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Backup slide

As explained in Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read

An additional presentation slide held in reserve for extending a talk or answering questions.

A backup slide is a reserve slide you can deploy when a talk runs short or when likely Q&A questions need a fuller answer. section 16.4.3

Prepare backup slides for three practical situations:

  • Extend the talk briefly if it finishes ahead of schedule. section 16.4.3
  • Address questions likely to arise during Q&A without overloading the main narrative. section 16.4.3
  • Replace planned demo content when the live demonstration fails, alongside a locally saved backup video or an abbreviated explanation. section 16.4.3

A practical fallback

If a user-facing engineering demo breaks, switch immediately to prepared slides covering its main points, or skip the demo and deepen another part of the talk. section 16.4.3

How Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read covers it

How deep it goes
Explains purposes and fallback choices but stops short of prescribing slide-design details or a rehearsal procedure.
Examples
Uses extension slides, likely-question slides, a locally saved backup video, and prepared demo-explanation slides.
What it assumes
Assumes a planned talk with anticipated timing, audience questions, and possible live demonstrations.
What you can do after
Practice/perform it by preparing reserve slides and switching to them immediately when timing, questions, or demos change.
How it connects
Connects presentation slides with conference talks, Q&A, live demos, and backup plans.
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