The quickest way to add a text box

Open the Insert tab at the top of Word, then click Text Box. Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag on your document to draw the box to the size you want, then type inside it. That's the basic move — the text box is now part of your document and you can move it, resize it, or format the text inside just like any other text.

Text boxes are useful when you want text to sit in a specific spot on the page rather than flowing with the rest of your document. They're common in flyers, newsletters, forms, and documents where you need precise control over placement.

Key Takeaways

  • Insert a text box by going to the Insert tab, clicking Text Box, then clicking and dragging on your document to draw it.
  • Once created, you can click inside the text box and type, or paste text from elsewhere in your document.
  • Resize a text box by dragging its corner handles, and move it by clicking and dragging the border itself.
  • Format text inside a text box using the Home tab — font, size, color, and alignment work the same way as regular text.
  • Delete a text box by clicking its border (not the text inside) and pressing Delete.

Drawing and positioning your text box

After you click Text Box in the Insert tab, your cursor becomes a crosshair. Position it where you want one corner of the box to be, then hold down your mouse button and drag diagonally to create the box. Release the mouse when the box is the size you want. Word will automatically place your cursor inside the box so you can start typing right away.

If the box isn't in the right spot, click the border of the box (not the text inside) and drag it to move it. If you need to resize it, position your cursor over one of the small squares at the corners or edges until the cursor changes to a resize arrow, then drag outward to make it bigger or inward to make it smaller.

Typing and pasting text into the box

Once your text box is drawn and your cursor is blinking inside, you can type normally. If you want to move text from elsewhere in your document into the text box, select that text, copy it (Ctrl+C on Windows or Cmd+C on Mac), click inside the text box, and paste it (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V).

The text will wrap automatically if it's longer than the box is wide. If the text doesn't all fit, the box will show only what fits inside — the rest stays in the box but hidden. You can make the box taller or wider to reveal more text, or reduce the font size to fit more in the same space.

Formatting text inside a text box

Text inside a text box follows the same formatting rules as regular text. Select the text you want to change (or press Ctrl+A to select all text in the box), then use the Home tab to change the font, size, color, bold, italic, or alignment. You can also right-click the selected text to access formatting options.

To change how the text box itself looks — the border color, fill color, or shadow — click the border of the box (not the text inside), then right-click and choose Format Shape. This opens a panel where you can adjust the box's appearance without changing the text inside.

Removing a text box

To delete a text box and all the text inside it, click the border of the box (not the text) so the box itself is selected, then press Delete. If you click inside the text and press Delete, you'll only delete the text, not the box.

If you want to keep the text but remove the box formatting, select all the text inside (Ctrl+A), copy it, click outside the box, and paste it into your document as regular text. Then delete the empty text box.

Text boxes and page layout

By default, text boxes sit "in front of" your document text, meaning they can overlap words and sentences. If you want the text box to flow with your document instead — so regular text wraps around it — click the text box border, then go to Insert > Arrange > Wrap Text and choose an option like Square or Tight. This is useful when you want the text box to stay in a specific position relative to nearby paragraphs.

If you're working with a template or a document with multiple text boxes, you might want to lock them in place so they don't move accidentally. Right-click the text box border and look for Lock Anchor or similar options depending on your Word version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a text box inside another text box?

No — Word doesn't allow nested text boxes. If you need multiple separate text areas, create separate text boxes instead and position them near each other.

Why can't I see my text box after I create it?

The text box might be behind other content or outside the visible page area. Click Insert > Arrange > Bring to Front to move it forward. If it's off the page, use Ctrl+A to select all objects and then drag them back into view.

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

Right-click the text box border, choose Format Shape, then set the fill to No Fill and the line to No Line. The text inside will remain visible but the box itself will be invisible.

Can I copy a text box and paste it elsewhere in my document?

Yes. Click the text box border to select it (not the text inside), then copy it with Ctrl+C. Click where you want it and paste with Ctrl+V. The new text box will be identical to the original, including all formatting and text.