When automatic list creation is turned on in Keynote preferences, Keynote detects when you’re typing a list.

1. Choose Keynote > Preferences (from the Keynote menu at the top of your screen).

2. Click General, then select the checkbox next to “Automatically detect lists.”

3. Click the text box, type a bullet (Option-8), letter, or number, then enter the first item in your list.

   To use a special character for the bullet, choose Edit > Special Characters (from the Edit menu at the top of your screen), then click a character from a bullet or star menu.

4. Press Return.

   Keynote automatically adds a bullet, letter, number, or character to every subsequent item in the list.

5. To change the indent level (hierarchy) of an item in the list, click anywhere in the item, then do one of the following:

   • Move the item to the right: Press Tab.

   • Move the item to the left: Press Shift-Tab.

6. To end the list, press Return twice, or press Delete.

You can also select text that you want to format as a list, then choose an option from the Bullets & Lists pop-up menu in the sidebar on the right. For more formatting options, click the disclosure triangle next to Bullets & Lists.

1. Select the text that you want to format as a list.

2. Click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar, then click the Style button.

   If you don’t see a sidebar, or it doesn’t have a Text tab, click in the toolbar.

3. Click the pop-up menu next to Bullets & Lists and choose a list style.

4. Click the disclosure triangle next to Bullets & Lists to show the list formatting controls.

   When you choose Text Bullets, Image Bullets, or Numbers from the pop-up menu below the disclosure triangle, you see more controls that apply to the type of list you chose.

To use a mix of letters and numbers in a list, select the text you want to format, choose Numbers from the pop-up menu below the disclosure triangle, then choose a letter or number from the last pop-up menu. Click the Tiered Numbers checkbox if you want the numbers and letters nested for each level (for example 1, 1.1, 1.1, and so on).

You can drag items in a list to a different level in the hierarchy or to a different indentation level.

1. Select the item you want to move by clicking its bullet, number, or letter.

2. Drag the item to the left or right, or drag it up or down in the list, until you see a blue triangle where you want the item.

1. Select the lines of text with the bullets you want to change.

2. Click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar on the right, then click the Style button.

   If you don’t see a sidebar, or it doesn’t have a Text tab, click in the toolbar.

3. Click the disclosure triangle next to Bullets & Lists, click the pop-up menu below the Bullets & Lists subhead, then do one of the following:

   • For text bullets: Click the Bullets pop-up menu, then choose a different bullet type (scroll to see all of them).

     To use your own text or character for the bullet, double-click the Bullet pop-up menu, then type your own text or character. To use a special character, choose Edit > Special Characters (from the Edit menu at the top of your screen), then choose a character.

   • For image bullets: Click the Bullet pop-up menu, choose Image Bullets, click the Current Image button, then choose an image bullet style.

     To use your own image, click Custom Image, then choose an image file on your computer.

   

Use the other controls in the Bullets & Lists section to change the size of the bullets and adjust the amount of space between text and bullets.

You can use numbers, letters, Roman numerals, or a combination to designate levels of hierarchy in an ordered list.

1. Select the lines of text with the numbering you want to change.

2. Click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar on the right, then click the Style button near the top of the sidebar.

   If you don’t see a sidebar, or it doesn’t have a Text tab, click in the toolbar.

3. Click the disclosure triangle next to Bullets & Lists, then choose an option.

   

To start numbering from a different point, select “Start from” then enter a number or letter.

You can change the spacing, size, color, and alignment of bullets, numbers, and letters.

1. Select the lines of text with the bullets you want to change.

2. Click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar on the right, then click the Style button near the top of the sidebar.

   If you don’t see a sidebar, or it doesn’t have a Text tab, click in the toolbar.

3. Click the disclosure triangle next to Bullets & Lists, then do any of the following:

   • Indent: Type a number or click the arrows next to the Bullet and Text fields to set the distance from the left margin to the bullet and from the bullet text to the bullet, respectively.

   • Change bullet color: Choose a color from the color well (for preset colors that coordinate with the theme) or the color wheel (for any color).

     You can’t change the color of image bullets, but you can choose a different image from the Current Image pop-up menu.

   • Adjust bullet size: Type a percentage in the Size field, or click the up and down arrows.

   • Move bullets above or below the center line of the text: Click the up or down arrows in the Align field.

     

If you want to be able to apply these changes to other lists in your presentation, you can create a list style, or update the list style you’re already using. Only formatting made in the Bullets & Lists section are included in the list style.

Any list you create uses a list style that defines how the list looks. When you change the appearance of a list—by changing the bullet or number style or the spacing of indents, for example—you create style overrides (indicated by an asterisk next to the list style name in the List Styles pop-up menu). You can keep or remove these overrides, or you can use them to create a new list style that you can apply to other lists.

1. Select the lines of text in the list with your formatting changes.

2. Click the Style button near the top of the sidebar on the right.

   If the list is in a text box, table, or shape, first click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar, then click the Style button.

3. Click the List Styles pop-up menu to the right of the Bullets & Lists subhead, then do any of the following:

   • Keep the overrides without changing the list style: Do nothing. The text retains your changes, and an asterisk appears next to the list style name whenever you select or edit the list.

   • Remove the overrides and revert to the original list style: Click the style name (it has a gray checkmark next to it). The override is cleared, the text reverts to the original style, and the checkmark changes to black.

   • Add a new list style: Click at the top of the List Styles pop-up menu then enter a name for the style.

     

Since list styles are a type of paragraph style, you can rename, update, or delete them; add keyboard shortcuts to apply them; and more.

1. Select the lines of text in a list that uses the style you want to update.

2. Click the Text tab at the top of the sidebar, then click the Style button.

3. Click the List Styles pop-up menu to the right of the Bullets & Lists subhead.

4. Move the pointer over the style name, then click the arrow to open the menu of options.

5. Do one of the following:

   • Choose Delete Style. If you try to delete a style that’s being used in the presentation, you’re asked to choose a style to replace the one you’re deleting.

   • Choose Rename Style, then enter a new name.