Where to find the text box tool in your program
A text box is a container you draw on your page that holds text separate from the main body. It floats on top of your document rather than flowing with the rest of your writing, which makes it useful for callouts, sidebars, labels, or text that needs to sit in a specific spot.
The location of the text box tool depends on which program you are using. In Microsoft Word, look for the "Text Box" button in the Insert tab at the top — it is usually grouped with shapes and drawing tools. In Google Docs, go to Insert, then select "Text box" from the menu. In Apple Pages, the text box lives under Insert > Text Box. In LibreOffice Writer, it is Insert > Text Box. Once you find it, click the button and your cursor will change to a crosshair, ready to draw.
If you cannot find the text box tool in your program's menu, search the help documentation for "insert text box" plus your program name. Some programs hide it under a Drawing or Shapes menu instead of a dedicated Insert section.
Key Takeaways
- Click the text box tool, then click and drag on your page to create a box the size you need — the tool changes your cursor to a crosshair to signal it is active.
- After you release the mouse, your cursor lands inside the box ready for typing, and you can type or paste text when ready.
- You can move a text box by clicking its border and dragging it, and resize it by grabbing a corner or edge handle and pulling.
- Text boxes can be formatted with borders, background colors, and shadows to make them stand out from the rest of your document.
- If a text box is too small for your text, the text will either wrap to multiple lines or get cut off — resize the box by dragging its handles until all text is visible.
Drawing the text box on your page
Once you have clicked the text box tool and your cursor has changed to a crosshair, position it where you want the top-left corner of your box to be. Click and hold down your mouse button, then drag diagonally toward the bottom-right to create a box. The larger you drag, the larger the box will be. Release the mouse when the box reaches the size you want.
The box will appear with a border and selection handles (small squares at the corners and edges). Your cursor will be blinking inside the box, ready for you to type. If you make the box too small or too large, you can resize it later by dragging those handles, so do not worry about getting the size perfect on the first try.
If you accidentally click the text box tool but change your mind, press Escape to cancel. Your cursor will return to normal and no box will be created.
Typing and pasting text into the box
Once the text box is drawn and your cursor is inside, you can type directly or paste text you have copied from elsewhere. The text will appear inside the box and wrap to new lines as it reaches the right edge. If you paste a large block of text into a small box, some of it may be hidden — you will need to resize the box to see all of it.
You can format text inside a text box the same way you format text in the rest of your document: select the text and explore bold, italic, color, font size, or any other formatting your program offers. The text box itself is separate from the formatting, so you can have a plain box with colored text inside, or a colored box with plain text, or any combination.
Moving and resizing a text box
To move a text box, click on its border (not inside it, where you would type) and drag it to a new location. The entire box will move with your mouse. In most programs, you can also use arrow keys to nudge a text box one pixel at a time if you need precise positioning.
To resize a text box, position your cursor on one of the selection handles (the small squares at the corners or midpoints of the edges) until your cursor changes to a resize arrow, then drag. Dragging a corner handle resizes both the width and height at once. Dragging a side or top/bottom handle resizes only that dimension. If your text is cut off after resizing, make the box larger until all text is visible.
If you want to delete a text box, click on its border to select it (not the text inside), then press Delete or Backspace. The entire box and its contents will be removed.
Adding borders and background colors
Most programs let you add a border or background color to make a text box stand out. Right-click on the border of the text box (or look for a Format or Style menu) to access these options. You can usually choose a border color, border thickness, and background fill color. Some programs also offer shadows or rounded corners to give the box a polished look.
A common setup is a light background color with a darker border, which makes the text box visually distinct from the rest of the page without being distracting. If you want the text box to be invisible except for the text inside, remove the border and set the background to "no fill" or "transparent."
Text boxes that wrap text around them
In Word and some other programs, you can control how text in the rest of your document behaves around a text box. When you right-click a text box and look for "Wrap Text" or "Text Wrapping" options, you can choose whether the surrounding text flows around the box, stays behind it, or stays in front of it. This is useful if you want a text box to sit in the middle of a paragraph without pushing the paragraph text down.
In Google Docs, text boxes always sit on top of the document and do not affect the flow of surrounding text, so you do not need to adjust wrapping. The same is true for most online programs — the text box is a floating object that does not interact with the main text flow.
Troubleshooting text boxes that do not behave as expected
If text inside your box is cut off or hidden, the box is too small. Click the border to select it, then drag a corner or edge handle outward until all text is visible. If you cannot see the text box at all, it may be behind other content — right-click on the page and look for an option to send it to the back or bring it to the front, depending on your program.
If the text box is hard to select because it is small or has no border, click near where you think it is and look for selection handles to appear. In some programs, you can also click on the edge of the text box rather than the middle to select it without entering edit mode. If you are still stuck, try using Tab to cycle through objects on the page until the text box is selected.
If your text box disappears when you save and close the document, it may not have been properly inserted — try creating it again using the Insert menu rather than a toolbar button, as the menu option is more reliable in some programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have multiple text boxes on the same page?
Yes. After you finish with one text box, click the text box tool again and draw another one. You can have as many text boxes as you need on a single page, and you can move and format each one independently.
What is the difference between a text box and a table?
A text box is a single container that holds text in one area. A table is a grid of cells, each of which can hold text. Use a text box when you want text to sit in a specific spot; use a table when you need to organize information into rows and columns.
Can I rotate a text box?
In Word and some other programs, yes — right-click the text box and look for a rotation option, or look for a rotation handle (usually a circular arrow) on the box itself. In Google Docs and some online programs, rotation is not available for text boxes.
Why is my text box not showing up on the printed page?
Check that the text box has a border or background color, or that the text inside is a color that will print. If the box has no border and the text is white, it will be invisible on a white page. Add a border or change the text color to make it visible in print.
Can I lock a text box so it does not move accidentally?
In Word, right-click the text box and look for "Lock" or "Protect" options. In Google Docs, you can right-click and select "Lock" to prevent accidental movement. The exact option name varies by program, so check your program's help if you cannot find it.