Rearranging paragraphs is one of the most common edits in Word, and there are faster ways to do it than cut and paste. You can nudge a paragraph up or down with a keyboard shortcut, drag whole sections around in the Navigation pane, or use Word’s lesser-known F2 move command. This guide covers each method, so you can pick the one that fits how far the paragraph needs to go.
Quick answer
Click inside the paragraph and press Alt + Shift + Up arrow or Alt + Shift + Down arrow to move it above or below its neighbors. For bigger moves, select it, press Ctrl + X, click the new spot, and press Ctrl + V.
Method 1: Move up or down with a shortcut
- Click anywhere inside the paragraph. You don’t need to select it.
- Press Alt + Shift + Up arrow to move it above the paragraph before it, or Alt + Shift + Down arrow to move it below the next one.
- Keep pressing to move it further.
This works for list items and table rows too. To move several paragraphs together, select them first. On a Mac, use Control + Shift + Up or Down arrow.
Method 2: Cut and paste
- Triple-click inside the paragraph to select all of it, including the paragraph mark at the end.
- Press Ctrl + X to cut it.
- Click at the beginning of the paragraph where you want it to go.
- Press Ctrl + V to paste.
Including the paragraph mark keeps the formatting and spacing intact. If you see doubled or missing blank lines afterward, turn on Show/Hide ¶ on the Home tab to see what was moved.
Method 3: Drag and drop
Select the paragraph, then click and hold anywhere in the highlighted text. Drag it to the new location. A dotted cursor shows where it will land. Release the mouse to drop it. Hold Ctrl while dragging to copy instead of move.
If dragging doesn’t work, turn it on in File > Options > Advanced > Allow text to be dragged and dropped.
If your document uses heading styles, you can move a heading together with everything under it:
- Go to View and check Navigation Pane, or press Ctrl + F and click Headings.
- Drag a heading up or down in the pane.
All the paragraphs under that heading move with it. See showing the Navigation pane in Word for more.
Method 5: The F2 move
This older Word feature is handy for long distances because you don’t need the clipboard:
- Select the paragraph.
- Press F2. The status bar asks “Move to where?”
- Scroll to the destination and click where the text should go.
- Press Enter.
Method 6: Outline view
For a big reorganization, go to View > Outline. Set Show Level to show only headings, then use the Move Up and Move Down buttons, or drag the plus signs, to rearrange sections. Click Close Outline View when you’re done.
Word on the web and mobile
In Word for the web, cut and paste and drag and drop work the same way, and the Navigation pane is under View > Navigation. The Alt + Shift + arrow shortcut may not work in the browser. On a phone or tablet, tap and hold to select the paragraph, drag the selection handles to cover all of it, tap Cut, then tap and hold where it should go and choose Paste.
Tips
- Press Ctrl + Z right away if a move goes wrong.
- Paste with Keep Text Only (from the paste options icon) if moved text brings in unwanted formatting.
- Track Changes records moved text as a move, so reviewers can see where it came from.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Alt + Shift + arrow do nothing?
Another program may be using that shortcut, or you’re in a text box or comment where it isn’t supported. Use cut and paste instead.
Can I move a paragraph to another document?
Yes. Cut or copy it, switch to the other document, click where it should go, and paste.
Summary
- Use Alt + Shift + Up or Down to nudge paragraphs.
- Cut and paste, or drag, for longer moves.
- Drag headings in the Navigation pane to move whole sections.
- Use Outline view for big reorganizations.
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.