How to Insert a Text Box in Word (2026)
A text box is a movable container you can place anywhere on the page — perfect for callouts, pull quotes, and sidebars. Word includes styled presets, or you can draw your own. Here’s how to insert, style, and link them.
1. Insert a Text Box (Windows & Mac)
- Go to the Insert tab.
- Click Text Box.
- Choose a built-in style from the gallery, or click Draw Text Box and drag to create one.
- Type your text inside.
Drag the box to reposition it; use the corner handles to resize.
2. Insert a Text Box in Word for the Web
Full text-box drawing is limited online. You can insert a basic box via Insert > Text Box in current builds, but for drawing, linking, and styling, open the desktop app.
3. Style the Border and Fill
- Click the text box to select it.
- On the Shape Format tab, use Shape Fill (background color), Shape Outline (border color, weight, dashes), and Shape Effects (shadow, glow).
- For no border at all, set Shape Outline > No Outline.
4. Wrap Document Text Around the Box
- Select the text box.
- Click the Layout Options icon (or Shape Format > Wrap Text).
- Choose Square, Tight, In Front of Text, or Behind Text to control how body text flows.
5. Link Text Boxes So Text Flows Between Them
For newsletter-style layouts where text continues in another box:
- Create two (or more) empty text boxes.
- Select the first box, then on the Shape Format tab click Create Link.
- Click the next empty box. Overflow text now flows into it automatically.
6. Troubleshooting
The text box covers my document text
Change its Layout Options to Square or Tight so the body text wraps around it instead of being hidden.
I can’t move the text box freely
Set Wrap Text to anything other than In Line with Text — inline objects behave like a character and can’t float.
Create Link is greyed out
The target box must be empty. Clear its text, then link.
My text box won’t print
Confirm it isn’t set to Behind Text beneath a solid fill, and check File > Options > Display > Print drawings created in Word is enabled.
Related Word guides: How to insert a signature · How to add a watermark · How to create a flowchart · How to create a table · How to add columns
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