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This article discusses replacing shapes in SmartArt graphics. If you don't want to replace a shape in a SmartArt graphic, you may find the following links useful instead:

You can change one or more of the shapes in your SmartArt graphic. For example, to signal the end of a process, you might want to replace the last rectangle shape in the Basic Process layout in the Process type with a circle.

  1. Click the shape that you want to change.

    To change multiple shapes, click the first shape, and then press and hold CTRL while you click the additional shapes.

  2. Under SmartArt Tools, on the Format tab, in the Shapes group, click the arrow next to Change Shape, and then click the shape that you want.

    The Change Shape button on the Format tab of the SmartArt Tools

    If you don't see the SmartArt Tools or Format tabs, make sure that you've selected a SmartArt graphic.

    Notes: 

    • Before you replace most or all of the shapes in your SmartArt graphic, try switching to a different layout.

    • Because SmartArt graphics contain more shapes than those in the Change Shape gallery, if you replace a shape and then want to restore the original shape, right-click the new shape and then click Reset Shape. When you reset a shape, any formatting changes, such as color or line width that you made are removed.

    • Because layouts for SmartArt graphics are designed for specific shapes and spacing, after you replace a shape, you may need to resize or move the new shape.

    • An action button is a commonly understood symbol (such as Home, Back or Previous, or Forward or Next) that you can insert into your presentation as a hyperlink. If you replace a shape with an action button, only the shape and design of the action button are placed in your SmartArt graphic, and you cannot create action settings for the action button. You can create settings for an action button only if you add the action button directly to a slide. You can have both a SmartArt graphic and an action button on the same slide.

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