Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Quickly Moving Your Table.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 7, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365
Word allows you to use the mouse to quickly move entire tables within your document. You can do this by using techniques similar to those you use to move graphics around in a document.
Position the mouse pointer over your table. (Don't click on the table—just position the mouse pointer over the table.) At the upper-left corner of the table you should see a small icon appear. This icon looks like a square with a four-headed arrow inside it. When you click and drag this icon, you are moving the table. When you finally release the mouse button, the table is repositioned where you released the button.
Be aware that moving tables in this manner, while handy, will change the properties of the table. Most notably, it changes the text wrapping properties. Specifically, it changes the text wrapping from None to Around. Thus, if your table doesn't extend all the way from the left margin to the right, when you reposition the table, the surrounding text will wrap around it. If you want to change the wrapping after repositioning, you'll need to do so using the controls on the Table Properties dialog box. (You can display this dialog box by placing the insertion point in the table, displaying the Table Layout tab of the ribbon, and clicking Properties.)
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11571) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Quickly Moving Your Table.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
When pasting a table into your document, you might discover that it extends beyond the right margin of your page. Here ...
Discover MoreDo you have trailing whitespace characters in your table cells? There are several ways you can quickly attempt to remove ...
Discover MoreWhen you work with tables in your document, you may want to hide some of rows in those tables so that they don't print ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
Comments