How to Rotate & Change Text Direction in Google Docs

Google Docs is a powerful tool for creating documents online. Students, teachers, and professionals often use it, and sometimes they need to change page orientation or rotate text for design and formatting purposes. This could mean flipping text from horizontal to vertical, or turning it sideways to create unique layouts.

For example, resumes often use vertical text in the margins to make headings stand out. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to rotate text, turn it sideways, and change text direction in Google Docs—all with simple, beginner-friendly steps.

How to Rotate Text in Google Docs

To rotate text in Google Docs and make text vertical anywhere in the entire document with a quick layouts option present in Google Docs. You have to draw the text box with the help of the drawing tool. Follow the below steps-

In the Menu bar, click on the Insert option → Drawing, and click on + New for opening the drawings window.

Make a text box by clicking on the text box icon and write the text that you want to turn upside down in Google document.

Now rotate text in Google Docs 90 deg or 270 deg on a drawing canvas with the help of a rotating handle to make it vertical.

You will see the rotational handle in the top middle of the text box.

Now click on Save and Close button for saving vertical text in Google Docs.

How to Turn Text Sideways in Google Docs

To turn text sideways in Google Docs first we have to flip text from horizontal to vertical then set vertical alignment of words according to the main body text. Follow the below steps-

Open Google Docs document in the browser. Place the cursor where you want to make words sideways.

Then in the Menu bar, click on the Insert option navigate to the Drawing option, click on + New. A new drawing panel opens in front of you in Google Docs.

After opening the drawing panel, click on the Text box icon in the toolbar menu for making a text box in canvas.

Create a text box in the panel via drag n drop and write your necessary text in the box which you want to write sideways on Google Docs. You can customize the text fonts, color, bold, italic, etc.

After adding text, change text orientation to either vertical or horizontal by holding the rotating handle of the text box, try to change the text to 90^o clockwise or 270^o anticlockwise direction to make the text vertical in Google Docs.

Click on Save and Close button to save the text rotation work.

Now you can adjust the position of the vertical text on the left side or right side of Google Docs in the document editor.

Finally, you have turned text sideways in Google Docs.

Now when you scroll down the page your vertical sideways text will get sticky on their own position.

Read: How to change to landscape in Google Docs

How to Change Text Direction in Google Docs

After making the text vertical in Google Docs we can change text direction in Google Docs in any place where we want. Click on the Wrap text option below the text box option. See the below image for reference-

After clicking on the text wrapping option, you will see an Image options panel on the right side of the Google Docs document.

Under Image options, there is Size & Rotation, Text Wrapping, Position. Click on Fix position on page under the Position option.

Now select the required position option from Quick layouts to change text direction in Google Docs i.e., top left, top center, top right, center left, center, center right, bottom left, bottom center, bottom right.

We will select the center-left position to make the text vertically centered on the left side of the docs.

How to Rotate Text in a Table in Google Docs

This is a popular question — many people want rotated headers inside tables. Unfortunately, Google Docs doesn’t let you rotate table text directly. But there’s a workaround.

Workaround for Table Text Rotation

1. Go to Insert > Drawing > + New.
2. Create a text box with your header text.
3. Rotate the box (90° or 270°).
4. Save and insert it into your Doc.
5. Drag the rotated text box into the table cell.

This places the rotated text visually inside the table, even though it’s technically an image.

How to Flip or Mirror Text in Google Docs

Want upside-down or mirrored text for design purposes? Here’s how:

1. Go to Insert > Drawing > + New.
2. Add a text box and type your text.
3. Select the text box.
4. Click Actions > Rotate > Flip horizontally (mirror text) or Flip vertically (upside down).
5. Save and insert into your document.

Quick Reference Table

Even though Google Docs doesn’t offer one-click text rotation, with a little creativity you can rotate, flip, and change text direction using the Drawing tool and text boxes.