Adding a text box takes three clicks

Open PowerPoint and go to the slide where you want the text box. On the ribbon at the top, click the Insert tab. In the toolbar, find and click Text Box. Your cursor will change to a crosshair.

Click and drag on your slide to draw the text box to the size you want. You can make it small or stretch it across half the slide — the size doesn't matter yet. Once you release the mouse, the text box is active and ready for typing. Start typing your text when ready.

When you're done typing, click outside the text box to deselect it. The text box now sits on your slide and you can move it, resize it, or format it whenever you need to.

Key Takeaways

  • Text boxes are created through Insert > Text Box, then drawn by clicking and dragging on the slide.
  • You can resize a text box after creation by clicking its border and dragging the corner or edge handles.
  • Text inside a box can be formatted with font, size, color, and alignment using the Home tab or right-click menu.
  • Text boxes can be layered, rotated, and positioned anywhere on the slide, including over images or other objects.

Resizing and moving a text box after you create it

Click once on the text box border (not the text inside) to select it. You'll see small squares at the corners and edges. Drag any of these handles to resize the box. Drag a corner handle to resize both width and height at once. Drag an edge handle to resize in just one direction.

To move the text box, click on its border and drag the entire box to a new location on the slide. If you accidentally click inside the text box instead of on the border, you'll enter edit mode and be able to change the text. Click the border again to switch back to move mode.

Formatting text inside the box

Click inside the text box to edit the text. Select the text you want to format by clicking and dragging across it, or use Ctrl+A to select all the text in that box. Once text is selected, the Home tab on the ribbon shows formatting options: font name, font size, bold, italic, underline, and text color.

You can also right-click on selected text to see a menu with formatting choices. For alignment, use the alignment buttons on the Home tab to left-align, center, right-align, or justify the text. If you want to change the background color of the text box itself (not just the text), click the box border to select it, then look for Shape Fill on the Drawing Tools Format tab.

Layering text boxes over images and other objects

Text boxes can sit on top of images, shapes, or other slide elements. When you have multiple objects on a slide, PowerPoint stacks them in layers. If a text box is behind an image and you can't click it, right-click on the image and choose Send to Back, or select the text box and choose Bring to Front from the Drawing Tools Format tab.

You can also rotate a text box by selecting it and looking for the rotation handle — a small circle above the box. Click and drag this circle to spin the text box to any angle. This is useful when you want text to run diagonally across a slide or match the angle of a design element.

Copying and pasting text boxes

If you've formatted a text box the way you want it and need the same style elsewhere, select the text box border and press Ctrl+C to copy it. Click on another slide and press Ctrl+V to paste. The new text box will have the same formatting, size, and style as the original, but with empty text ready for you to type.

You can also copy a text box within the same slide if you want multiple boxes with identical formatting. This saves time when you're building a slide with several callouts or labels that should look the same.

Removing borders and backgrounds from text boxes

By default, text boxes have no visible border or background — just the text. If you want to add a border or background, select the text box border and right-click. Choose Format Shape. In the panel that opens, you can add a line (border) by choosing a color and thickness, or add a fill (background color) by selecting a color.

If a text box has a border or background you want to remove, select it and go to Drawing Tools Format > Shape Outline and choose No Outline, or go to Shape Fill and choose No Fill. This is useful when you want text to float on the slide without any box around it.

Text box limits and when to use shapes instead

Text boxes are designed for short text — a headline, a label, a callout, or a few lines of body text. If you're adding a full paragraph or multiple sentences, a text box works fine, but the text may become hard to read if the box is too small. You can always make the box larger or let the text wrap to multiple lines.

If you need a text box with a colored background or border that looks like a button or badge, you might want to use a shape instead. Shapes (rectangles, circles, etc.) are found on the Insert tab next to Text Box, and they let you add text inside them while giving you more control over the appearance. For most straightforward text additions, though, a text box is the fastest choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make text wrap to multiple lines inside a text box?

Yes. By default, text wraps automatically when it reaches the edge of the text box. If you want to force a line break, press Enter. If text is running off the edge, make the text box wider or reduce the font size. You can also turn off text wrapping by right-clicking the text box, choosing Format Shape, and unchecking the wrap option.

How do I change the font or size of text in a text box?

Select the text you want to change by clicking and dragging across it. On the Home tab, use the font dropdown to pick a different typeface, and use the font size dropdown to make it larger or smaller. You can also make text bold, italic, or underlined using the buttons next to the font size.

What if my text box is behind another object and I can't click it?

Click on the object in front, then go to Drawing Tools Format > Arrange > Send to Back. Or select the text box by clicking on a visible part of it, then use Bring to Front to move it forward. You can also use Tab to cycle through objects on the slide.

Can I delete a text box without deleting the text?

No. When you delete a text box, the text inside it is deleted too. If you want to keep the text, select all of it (Ctrl+A), copy it (Ctrl+C), delete the box, then create a new text box and paste the text back in.

How do I make a text box transparent so I can see through it?

Select the text box border, right-click, and choose Format Shape. Under Fill, select No Fill. Under Line, select No Outline. The text will remain visible but the box itself will be invisible, letting you see any background or image behind it.