SmartArt in PowerPoint isn't a SmartArt anymore

Copper Contributor

I have created a hierarchy SmartArt in PowerPoint (Office 2016 on Mac) about a month ago, saved as pptx on Google Drive and kept editing and expanding it. Lately, I have opened the PowerPoint and wanted to continue editing it but the hierarchy has forgotten that it is a SmartArt, so when clicking in it, only the tab 'Shape Format' instead of 'SmartArt' appears. It appears as if it has been created by adding single objects.

Can someone help to revert it back into a SmartArt?

Much appreciated as it's several A3 slides filled with various org's.

Many thanks, Barbara

1 Reply

@Barbara1000 - I have just learned from one of my IT folks that this is a glitch that occurs when the metadata is lost.  I grouped my SmartArt after creating a very large org chart that I wanted to move as one element on the page.  He believes that this grouping process may have converted the SmartArt to a shape/shapes thus deleting the metadata.  He said this is the first time he has seen this issue at his current job but after being in IT for 6+ years, it's a thing. :(  The takeaway is unfortunately to start over.