Adding a text box takes three clicks

Open the slide where you want the text box. Go to the Insert tab at the top of the ribbon. Click Text Box — it appears in the toolbar on the left side, usually near icons for shapes and images.

Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag on the slide to draw the box to the size you want. Release the mouse, and PowerPoint places a blinking cursor inside the box. Start typing immediately — your text appears as you write.

When you finish typing, click outside the box to deselect it. The text box is now part of your slide and can be moved, resized, or edited at any time by clicking on it again.

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 grabbing the corner or edge handles and dragging them.
  • Text inside a box can be formatted with font, size, color, and alignment options from the Home tab.
  • Text boxes can be positioned anywhere on the slide and layered behind or in front of other objects.
  • Deleting a text box removes only the box itself — the text disappears with it unless you copy it first.

Resizing and moving a text box

After you create a text box, small squares appear at the corners and edges when you click on it. These are resize handles. Drag any corner handle to resize the box while keeping its proportions. Drag an edge handle to stretch it in one direction only.

To move the text box, click on its border (not inside it) and drag it to a new location on the slide. If you click inside the text, you will enter edit mode and your drag will select text instead of moving the box.

You can also right-click the text box border and choose Cut, then click elsewhere on the slide and choose Paste to move it. This is useful if you want to move the box to a different slide — paste it there instead.

Formatting text inside the box

Click inside the text box to edit the text. Select the words you want to format by clicking and dragging across them, or press Ctrl+A to select all text in the box.

The Home tab contains all formatting options. You can change the font (typeface), font size (measured in points), font color, and text effects like bold, italic, or underline. You can also set alignment — left, center, right, or justified — using the alignment buttons.

For more detailed formatting, right-click the selected text and choose Format Text. This opens a panel where you can adjust line spacing, character spacing, and other advanced options. These changes apply only to the text you selected, not to the entire box.

Changing the box appearance

Click on the border of the text box (not inside it) to select the box itself rather than the text. The Drawing Tools tab appears in the ribbon. Here you can change the shape outline (the border color and thickness), the shape fill (the background color), and add shape effects like shadows or glows.

If you do not want a visible border, click Shape Outline and choose No Outline. If you want a colored background, click Shape Fill and pick a color. You can also make the background transparent so only the text shows.

To remove all formatting and start over, right-click the text box border and choose Reset Shape. This returns the box to PowerPoint's default appearance.

Layering text boxes with other objects

When you have multiple objects on a slide — images, shapes, other text boxes — they stack on top of each other. A text box might hide part of a photo, or a photo might cover your text.

Right-click the text box border and hover over Arrange. You will see options to send the box backward (behind other objects) or bring it forward (in front of other objects). Choose Send to Back to place it behind everything, or Bring to Front to place it on top. Send Backward and Bring Forward move it one layer at a time.

This is especially useful when you want text to appear over an image or when you want an image to appear over a colored text box background.

Copying and duplicating text boxes

If you have created a text box with specific formatting and want to use it again, you can duplicate it. Click the text box border to select it, then press Ctrl+C to copy. Press Ctrl+V to paste it on the same slide or on a different slide.

The pasted box appears slightly offset from the original, so you can see both. You can then move it to where you want and edit the text inside. The formatting — font, colors, border style — stays the same as the original box.

This saves time when you are building a presentation with a consistent design. Create one formatted text box, then duplicate it for each slide that needs the same style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make text wrap inside a text box?

Yes. Click inside the text box and keep typing — text automatically wraps to the next line when it reaches the edge. If you want to force a line break, press Shift+Enter. If the text does not fit, the box expands downward automatically, or you can manually drag the bottom edge down to make more room.

How do I delete a text box?

Click on the border of the text box to select it (not the text inside), then press Delete. The entire box and all its text disappear. If you only want to delete the text but keep the box, click inside the box, select all text with Ctrl+A, and press Delete.

Can I rotate a text box?

Yes. Click the text box border to select it. A small circular handle appears above the box — this is the rotation handle. Click and drag it to rotate the box. You can also right-click the box, choose Rotate, and pick a preset angle like 90 degrees.

What is the difference between a text box and a text placeholder?

A placeholder is built into the slide layout and appears as a gray box with placeholder text like "Click to add text." A text box is something you create manually and can place anywhere. Placeholders are designed for the main content; text boxes are for additional text you want to position freely.

Can I link a text box to another slide?

Not directly through the text box itself. However, you can select text inside the box, go to the Insert tab, click Hyperlink, and link it to another slide in your presentation. The text becomes underlined and clickable during a slideshow.