Inserting a Text Box

Text boxes are useful for setting off information from the main part of your document. You can insert text boxes using any version of Word. There are two ways you can add a text box to your document, depending on the version of Word you are using. For any version of Word you can use the following method to insert a text box:

1. Make sure you can see, on your screen, the general area where you want to insert the text box.
2. Make sure the Insert tab of the ribbon is displayed.
3. Click on the Text Box tool in the Text group. Word displays a series of options.
4. Choose Draw Text Box. The mouse cursor changes to crosshairs.
5. Position the crosshairs where you want the upper-left corner of the text box. Click on the left mouse button and drag the rectangle to the lower-right corner of the text box. Release the mouse button.

At the end of step 3 you may have noticed that the options presented by Word included several different predefined text boxes. This “gallery” of text boxes can come in handy if the reason you are creating a text box is met by the options. Feel free to select one of the options (which would preclude the need to perform steps 4 and 5) and experiment with the text boxes available.

Once your text box is created, you are ready to enter text into the box. The text you place in a text box is considered a part of that text box. For instance, if you change the size of a text box, then the text contained within it is reformatted to fit in the new dimensions of the text box. Similarly, if you delete a text box, the text within the box is also deleted.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7726) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Inserting a Text Box.