“Centering” in Google Docs can mean a few different things: centering a line of text, centering an image or table, centering a title vertically on a cover page, or even getting the whole document to sit in the middle of your screen instead of off to one side. Each one uses a different tool. This guide covers all of them, so you can jump to the one you need.
How to Center Text in Google Docs
Step 1: Select the text
Click anywhere in the paragraph you want to center, or highlight several paragraphs. Alignment applies to whole paragraphs, so you don’t need to select every word.
Step 2: Click Center align
In the toolbar, click the Align button (it may show as a stack of lines) and choose Center align. You can also go to Format > Align & indent > Center.
Keyboard shortcut
Press Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows or ChromeOS, or Command+Shift+E on a Mac. To return to left alignment, press Ctrl+Shift+L (Command+Shift+L).
If centered text looks slightly off, check for indents on the ruler or extra spaces at the start of the line, which shift the text away from true center.
How to Center an Image
- Click the image to select it.
- In the image toolbar that appears below it, choose In line as the wrapping option.
- Click Center align in the main toolbar, or press Ctrl+Shift+E.
Images set to Wrap text or Break text are positioned differently. With Break text, the image sits on its own line and you can drag it toward the center; the alignment buttons may also work depending on how it’s positioned. In line is the most reliable way to keep an image perfectly centered.
How to Center a Table
- Right-click inside the table and choose Table properties.
- Under Alignment (or the Table section), set the table alignment to Center.
- Close the panel to apply.
To center text inside the table’s cells, select the cells and use Center align, and set Vertical alignment to Middle in Table properties. For more detail, see how to center a Google Docs table.
How to Center Text Vertically on a Page
Google Docs doesn’t have a “center vertically” page option like Microsoft Word. For a title or cover page, try one of these workarounds:
- Use a one-cell table. Insert a 1×1 table, drag its bottom edge down to fill the page, set vertical alignment to Middle in Table properties, center your text horizontally, and set the table border to 0 pt so it’s invisible.
- Use paragraph spacing. Select the title, go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing, and add space before the paragraph until it sits in the middle.
- Press Enter. The simplest method is adding blank lines above the title. It works, but the position can shift if you change fonts.
How to Center the Document on Your Screen
If the page itself is sitting off to one side of your browser window, the content is fine; it’s the view that’s shifted. Common causes and fixes:
- The tabs and outline panel is open. Click the panel’s collapse arrow on the left side, or use View > Show tabs & outlines to toggle it.
- Zoom is set too high or low. Use the zoom box in the toolbar and choose Fit or 100%.
- Comments panel is open. Docs makes space on the right for comments; closing it re-centers the page.
- Browser zoom. Press Ctrl+0 (Command+0) to reset the browser’s own zoom.
Centering Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers
Double-click in the header or footer area, select the text or page number, and press Ctrl+Shift+E. Header and footer alignment works the same way as body text.
Centering on the Google Docs Mobile App
- Tap the pencil button to edit, then tap in the paragraph.
- Tap the Format button (the “A” with lines).
- On the Paragraph tab, tap the center alignment icon.
Tips
- Center titles and headings, but keep body text left-aligned for easier reading.
- Save a centered title as a style with Format > Paragraph styles so you can reuse it.
- Use the Paint format tool to copy centering to other paragraphs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t my image center?
It’s probably set to Wrap text or Break text. Change it to In line, then use Center align.
Can I center text in a Google Docs bulleted list?
Yes, but the bullet moves with the text, so centered lists can look uneven. For centered items, it often looks cleaner to remove the bullets.
Does centering change when I download as Word or PDF?
Horizontal centering carries over to Word and PDF. Workarounds for vertical centering, such as a one-cell table, usually carry over too, but check the result after exporting.
Summary
To center text in Google Docs, select it and click Center align or press Ctrl+Shift+E. Center images by setting them to In line first, center tables through Table properties, and use a one-cell table or extra spacing to center text vertically. If the whole page is off-center on screen, close the side panels and reset the zoom.
Related: how to indent on Google Docs.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.