history. Cons: requires comfort with keyboard shortcuts and display settings.

Option 3: record a spin as a video

If live switching isn't possible, for example on a locked-down computer or in a pre-recorded presentation, record a spin and insert the video. Use your computer's screen recorder, such as the Xbox Game Bar on Windows (Win+G), the screenshot toolbar on Mac (Cmd+Shift+5) or a tool like OBS. Record the wheel spinning and stopping on a result, trim the clip and insert it with Insert, then Video. Set it to play on click.

The obvious limitation is that the result is fixed. That's fine for a scripted reveal, such as announcing a winner already drawn fairly, or for a demonstration. It's not suitable for live random selection, and you should never present a recorded spin as if it were live. For giveaways, record the genuine live draw and show that recording instead.

Pros: no switching, works offline. Cons: not truly random during the presentation.

What about embedding?

Some add-ins let you show live web pages inside a PowerPoint slide. They can work, but they depend on your version of Office, your organisation's settings and an internet connection, and they sometimes block interactive content or sound. If you try an add-in, test it on the actual presentation computer well before your session. In most cases, the linked approach in Option 1 is more reliable.

Google Slides and Keynote

Google Slides works the same way as PowerPoint for linking: insert a link on any shape or text, and clicking it during presentation mode opens a new browser tab with the wheel. Close the tab to return to the presentation. Keynote on Mac also supports hyperlinks to web pages from any object. In both, test whether the link opens in the same window or a new one, so you know how to return.

Presenter tips

Make the wheel big. Use fullscreen in the browser so the wheel fills the projector, and choose bold colours with short labels. Projectors wash out pale colours.

Check the sound. If the room's audio is connected to your computer, the ticks and fanfare add drama. If not, the visual result is enough. Test the volume before the audience arrives.

Keep the pace up. Announce why you're spinning, spin, read the result aloud and move on. Long pauses while you hunt for a window drain energy.

Have a backup. Save the share link in your notes. If the computer changes or the browser crashes, you can reopen the wheel in seconds.

Mind privacy. If the wheel contains names, check the entries panel before projecting, and avoid displaying anything people wouldn't want shown.

Use elimination for turns. If each person should be picked once, such as presentation order, turn on automatic removal so names drop off after each spin.

Webinars and online presentations

On video platforms, share the browser tab instead of the slideshow when it's time to spin, then switch back. Many platforms let you share a specific tab with its audio, which keeps the sound effects. Alternatively, share your whole screen and switch windows as you would in a room. Practise once so you know where the share controls are.

Troubleshooting

The link doesn't open: check that the presentation computer is online and that links aren't blocked by IT policy. The wheel looks different: make sure you used the latest share link after your final edits. No sound: check the browser tab isn't muted and that sound is on in the wheel settings. Text is unreadable: shorten labels and use a high-contrast palette. The slideshow exits when switching: use Alt+Tab or Cmd+Tab rather than pressing Escape.

A simple lesson or meeting template

Slide 1: title and agenda. Slide 2: a question with a "Spin to choose who answers" button linked to your class wheel. Slides 3–6: content. Slide 7: "Spin for the next scenario" linked to a scenario wheel. Final slide: "Spin for the prize" linked to a prize wheel. Prepare the three wheels the day before, test every link, and your presentation will have three moments of genuine audience engagement.

Try it now

Put these ideas into practice with the Random Name Picker, Save, Share and Export, Virtual Meeting Ideas, or open the main spin the wheel tool.