Message Center
Updated July 31, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
What and why
To help users create presentations that are consistent with organizational branding, Microsoft is introducing access to brand templates directly from PowerPoint Backstage on Windows. This update enables users to discover and use brand templates more easily, reducing time spent searching for templates and helping organizations maintain brand consistency across presentations. Organizations that use Brand kits can make approved templates readily available to users through PowerPoint.
Rollout schedule
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Platforms and services
What will happen

Brand templates in the Backstage Home tab view (screenshot 2):

Brand templates in the Backstage New tab view (screenshot 3):

Action required and recommendations
No action is required to receive this feature.
To make organizational brand templates available to your users:
Learn more
Compliance considerations
| Question | Answer |
| Does the change include an admin control? | Yes. Administrators can configure the Enterprise Brand Manager policy and assign designated brand managers through a mail-enabled security group. |
| Can the feature be controlled through Entra ID group membership? | Yes. Access to publishing and managing official Brand kits is controlled through membership in the configured mail-enabled security group. |
| Does the change allow a user to enable and disable the feature themselves? | Yes. Users can create and manage personal Brand kits for their own use. Official Brand kit management remains restricted to designated brand managers |
What and why
To help users create presentations that are consistent with organizational branding, Microsoft is introducing access to brand templates directly from PowerPoint Backstage on Windows. This update enables users to discover and use brand templates more easily, reducing time spent searching for templates and helping organizations maintain brand consistency across presentations. Organizations that use Brand kits can make approved templates readily available to users through PowerPoint.
Rollout schedule
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Platforms and services
What will happen

Brand templates in the Backstage Home tab view (screenshot 2):

Brand templates in the Backstage New tab view (screenshot 3):

Action required and recommendations
No action is required to receive this feature.
To make organizational brand templates available to your users:
Learn more
Compliance considerations
| Question | Answer |
| Does the change include an admin control? | Yes. Administrators can configure the Enterprise Brand Manager policy and assign designated brand managers through a mail-enabled security group. |
| Can the feature be controlled through Entra ID group membership? | Yes. Access to publishing and managing official Brand kits is controlled through membership in the configured mail-enabled security group. |
| Does the change allow a user to enable and disable the feature themselves? | Yes. Users can create and manage personal Brand kits for their own use. Official Brand kit management remains restricted to designated brand managers |