The fastest way to add a text box
Open your Google Doc and click Insert in the menu bar at the top. From the dropdown, select Text box. Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag on the page to draw a rectangle where you want the text box to appear — the size doesn't have to be exact, you can resize it later. Once you release the mouse, a blinking cursor appears inside the box and you can start typing.
The text box floats on top of your document rather than sitting in the normal text flow. This means you can move it anywhere on the page without affecting the paragraphs around it. To move the box after you've created it, click on its border (not inside it) and drag it to a new location.
Key Takeaways
- Text boxes are added through Insert > Text box, then drawn by clicking and dragging on the page.
- You can resize a text box by dragging its corners or edges after it's created.
- Text boxes float over your document content, so moving them won't shift your paragraphs.
- You can format text inside a box the same way you format regular text — bold, italics, color, font size all work normally.
- Deleting a text box is as straightforward as clicking its border and pressing Delete or Backspace.
Resizing and positioning your text box
After you draw a text box, small squares appear at the corners and middle of each edge. These are resize handles. Drag any corner handle to change both the width and height at once. Drag a middle handle on the top or bottom to change only the height, or drag a middle handle on the left or right to change only the width.
To move the text box, position your cursor on its border until you see a four-way arrow cursor, then click and drag the entire box to a new spot. If you click inside the text box instead of on the border, you'll enter edit mode and your cursor will be ready to type or edit text rather than move the box.
Formatting text inside the box
Text inside a text box follows the same formatting rules as regular document text. Click inside the box and select the text you want to change, then use the toolbar buttons for bold, italics, underline, and color. You can also change the font, font size, and text alignment using the same tools you'd use for body text.
The text box itself has its own formatting options separate from the text inside it. Right-click on the border of the text box (not on the text) to access options for the box's fill color, border color, and border thickness. This lets you create a colored background behind your text or add a visible border around the box.
Changing the box's appearance
To adjust how the text box looks as a container, right-click on its border and select More options. A panel opens on the right side of your screen with tabs for different settings. Under the Fill color tab, you can choose a solid color, a gradient, or no fill at all. Under Border color, you can pick a color for the outline, and under Border weight, you can make the outline thicker or thinner.
If you want the text box to have no visible border and no background color, set both the fill and border to transparent or "none." This creates an invisible container that holds text in a specific location without any visual frame around it — useful when you want text positioned in a particular spot but don't want a box appearance.
Deleting or copying a text box
To remove a text box entirely, click on its border to select the box itself (not the text inside), then press Delete or Backspace. The entire box and all its contents disappear. If you only want to delete the text inside but keep the empty box, click inside the box, select all the text with Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac), and press Delete.
To copy a text box, click on its border to select it, then press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac). Click where you want the copy to appear and press Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V on Mac). The duplicated box appears in the same location as the original, so you'll need to drag it to a new spot to see both boxes clearly.
Text boxes versus tables and columns
Text boxes are useful when you need text in a specific location that doesn't follow the normal top-to-bottom flow of your document. If you're trying to create a layout with multiple columns of text, a table might work better — tables keep content organized in rows and columns and flow with the rest of your document. If you want text to wrap around an image, a text box can work, but you might also consider using the text wrapping feature on the image itself.
For straightforward side-by-side text or structured data, a table is usually easier to manage. For floating labels, callouts, or text positioned at specific coordinates on the page, a text box is the right choice. Text boxes also work well for creating forms where you want readers to type in specific areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make text in a text box wrap to multiple lines?
Yes. Type or paste text into the box and it will wrap automatically as the text reaches the edge. If the text doesn't fit, the box expands downward. You can also manually resize the box narrower to force text to wrap sooner, or wider to fit more text on each line.
What if my text box is behind other content and I can't click it?
Right-click on the content that's in front and look for an option like "Send backward" or "Arrange." This moves the selected object back one layer. Keep using this option until your text box is visible and clickable. You can also use the Arrange menu under Format to control layering.
Can I link a text box to another part of my document?
Text boxes themselves can't be linked, but the text inside them can be. Select text inside the box, then use Insert > Link to add a hyperlink the same way you would for regular text. The link works normally whether the text is in a box or in the body of the document.
Do text boxes print when I print my document?
Yes. Text boxes print exactly as they appear on screen, including their background color and border. If you don't want a text box to print, you'll need to delete it before printing or move it to a separate document.