To drag and drop a Word document, click the file in File Explorer (or on your desktop), hold the mouse button down, move the pointer to the destination, such as another folder, an email, or a website’s upload box, and release. Dropping a file on a folder on the same drive moves it; dropping it on a different drive copies it. Hold Ctrl while dropping to force a copy, or Shift to force a move. Inside a document, you can also drag selected text to a new spot.
Below are the most common ways to drag and drop Word files and text, and what to do when dragging doesn’t work.
Move or copy a Word file to another folder
- Open File Explorer with Windows + E and find the document.
- Open a second File Explorer window for the destination, or use the folder tree on the left.
- Click and hold the file, drag it onto the destination folder, and release.
| Key held while dropping | Result |
|---|---|
| None, same drive | Moves the file |
| None, different drive | Copies the file |
| Ctrl | Always copies |
| Shift | Always moves |
| Alt (or right-drag) | Creates a shortcut, or shows a menu with all options |
Right-dragging (holding the right mouse button) is the safest option: when you release, Windows asks whether to copy, move, or create a shortcut.
Attach a Word document to an email
- Start a new message in Outlook, Gmail, or another email service.
- Drag the document from File Explorer into the message window.
- Release it over the message body or the attachment area.
In Gmail and other web mail, a “Drop files here” box appears while you’re dragging. In Outlook, dragging a OneDrive file may attach a share link instead of a copy; you can switch to Attach as copy from the attachment’s menu.
Upload a Word document to a website or cloud storage
- OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox: Open the service in your browser and drag the file into the file list.
- Forms and portals: Drag the file onto the upload box, which often says “Drag and drop or browse.”
- Synced folders: Drag the file into the OneDrive or Dropbox folder in File Explorer, and it uploads automatically.
Open a document by dragging it into Word
Drag a .docx file onto the Word icon on the taskbar, or onto an open Word window’s title bar, to open it. To insert one document’s contents into another instead, use Insert > Object > Text from File.
Drag and drop text inside a document
- Select the text you want to move.
- Click and hold inside the selection.
- Drag to the new location; a small dotted cursor shows where it will land.
- Release to move it. Hold Ctrl as you release to copy it instead.
You can also drag text between two open Word documents if their windows are side by side (View > View Side by Side).
Drag images and files into a document
Drag a picture from File Explorer into an open document to insert it. Drag an Excel range into Word to paste it as a table. Dragging other file types may insert them as icons or embedded objects.
Make dragging easier with Snap
Dragging is much easier when both the source and the destination are visible. Click a window and press Windows + Left arrow, then pick the second window to fill the right half. You can also drag a file over a taskbar button and hold it there for a moment; Windows brings that app’s window to the front so you can drop the file into it.
Drag and drop on a Mac
The same ideas apply in Finder. Dragging moves files on the same disk and copies to other disks. Hold Option to copy, and Command to move between disks.
When drag and drop doesn’t work
- Text won’t drag in Word: Go to File > Options > Advanced and check Allow text to be dragged and dropped.
- Nothing drags anywhere: Press Esc once while hovering over a file, or restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. This often fixes a stuck drag-and-drop state.
- Can’t drop into an app: Apps running as administrator can’t accept drops from normal File Explorer windows. Run both the same way.
- Accidentally moved a file: Press Ctrl + Z in File Explorer right away to undo it.
- Touchpad trouble: Double-tap and hold, then drag, or enable tap-to-drag in Settings > Devices > Touchpad.
Related: How to copy a table in Word.
Related: Drag and drop in Windows 11.
Frequently asked questions
Does dragging a Word file delete the original?
Only when it’s moved. Hold Ctrl or right-drag and choose Copy if you want to keep the original in place.
Can I drag a document into Word for the web?
Drag it into your OneDrive in the browser, then open it with Word for the web.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.