What are the different parts of Powtoon Studio?

Powtoon Studio is your main editing environment. Every tool you need to build, time, and publish your Powtoon is accessible from a single screen. This article describes each area of the Studio interface so you know where to find what you need.

The stage

The stage is the central canvas area where you build each scene. Everything you place on the stage — characters, text, images, and backgrounds — appears in your finished Powtoon. Objects placed outside the stage boundary are not included in the exported file.

The slide panel

The slide panel runs along one side of the Studio and has two views: Slides and Script.

Slides view — Add, delete, duplicate, and reorder slides in your Powtoon.
Script view — View the script generated by the AI script writer, or type your own script to guide your narration.

The timeline

The timeline sits below the stage and shows a visual representation of when each object on the current slide appears and disappears. Use it to control the timing and animation sequence of every element in your scene.

See Introduction to the timeline for more information.

The sound control button

The sound control button opens the Sound Control panel, where you can add and manage background music and audio for your Powtoon.

See Understanding the sound control panel for more information.

The tabs panel

The tabs panel is divided into two tabs: Library and Comments.

Library tab — Access all content available in Powtoon Studio, including Scenes, Backgrounds, Text, and more. Each sub-tab is an entry point to a different content category.
Comments tab — View comments left on your Powtoon and invite collaborators to work with you.

Stage tools

The stage tools appear at the edge of the stage area and give you control over how the stage is displayed and configured.

Camera movement

Activates the Camera Movement feature, which lets you set a start and end camera position for a slide to create a pan or zoom effect.

Aspect ratio

Sets the dimensions of the stage to match the platform where your Powtoon will be viewed. Choose the aspect ratio before you start building your scene, because changing it later will reposition objects on the stage.

Horizontal (16:9) — The default aspect ratio. Use this if your Powtoon will be published to YouTube or viewed on a widescreen display.
Square (1:1) — Use this if your Powtoon will be shared on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, or displayed in a newsfeed.
Vertical (9:16) — Use this if your Powtoon will be viewed primarily on a mobile device.

Note: After you select an aspect ratio other than the default horizontal setting, the stage area resizes. Any objects placed outside the new stage boundary will not appear in your exported Powtoon.

Grid

Toggle the grid switch on or off to show or hide alignment guides on the stage.

The top bar

The top bar runs across the top of Powtoon Studio and contains the main navigation and action controls.

Quick Menu — Opens Powtoon's main options menu.
My Powtoons — Returns you to the My Powtoons page, where all your Powtoons are stored.
Studio Mode — Toggle between Edit mode and Create mode.
Help — Opens Powtoon's help resources.
Undo / Redo arrows — Step backward or forward through your recent actions.
Save — Saves your current changes. Once saved, the button label changes to Saved.
Powtoon title field — Click the title field to rename your Powtoon.
Zoom — Adjusts the magnification of the stage view without affecting the exported output.
Collaborators — Shows which team members are currently viewing or editing the Powtoon.
Present / Preview — Two options are available: Present Slideshow, which plays your Powtoon as a slideshow, and Preview Video, which plays it as a video.
Export — Starts the export process so you can publish or download your finished Powtoon.