How to Label Keynote Slides and Build Elements

Howdy RhinoReturns,

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.

From your post I understand you'd like to not only rename the master slides you use in a presentation, but also the builds. You can rename these master slides by following the steps outlined below. At this time animations and builds cannot be saved in a master slide, so that needs to be created on a per-slide basis.

Add a master slide

1. Click View in the toolbar, then choose Edit Master Slides.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Click in the toolbar, then select a master slide.

   • In the slide navigator, select a slide with a layout similar to the layout you want, then press Return.

3. Double-click the name of the master slide in the slide navigator and type a new name.

4. Modify the slide however you like by adding text, images, shapes, placeholders, or other objects.

   If you want objects on slides based on this master to layer over master objects, select “Allow objects on slide to layer with master” in the sidebar. (If you don’t see a sidebar, or the sidebar doesn’t say Master Slide Layout at the top, click the master slide in the slide navigator, then click in the toolbar.)

   To learn more about layers, see Layer, group, and lock objects.

5. Click Done at the bottom of the slide canvas, or click View in the toolbar, then choose Exit Master Slides when you’re done editing.

Keynote for Mac: Add and edit master slides

Take care.

There isn't a feature in Keynote to add custom labels to slides or to objects in the build list

The work around I use is:

slide labels

in outline view type in text needed for a label

if the text is not to be shown in the presentation,

either deselect the title option in Inspector > Format > Slide layout > Appearance or set opacity of the text box to 0%

object labels

type the text on to the object (double click then type in the text)

if the text is not to be shown in the presentation; reduce text opacity to 0%