How to Make Text Continue from One Text Box to Another in Word
Question details
The user needs to know how to make text automatically continue from a text box on one page to another text box on the next page.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a document where the text entered inside a text box exceeds the page limits and continues expanding off the edge of the page.
- Observed behavior
- Word does not automatically flow text from a single text box onto the next page; instead, the box expands and extends past the page boundary.
Ensure you have inserted an empty second text box on the target page where you want the overflowing text to continue.
Use the Create Link Feature for Text Boxes
Manually link a full text box to an empty text box on the next page to force the text to flow smoothly between them.
Text boxes do not automatically span across multiple pages in Word by default. To fix this, you must use the 'Create Link' feature, which connects two separate text boxes and tells the application to pour excess text from the first box into the second one.
Navigate to the page where you want the text to continue. Go to the Insert tab, click 'Text Box', and draw an empty text box.
Click on the original text box that contains your overflowing text to make it the active object.
Go to the 'Shape Format' tab that appears on the ribbon. In the Text group, click on 'Create Link'. Your mouse cursor will change into a small pitcher icon.
Hover your pitcher cursor over the empty second text box and click inside it. The overflowing text from your first box will immediately flow into the second box.
Easily Link Text Boxes and Manage Layouts in WPS Writer
WPS Writer provides an intuitive interface for managing complex document layouts, including linking text boxes to ensure text flows perfectly across multiple pages.
- 1. Insert Text Boxes: Open your document in WPS Writer. Go to the Insert tab and select 'Text Box' to draw your first and second text boxes on the desired pages.
- 2. Access the Linking Tool: Select the first text box that contains your text. Go to the 'Text Box Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Create Link'.
- 3. Link to the Next Box: Click inside the empty second text box. Your text will instantly and seamlessly flow from the first box into the linked box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my text box extending off the page in Word?
By default, text boxes in Word are treated as floating graphical objects rather than standard text areas, so they do not naturally break across pages. If you add more text than fits on the page, the box expands beyond the page margins instead of breaking onto the next page.
Can I link more than two text boxes together?
Yes, you can create a continuous chain of linked text boxes. Once your second text box is full, select it, click 'Create Link' in the Shape Format tab, and click into a newly created, empty third text box.
How do I break a link between text boxes?
Select the text box that precedes the one you want to unlink. Go to the Shape Format tab and click 'Break Link'. The text will immediately retreat back into the first text box, leaving the second one empty.
When should I use text boxes instead of regular body text?
Text boxes are ideal when you need to position text freely on a page, wrap text tightly around other objects, or create callouts and pull quotes. For standard paragraphs that flow natively from page to page, always use normal body text.
