ScriptAssist User Guide

Overview

What ScriptAssist is

ScriptAssist turns the speaker notes in your PowerPoint deck into a polished presentation script - and gives you several ways to read that script while you present, including a teleprompter your audience can't see.

It's a Windows desktop app built for anyone who presents from a script: medical and scientific presenters, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, executives, and anyone who wants to look at the camera (or the room) instead of down at their notes.

What makes it different

• A teleprompter hidden from screen sharing. The On-Camera Script and the Overlay Script are excluded from screen capture at the operating-system level - you can share your entire screen on Zoom, Teams, or Webex and your audience never sees your script.
• Your notes are your script. ScriptAssist reads (and writes) the speaker notes already in your PowerPoint - there's no separate file to keep in sync.
• A controlled and managed round-trip. Export your script to a branded Word document, let a colleague or client edit it with Track Changes, and import only the slides they changed back into your deck.
• VoiceSync runs entirely on your machine. The teleprompter can scroll itself as you speak, using an on-device speech model - no audio ever leaves your computer and no internet connection is required.

The two workflows

Before choosing a presentation mode, ask one simple question: are you presenting by yourself, or is someone helping you? Every mode in ScriptAssist falls into one of two groups, and that single distinction makes picking the right one easy.

Full details - including what each mode shows and a typical setup - are in Presentation Modes.

Which presentation mode should I use?

Five modes, one quick question each. Find your situation:

Hidden means excluded from screen sharing and recording on Windows. Rehearsal Script and Teleprompter Mode are not hidden - your audience could see them if shared.

Key concepts

What you need

Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), with Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word installed. For the modes hidden from screen sharing, Windows 10 must be the May 2020 update or newer; any Windows 11 is fine. Full hardware details and install steps are in Technical requirements & installation.

Working with Your Script

Once a deck is open, the main page is your home base - read and edit every slide's script, jump between slides, and launch any presentation mode from here.

What's on the page

• Menu bar - File and Present.
• Deck title strip - the navy bar showing the current PowerPoint file name and the ScriptAssist logo.
• Tabs - one per open deck. Drag a deck between tabs, or close a tab with its ✕.
• Slide navigator - the numbered list of slides on the left, each with its section name. Click any slide to jump to that slide's script. During a Word import, a colored dot appears here to flag changed (orange) and conflicting (red) slides.
• Script panel - every slide's notes, laid out top to bottom.

Opening and saving

• Open a deck by either dragging it onto the window, clicking File → Open PowerPoint…, or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O.
• Save your script back into the deck with File → Save PowerPoint (Ctrl+S), or Save PowerPoint As… to write a copy.
• Save All Tabs to 1 PowerPoint… combines every open deck into a single file.
• Close the current deck with File → Close (Ctrl+F4).

Editing a slide's script

For quick wording changes, edit right in the main view: click into a slide's script and type. Your changes are saved with the deck, and Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y undo and redo them.

For richer formatting, edit the slide in Microsoft Word: the slide's script opens in Word, you make your edits, save, and close, and ScriptAssist applies the change and returns you to the same slide. You can do this from the main page and from inside most presentation modes (see each one below).

The menus

The Present menu is grouped by the two workflows, with Presentation Timing at the bottom:

Presentation Modes

ScriptAssist offers five ways to read your script while you present. Start with the workflow question - are you driving, or is someone helping? - then pick the mode within that group that matches how you're presenting.

Self-operated presentation modes

You control your script and slides yourself - usually on the same computer you present from. These are the modes for virtual meetings, webinars, recorded talks, screen sharing, and rehearsing.

On-Camera Script Ctrl+E Hidden from screen share

Best for: Zoom meetings · Teams meetings · webinars · recorded presentations

A small scrolling strip you place just under your webcam, so you can read while looking straight at the camera. It's hidden from screen sharing and recording, so you can share your whole screen (with PowerPoint) and your audience never sees it.

• Place it: drag it by its top bar to sit right under your camera. Its size and position are remembered.
• Control bar (hidden from capture): Voice (VoiceSync on/off, glows orange when active), Show (launches the PowerPoint slide show and steps the app out of the way), Edit, a ▶ play/pause, −/+ speed, then a minimize button and a close ✕.
• Slip in a demo: click minimize and the strip collapses to a small Script tab that parks at the top-center of your screen and stays on top, so the rest of the screen is free for a live demo or a website. Click the restore button on the tab and your strip comes back at the same size and place. The tab is hidden from screen sharing too, so your audience never sees it. Closing while minimized still remembers your full size and position for next time.
• Global hotkeys (work even while PowerPoint is in front): F8 play/pause, F9/F10 slower/faster, F7 VoiceSync on/off, F6 edit. This is by design - Space and the arrow keys stay with PowerPoint so your clicker keeps advancing slides.
• Configure font, colors, opacity, speed, visible lines, and width on the On-Camera Script settings tab.

Overlay Script Ctrl+H Hidden from screen share

Best for: self-operated presentations · screen sharing · single-monitor setups

Your full paged script as a translucent panel that floats over your live slides - hidden from a whole-screen share, and it can advance PowerPoint as you go.

• Place it: drag it by the top handle bar (which reads “hidden from screen share”). A minimize button and a close ✕ sit at the far right.
• Drive PowerPoint: Advance PowerPoint when I cross a slide boundary is set on by default in the Overlay Script settings tab. Your live show will follow your script.
• Navigate with ←/→ or Page Up/Page Down; type a number + Enter to jump; E to edit; Esc to close. (No F11 - it would break the transparent overlay.)
• It never steals focus from PowerPoint, so your clicker keeps working. Set panel color, opacity, and hide-from-capture on the settings tab.
• Switch to a demo: click minimize and the overlay collapses to a small Script tab at the top-center of your screen, clearing your slides for a live demo without closing ScriptAssist. Click the restore button on the tab to bring the overlay back exactly where it was to continue presenting with your script.

Rehearsal Script Ctrl+D

Best for: practicing presentations · speaker coaching · script review and editing

The paged presenter with a picture of the slide shown next to the script, so you can focus on your script while keeping each slide visible for context. Ideal for rehearsing, and for a small virtual meeting with no second screen where you want to see what the audience will see while you present.

• All the same controls as Presenter Script (navigation, edit with E, F11, Esc).
• Set the split ratio and whether the image is on the left or right on the Rehearsal Script settings tab. Font and colors come from the Presenter Script settings tab.
• Slide images are static renders - animations and transitions don't play.

Operator-assisted presentation modes

Someone else advances the script and/or the slides so you can focus entirely on delivery. These are the modes for large meetings and events, stage presentations, and traditional teleprompter setups - though each also works solo with your own clicker.

Presenter Script Ctrl+R

Best for: presentations with a dedicated operator · large meetings and events · speakers who want to focus entirely on delivery

A full-screen (or windowed) view showing one slide's script at a time in easy-to-read pages, while an operator advances the script and presentation for you. Also ideal when you have a presenter monitor or confidence screen and want to read while the audience sees your slides.

When a slide's script is long, ScriptAssist automatically breaks it into comfortably-sized chunks across several screens - keeping whole paragraphs (or sentences) together rather than cutting text off mid-thought - so you're never reading from a wall of text. And you (or your operator) can jump straight to any slide at any time by typing its number and pressing Enter.

• Navigate: → / Page Down for the next page or slide, ← / Page Up to go back. Type a slide number and press Enter to jump. On-screen More Text… and Next Slide buttons do the same.
• Long scripts page across multiple screens, or shrink to fit - your choice on the Presenter Script settings tab. Force a break with [B].
• Edit the current slide with E or the Edit Slide button - opens in Word and returns you here.
• Full screen: opens full screen by default; F11 toggles a window (its size and position are remembered). Esc closes.
• Monitor & zoom: choose the display on the settings tab; an on-screen zoom slider adjusts text size live.

Teleprompter Mode Ctrl+T

Best for: traditional teleprompter setups · dedicated teleprompter operators · long-form presentations

A continuous teleprompter: your whole script in one scrolling flow with adjustable speed and formatting. It auto-scrolls at a speed you set - or, with VoiceSync on, scrolls itself as you speak.

• Play/pause: Space. Speed: Page Up / Page Down.
• VoiceSync: press V - the script follows your speech and colors words as you say them. See VoiceSync.
• Nudge: ↑ / ↓ nudge the scroll; while VoiceSync is on, they nudge the sync point back / forward so a helper can re-align it live.
• Move around: ← / → jump between slides; type a number + Enter to jump; Home / End to the start / end.
• Edit the current slide with E. F11 toggles full screen; Esc closes.
• Transparent overlay: set background opacity below 100% (0% = fully transparent) on the Teleprompter Mode tab based on preference.

VoiceSync Pro · Capability

VoiceSync isn't a presentation mode of its own - it's a capability that works inside two of them: Teleprompter Mode (V) and On-Camera Script (F7). In each, a single VoiceSync button turns orange while it is on, so you can see at a glance that it is listening.

Turn it on and ScriptAssist listens to you and scrolls the script automatically, coloring each word as you say it so you always see your place. Pause and it waits; resume and it catches up; skip or stumble and it re-finds you.

• Set your mic on the Microphone tab and use Test to confirm it's picking you up. A clean, close podium mic recognizes far better than a built-in laptop mic.
• Tune the feel on the VoiceSync tab (spoken-word color, smoothing, reading-line position, look-ahead, sensitivity).
• Live correction: ↑/↓ nudge the reading line if it drifts during an event. During a live PowerPoint show, where the plain arrow keys drive your slides, use Ctrl+↑/Ctrl+↓ to nudge the line hands-free without moving your slides.
• Start anywhere: jump to a slide (number + Enter, or arrows) and VoiceSync picks up from there - useful when a rehearsal starts mid-deck.
• If tracking misbehaves, turn on the diagnostic log on the VoiceSync settings tab, run it once, and send us the file. See VoiceSync settings.

Presentation Timing

Know how long your talk runs before you give it - and see whether you're on pace while you present.

The timing estimate

Open Present → Presentation Timing (Ctrl+Alt+R) for a breakdown of your whole talk:

• Your total predicted run-time and a per-slide estimate, grouped by section, from each slide's word count at an adjustable speaking pace (words per minute). The default pace is 120 words per minute, a realistic delivery speed once natural pauses are included, for a more realistic estimate than word count alone. You can change this pace in the Presentation Timing settings tab.
• Each slide also adds a fixed 2 seconds for the click and settle as you move to the next slide, so the estimate reflects the time spent on transitions, not just talking.
• Enter a target time and it shows how far over or under you are, and highlights the longest slides to consider trimming.

The live pacing meter

While you present (in any mode), an optional on-screen meter shows whether you're keeping pace - green when you're on track, amber then red as you fall behind a slide's time budget. It can track the current slide, the whole talk, or both. It's off by default; turn it on and choose what it shows in Settings → Presentation Timing.

Talk time on each slide

Each slide's header on the main page shows its estimated talk time at your set pace, e.g. TT ~0:45.

AI Script Assistant Pro

Let AI write your speaker script for you - one slide at a time, in your voice. Improve the notes you've already written, or draft a script from scratch. You review and approve every suggestion; nothing changes until you accept it.

Turning it on

The assistant is off by default. Switch it on in Settings → AI Script Assistant, where you also set your default tone and length. Once enabled, every slide on the main page shows an ✨ Improve with AI action - or ✨ Draft with AI on a slide with no notes yet.

Using it on a slide

• Click ✨ Improve with AI. The assistant reads that slide's title, on-slide text, and your current notes, and writes a natural, first-person spoken script - the words you'd say, not bullet points.
• The suggestion appears above your current script, with three choices:
  • Accept - the suggestion becomes the slide's script (you can edit it first).
  • Reject - keep your existing script and discard the suggestion.
  • Regenerate - try again, optionally with a different tone (Conversational / Formal / Energetic) or length (Brief / Standard / Detailed).
• Accepted scripts behave like any other - they present, time with Presentation Timing, and export to Word. English only in this version.

Security & privacy

• Generation runs server-side on Microsoft Azure OpenAI - no AI keys are stored on your computer.
• Your slide content is sent only when you request an AI suggestion (Draft or Improve), over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, and is used solely to generate that one script.
• Your content is not used to train AI models.

Export & Import

Send your script out to Word for review, then bring the edits back - importing only the slides that actually changed.

Export to Word

File → Export to Word… (Ctrl+Shift+E) writes your script to a polished, branded .docx and opens it in Word.

Options

Set these on the Export to Word settings tab before exporting: script font, size and color; whether to include slide thumbnails and how wide; a page break between slides; and the overall layout - Table format (slide header beside the script) or Thumbnails (a slide image above or below the script).

Thumbnail placement (left / center / right) and spacing apply only when the Thumbnails layout is selected - in Table format the image sits in its own column.

Import from Word

File → Import from Word… (Ctrl+I) brings an edited Word script back into your deck. The headline feature: it imports only the slides that actually changed, so there's no accepting-all-changes-then-copy-pasting slide by slide.

The workflow

1. Export your script to Word and send it to a colleague or client.
2. They edit in Word and send it back. Track Changes is recommended (so you can see what changed) but not required - ScriptAssist compares the returned wording to your original either way, whether tracked edits are left pending or already accepted.
3. You import the file. ScriptAssist matches it to your deck by slide number and works out which slides they changed.

A slide is a change if the imported wording differs from what's in your deck. Importing always opens the Import Script from Word dialog, so you see what changed before anything is applied to your deck.

Reviewing the changes

The dialog opens on a short summary: how many slides the Word file changed, plus a warning if any of those slides were also edited in PowerPoint since you exported. From there you can:

• Import - apply every change at once. Only the changed slides are imported; untouched slides are left exactly as they are, and any conflict is left on your version.
• Review per slide… - open the per-slide view and decide slide by slide.

• Step through the deck with Previous, Next and Next change, or type a slide number to jump straight to it.
• Per slide, choose Keep current notes (in PowerPoint) or Use imported notes (from Word). Changed slides are already set to use the Word version; a conflict (a slide you edited in PowerPoint after exporting) is flagged in red and stays on your version until you say otherwise.
• View each change as Side-by-side changes (current vs imported, word by word), Word markup (insertions highlighted, deletions struck through - a track-changes-style view), or Formatted notes (the formatted current and imported notes, the only view that shows bold / italic / underline changes). Switch views in the drop-down at the top of the dialog, and set the view you start in on the Word Import settings tab.
• Import applies your choices. ← Back to summary returns to the overview.

Before your live presentation

Settings to check before you present using ScriptAssist, or when your presentation setting changes. Most of this you set only once - the day-of checks are the short list at the end.

Set up once (or when your setup changes)

• Pick your presentation mode and open it once to confirm it looks right. Fonts, colors, and which monitor it uses are all on its Settings tab.
• On a video call, place the On-Camera Script strip right under your webcam so your eyes stay on the lens.
• Using VoiceSync? Choose your microphone on the Microphone tab and click Test until the meter moves when you speak.
• Presenting from a second screen or device? Confirm Presenter Script or Teleprompter Mode opens on the display your audience cannot see.

The day-of checklist

1. Open the presentation you are going to present in ScriptAssist. Make any last-minute changes or edits.
2. Save your script back into the deck (Ctrl+S) so what you present is what you edited.
3. Plug in the laptop and set Windows to Balanced or Best performance. Battery saver can make VoiceSync lag.
4. Do a private test share. Share your screen to yourself (or a colleague) and confirm the hidden modes (On-Camera, Overlay) really do not show, and that the other modes are on a screen the audience cannot see.
5. If you are recording rather than presenting live, run a short test recording first. A few specialist recorders capture below the Windows level.
6. Have your clicker or keys ready: arrows / Page Up / Page Down to move, Space or your voice to keep a teleprompter moving.

Settings

Open File → Settings… The window has a side menu of tabs down the left; each tab opens with a short description, and every option has a one-line explanation beneath it. Click OK to apply, or Cancel to discard.

Fonts and colors are set per presentation mode, so each can look exactly how you want it. The Presenter Script tab's font and size are also shared by Rehearsal Script and the Overlay Script.

Each mode below has its own settings tab for its fonts, colors, and layout. For what each mode shows and when to reach for it, see Presentation Modes; the quick chooser near the top helps you pick one.

General

Options for the start page.

• Show the recent files list on the start page - lists recently opened decks under the Open button. Turn it off if it isn't appropriate to show previously opened files (e.g. a shared machine).
• Clear recent files now - immediately erases the saved list.

Presenter Script

Appearance of the full-screen presenter that shows one slide's script at a time (Present → Presenter Script, Ctrl+R).

• Font, Font size, Font color, Background color - the script's look.
• Show slide thumbnails / Height (px) - show a small image of the current slide next to its script.
• Show file name in presenter - display the PowerPoint file name on the presenter screen.
• Control size - Small / Medium / Large on-screen navigation buttons.
• Present on monitor - which display the presenter opens on.
• For slides with excessive text - either split the script into multiple screens (optionally keeping paragraphs or sentences from splitting across pages) or automatically reduce the font size to fit one screen. You can also force a break with a [B] marker (Ctrl+Shift+B while editing in Word).

Overlay Script

Settings for the translucent overlay (Present → Overlay Script, Ctrl+H). Font and size come from the Presenter Script tab.

• Text color / Panel color - colors for the overlay text and its translucent panel (lighter colors read better over live slides).
• Panel opacity (20-100%) - how solid the panel is; lower lets more of your slides show through.
• Hide from screen sharing and recording - keep the overlay invisible to a whole-screen share.
• Advance PowerPoint when I cross a slide boundary - move the live show to the next slide automatically as your script crosses into it (start your slide show first).

Rehearsal Script

Settings for the side-by-side view (Present → Rehearsal Script, Ctrl+D). Slide images are static renders - animations and transitions don't play.

• Split - how the screen width is divided between the slide image and the script.
• Thumbnail position - show the slide image on the left or the right.

On-Camera Script

Appearance of the eyeline strip that shows your script just under your camera (Present → On-Camera Script, Ctrl+E).

• Font, Font size, Font color, Background color, Background opacity - the strip's look.
• Scroll speed - how fast it auto-scrolls when playing.
• Lines shown (1-7) - how many lines are visible at once; this sets the strip's height.
• Width (px) - how wide the strip is.

Teleprompter Mode

Appearance of the full-screen teleprompter (Present → Teleprompter Mode, Ctrl+T).

• Font, Font size, Font color, Background color - the teleprompter's look.
• Background opacity - 0% makes it a fully transparent, always-on-top overlay (no window border).
• Scroll speed - auto-scroll speed when playing (not used while VoiceSync is on).
• Operator mode - off by default, so the spacebar and Page Up / Page Down work normally in PowerPoint while you present. Turn it on when a separate operator runs the teleprompter, so those keys control the scroll from anywhere, even when PowerPoint has focus.

The spoken-word color used while VoiceSync is on lives on the VoiceSync tab.

Microphone

The audio input VoiceSync listens to. Everything is processed on-device - no audio leaves the machine.

• Input device - the microphone, USB interface, or pro mixer feed (e.g. an X32 over USB, or an ASIO/Dante interface).
• Channel - for a multichannel device, the specific channel carrying the podium mic.
• Input level + Test - a live meter; click Test and speak to confirm the mic and channel are picking you up before you go on.

VoiceSync

These settings tune how VoiceSync follows your speech in Teleprompter Mode and On-Camera Script - the modes that follow your voice as you speak. Changes take effect the next time you start VoiceSync (V / F7). A Reset to defaults button restores them.

• Spoken-word color - the color words turn once you've said them. Used in both Teleprompter Mode and On-Camera Script.
• Follow smoothing - how quickly the script eases to your spoken position. Lower = smoother but laggier; higher = snappier but can jump on bursts.
• Reading line position - where the current line sits on screen (percent from the top). Higher keeps your eyes near the top (good for on-camera); lower shows more already-spoken context.
• Look-ahead (0-8 words, default 3) - aim this many words ahead of the recognized word to offset recognition lag. Raise it if the script lags behind you; lower it toward 0 if it runs ahead.
• Microphone sensitivity - how readily speech is detected. Raise it for a quiet feed; lower it if background noise keeps the script scrolling when you pause.

Troubleshooting

• Save a diagnostic log for troubleshooting (advanced) - off by default. When it's on, VoiceSync records what it hears, how loud your microphone is, and how it follows your script to a file in your Documents (in a ScriptAssist folder). Turn it on, run VoiceSync once, then use the Open log folder button to find the file and send it to support. The file stays on your computer; nothing is sent unless you choose to send it.

Presentation Timing

Set your speaking pace (words per minute) used for all time estimates, and the pacing meter shown while presenting - choose Don't show, or have it track the current slide, the whole talk, or both. See Presentation Timing.

AI Script Assistant

Turn the AI Script Assistant on or off (it's off by default), and set the default tone and length for suggestions. The page also explains how the assistant works and its privacy posture. See AI Script Assistant.

Export to Word

Controls how File → Export to Word formats the document. See Export to Word for the full feature.

• Font, Font size, Font color - the typeface, point size, and color of the script text.
• Include thumbnails / Width (inches) - add a picture of each slide; set its width. (PowerPoint must be closed to render thumbnails.)
• Placement & Space from text (pt) - align each image left / center / right and set the gap between the image and the notes. These apply only when the Thumbnails layout (below) is selected - in Table format the image sits in its own column.
• Page break between slides - start each slide's script at the top of a new page.
• Output format - Table format puts the slide number and script side by side; Thumbnails places a slide image above or below the script.

Word Import

How an edited Word script is reviewed when you import it. See Import from Word for the full feature.

• Show changes as - the view the per-slide review starts in: a side-by-side diff (current vs imported), inline Word markup (insertions highlighted, deletions struck through), or formatted notes (formatted current and imported notes - the only view that shows bold / italic / underline changes). Side-by-side is the default, and you can switch views inside the review window itself at any time.

Account

Your ScriptAssist account and subscription, in one place.

• Signed in as - the email address your subscription is tied to.
• Plan and Status - which plan you are on (Standard or Pro) and whether it is active. During a free trial the plan reads Pro (free trial), with a note of how many days are left.
• Manage subscription - opens your billing page in a browser, where you can update your card, change plan, or cancel.
• Sign out - signs you out and closes ScriptAssist. You will need to sign in again to use it.
• About - your version, with a Check for updates link.

Keyboard shortcuts

A quick reference. A printable version ships with each release as ScriptAssist - Keyboard Shortcuts.

Main window - files & presenting

Paged modes (Presenter Script / Rehearsal Script / Overlay Script)

Teleprompter Mode

On-Camera Script (global hotkeys - work even when PowerPoint is in front)

While editing a slide's script in Word

Quick reference

The essentials on one page - the five modes, the keys you will actually use, and a pre-flight line. Print this page for a copy by your keyboard.

The five modes

Full details: Presentation Modes, all keyboard shortcuts, and troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting

The most common questions, in one place. Each points to the setting that fixes it.

Still stuck? See How to get help.

How to get help

A person reads every message. Here is the fastest way to a good answer.

• Check Troubleshooting first - most questions come down to a single setting, answered there.
• Email support@slidesource.com for anything else - installing, signing in, billing, or a problem during a presentation. It is also linked from File → About ScriptAssist… in the app.
• Team or volume licensing? Email sales@slidesource.com.

Technical requirements & installation

Technical requirements

Minimum

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). For the hidden-from-screen-sharing modes, Windows 10 needs to be the May 2020 update or newer; any Windows 11 is fine.
• Any modern 64-bit dual-core processor.
• 4 GB RAM.
• About 650 MB free disk (the app plus the bundled speech model).
• Microsoft PowerPoint installed, used to generate slide thumbnail images.
• Microsoft Word, to edit a slide's script and for export and import.

Recommended for smooth VoiceSync

• Windows 11 (64-bit).
• A recent quad-core processor (2020 or newer; a current Core i5 or Ryzen 5 or better).
• 8 GB RAM (16 GB is comfortable).
• Present with the laptop plugged in and Windows set to Balanced or Best performance.

Installation

Updates