Formatting Issues

How to Group an Image and Caption in Microsoft Word

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 10, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to link or group an image with its corresponding caption so they stay together when editing the document.

How to Group an Image and Caption in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Formatting a document containing images and captions where editing or adding new text causes them to separate onto different pages.
Observed behavior: Images and their text captions split across pages or paragraphs when the surrounding text layout is modified.

Before you start

Ensure your images are inserted into the document and you have either typed out your captions or generated them using Word's References tab.

Solution 1Recommended

Group the Image and a Text Box Caption

Best for movable images. Converts the caption to a text box and physically groups it with the image.

Insert Caption as a Text Box

Go to the Insert tab, select Text Box, and draw one below your image. Type or paste your caption text inside this box.

Change Text Wrapping

Select both the image and the text box. Change their layout options to any text wrapping style other than 'In Line with Text' (for example, choose 'Square' or 'Tight').

Group Objects

Hold down the Ctrl key and click both the image and the text box to select them simultaneously. Navigate to the Shape Format or Picture Format tab, click the Group icon, and choose Group from the dropdown menu.

Move as a Single Unit: Once grouped, you can drag the image and caption anywhere in the document, and they will never separate.

Solution 2

Use Keep with Next for Inline Images

Ideal if your document strictly uses inline images and you prefer not to use floating shapes or text boxes.

Solution 3

Use a Hidden Table to Lock Positioning

A structural workaround to lock an image and its text in the same block, excellent for grid-based document designs.

Efficient Document Formatting

Easily Group Images and Captions with WPS Writer

WPS Office provides a highly intuitive interface for handling images and document layouts. You can seamlessly group pictures with text boxes or use paragraph settings to keep your captions perfectly aligned without complex formatting issues.

1. Open Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your text document.
2. Insert Image and Text Box: Go to the 'Insert' tab, click 'Picture' to add your image, then insert a 'Text Box' below it to hold the caption.
3. Adjust Wrapping Layout: Select the picture and the text box, click the 'Wrap Text' icon, and set both to 'Square' or 'Tight'.
4. Group Together: Hold down the Shift key to select both objects, right-click, and choose 'Group' > 'Group' from the context menu.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word documents (.docx)Intuitive picture formatting and object grouping toolsFree and lightweight alternative for document editingAdvanced layout options to keep images and text together

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Group option grayed out when I select my image and caption?

The 'Group' option is disabled if the image or text box is set to 'In Line with Text'. You must change the text wrapping style of both objects to a floating option, such as 'Square' or 'Tight', before Microsoft Word will allow you to group them.

Can I group a picture with a caption generated by the References tab?

Automatically generated captions in Word are inserted as standard text paragraphs. To physically group them as objects, you need to cut and paste the generated caption text into a separate text box first. Alternatively, use the 'Keep with next' paragraph setting instead of object grouping.

Will grouping an image and caption affect my Table of Figures?

No, grouping them inside a text box or using the 'Keep with next' method will not break your Table of Figures, provided the caption text itself remains formatted with the standard 'Caption' style.

Document & File Issues