How to Group Objects in PowerPoint (2026)
Grouping locks several shapes, images, or text boxes together so they move, resize, and animate as one — keeping a logo lockup or diagram intact. You can ungroup to edit a piece, then regroup without re-selecting everything. The shortcut is Ctrl+G. Here’s the full workflow.
1. Group Objects (Windows & Mac)
- Hold Shift (or Ctrl) and click each object you want to group.
- Right-click and choose Group > Group — or press Ctrl+G.
A single selection box now surrounds all of them. Drag or resize to move everything together.
2. Group Objects (PowerPoint for the Web)
- Select multiple objects with Shift+click.
- Right-click and choose Group, or use Group on the Shape Format tab.
Grouping works on the web with most object types.
3. Ungroup to Edit One Piece
Select the group, then right-click > Group > Ungroup (or Ctrl+Shift+G). The objects separate so you can edit one. To put them back, select any former member and choose Group > Regroup.
4. Align Before Grouping
Tidy the pieces first: select them, open the Shape Format tab > Align, and use Align Center, Distribute Horizontally, etc. Then group so the arrangement stays fixed.
5. Group from the Selection Pane
For overlapping objects, open Home > Select > Selection Pane. Ctrl-click items in the list to select them precisely, then group — useful when objects are hard to click on the slide.
6. Troubleshooting
Group is greyed out
You have only one object selected, or one is a placeholder. Select at least two non-placeholder objects.
I can’t group a placeholder
Slide-layout placeholders (title, content) can’t be grouped. Convert the text to a regular text box, or group the other objects only.
Animating the group lost individual effects
Grouping animates everything as one. Ungroup, animate pieces separately, or animate the group as a single entrance.
Related PowerPoint guides: How to crop an image · How to make a timeline · How to add animations · How to curve text · How to add a hyperlink
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