Click and drag the image to a new spot on the page
To move an image in Google Docs, click on it once to select it, then drag it to wherever you want it to go. The image will follow your cursor. Release the mouse button when the image is in the right place. This works for images you've inserted from your computer, Google Drive, the web, or any other source Google Docs accepts.
If the image doesn't move smoothly or seems stuck, make sure you're clicking directly on the image itself, not on the text around it. You'll see small blue squares appear at the corners and edges of the image when it's selected — that's how you know it's ready to move.
Key Takeaways
- Click once on an image to select it, then drag it to move it anywhere on the page.
- You can position images in line with text, wrap text around them, or place them behind or in front of text using the arrange menu.
- Use the alignment tools to center an image or snap it to the left or right side of the page.
- If an image won't move, check that text wrapping isn't set to "In line with text," which locks images in place.
Change how text wraps around the image
By default, images in Google Docs sit "in line with text," which means they act like a large character in a sentence. This can make them hard to position freely. To move an image more easily, change its text wrapping setting.
Right-click the image and select "Wrap text." You'll see four options: "In line with text," "Wrap text," "Break text," and "Behind text." Choose "Wrap text" or "Behind text" to free the image from the text flow. Now you can drag it anywhere on the page without it jumping back to align with a line of text.
"Wrap text" keeps the image on top of the text layer, so words flow around it. "Behind text" places the image underneath the words, useful if you want text to appear over the image. "Break text" puts the image on its own line with text above and below it.
Use the alignment menu to position images precisely
If you need an image centered on the page or aligned to the left or right margin, the alignment tools are faster than dragging. Select the image, then go to the Format menu at the top and choose "Align." You'll see options for left, center, and right alignment.
These alignment tools work best when text wrapping is set to something other than "In line with text." If you choose "Center," the image will jump to the middle of the page. "Left" and "Right" snap the image to those margins. You can still drag the image up or down the page after aligning it horizontally.
Resize and reposition at the same time
When you select an image, the blue squares at its corners and edges let you do two things: drag the whole image to move it, or drag a corner or edge square to resize it. Be careful not to confuse the two actions.
To move the image, click anywhere on the image itself (not on a corner square) and drag. To resize, click and drag one of the blue squares. Dragging a corner square keeps the image's width-to-height ratio the same. Dragging an edge square stretches or squeezes the image in one direction only.
Fix an image that won't move
If you click an image and it won't budge when you drag, the most common cause is that text wrapping is set to "In line with text." Right-click the image, select "Wrap text," and choose a different option. The image should now move freely.
Another reason an image might seem stuck is if it's inside a table or text box. Images locked inside these containers can only move within that container's boundaries. To move it to a different part of the document, you may need to cut the image, click outside the table or box, and paste it there.
Layer images on top of each other
When you have multiple images on the same page, they stack in layers. The image you inserted last usually appears on top. To change the order, right-click an image and select "Arrange." You'll see options to bring an image forward or send it backward in the stack.
"Bring forward" moves the image one layer up. "Bring to front" puts it on top of everything. "Send backward" moves it one layer down. "Send to back" puts it behind all other images and text. This is useful when you want one image to appear over another, or when you want text to display on top of an image.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move an image to a specific measurement, like exactly 2 inches from the left?
Google Docs doesn't have a built-in tool to set exact image positions by measurement. You can drag images by eye or use the alignment tools to snap them to the left, center, or right. If you need pixel-perfect positioning, a desktop program like Microsoft Word or LibreOffice offers more precise controls.
What if I want to keep an image in the same spot even when I edit the text above it?
Set the image's text wrapping to "Behind text" or "Wrap text" instead of "In line with text." Images with these settings stay in their position on the page even when you add or delete text elsewhere in the document. "In line with text" images move with the text around them.
Can I move an image to a different page in the document?
Yes. Drag the image down toward the bottom of the current page, and as you approach the page break, Google Docs will automatically scroll down and show you the next page. Keep dragging to move the image onto that page. You can also cut the image, scroll to the page you want, and paste it there.
Why does my image jump to a new line when I try to move it?
This happens when text wrapping is set to "In line with text." The image is treated like a word in a sentence, so it snaps to the nearest line of text. Change the wrapping setting to "Wrap text" or "Behind text" to move it freely without it jumping.