Adding a caption in three steps

To add a caption to an image in Google Docs, right-click the image, select Add caption, type your text in the box that appears, and click outside the box when you're done. The caption will sit directly below the image and move with it if you rearrange your document.

Google Docs treats captions as part of the image itself, so they stay attached even if someone else edits the document later. This is different from typing text underneath an image — a true caption is linked to the image and labeled as such in the document's structure.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any image in your document and select Add caption from the menu that appears.
  • Type your caption text directly into the box, then click outside it to save — no separate save button is needed.
  • Captions appear below images by default, but you can change the position by right-clicking the caption and selecting Caption position.
  • If you need to reference an image elsewhere in your document, use the Label option in the caption menu to create numbered captions like "Figure 1" that update automatically.

Where to find the caption option

The caption feature lives in the right-click menu, which is the fastest way to reach it. Click the image once to select it (you'll see a border around it), then right-click directly on the image itself. A menu will pop up with several options — Add caption is usually near the top, often just below options like "Replace image" or "Rotate image".

If you're on a device where right-clicking is difficult, you can also reach captions through the top menu. Click the image to select it, then go to Insert in the menu bar and look for Caption in the dropdown. This path is slower but works the same way.

Typing and formatting your caption text

Once you click Add caption, a small text box appears directly below your image with a blinking cursor ready for you to type. Type whatever text you want — a description, a source, a label, or all three. There's no character limit, so you can write as much as you need.

The caption text uses the same font and size as the rest of your document by default, but you can format it differently if you want. While the caption box is active (before you click away), you can select the text and use the formatting toolbar at the top to make it bold, italic, smaller, or a different color. Once you click outside the caption box, it's locked in place and you can't edit the formatting without right-clicking the image again and selecting Edit caption.

Moving captions to different positions

By default, captions appear below images, but Google Docs lets you move them to the top, left, or right side instead. Right-click the image (not the caption text), and you'll see Caption position in the menu. Click it to see four position options displayed as small diagrams — choose whichever placement makes sense for your document layout.

The caption will reposition when ready. If you change your mind, just right-click again and pick a different position. This is useful when you have a narrow column of text and want the caption to sit beside the image rather than stretching the full width below it.

Using labels to create numbered captions

If your document has multiple images and you want to reference them by number — like "See Figure 3" or "As shown in Image 2" — Google Docs can number captions automatically. Right-click the image and select Add caption. In the caption box that appears, you'll see a small label icon (it looks like a tag). Click it to open the label menu.

Choose Figure, Image, or Table depending on what you're captioning, and Google Docs will automatically number it. If you add a new image with a label before this one, all the numbers will shift down automatically — you don't have to renumber anything yourself. This is especially helpful in longer documents like reports or research papers where you refer back to images multiple times.

Editing or removing a caption

To change a caption you've already written, right-click the image and select Edit caption. The caption box will become active again with a cursor, and you can select and delete text, add new text, or change the formatting. Click outside the box when you're done.

To remove a caption entirely, right-click the image and select Delete caption. The caption disappears when ready, but the image stays in place. If you change your mind, you can undo the deletion by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) right away, or by going to Edit in the menu bar and selecting Undo.

What happens to captions when you share or read

Captions stay attached to images when you share your document with others, whether you give them view-only access or editing rights. They can see the captions but can't change them unless you've given them permission to edit the whole document. If someone with editing access changes a caption, you'll see their changes the next time you open the document.

When you read your document as a Word file (.docx) or PDF, captions come along with the images. In a PDF, the caption appears as text below the image. In a Word file, the caption is preserved in a format that Word recognizes, though the exact appearance may shift slightly depending on the Word version being used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a caption to an image that's already in my document?

Yes. Right-click the image and select Add caption. It doesn't matter whether the image has been in the document for days or was just inserted — the caption feature works the same way. If the image already has a caption, you'll see Edit caption instead of Add caption.

What if I want the caption to appear above the image instead of below?

Right-click the image, select Caption position, and choose the top position from the four options shown. The caption will move above the image when ready. You can switch back to below anytime by repeating the same steps.

Do captions work the same way on mobile as on a computer?

The Google Docs mobile app (on iPhone or Android) has limited caption support. You can view and edit captions that already exist, but adding a new caption is easier on a computer. If you need to add captions, open the document on a desktop or laptop browser instead.

Can I use a caption to cite where an image came from?

Yes. There's no rule about what goes in a caption — you can write "Photo by Jane Smith, 2023" or "Source: CDC website, March 2024" or any other information you want to include. Many people use captions for both a description and a source credit in the same box.

If I delete an image, does the caption disappear too?

Yes. When you delete an image, its caption is deleted along with it. If you've used numbered labels (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.), the remaining captions will automatically renumber themselves so there are no gaps.