Move Text Up & Down in Google Docs™

Need to quickly reorder list items or paragraphs in Google Docs? No manual cutting and pasting!

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The Shortcut

Google Docs™ has a built-in keyboard shortcut to instantly move the current line (whether it’s a list item or part of a paragraph) up or down.

1. Place Your Cursor: Click anywhere on the line of the list item or within the paragraph you want to move. You don’t need to select the entire text.

2. Press the Keys:

   • Windows™/ChromeOS™: Hold Alt + Shift, then use the Up Arrow (to move up) or the Down Arrow (to move down).
   • Mac™: Hold Option + Shift (⌥ + ⇧), then use the Up Arrow (↑) or the Down Arrow (↓).

Your selected text will instantly shift its position in the document. Use this simple trick to speed up your document editing and organization!

Works for Both!

Remember, this shortcut works identically for individual list items (bulleted, numbered, checklists) and for entire paragraphs of text.

Slides Too!

Use this same shortcut in Google Slides™ to move list items up and down within a text box.

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Get the Add-On

Supercharge your Google Docs™ experience even further! If you work with tables and text frequently, our Add-On can save you countless hours.

Install the Text To Table Converter

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Next Step: Organize Your Entire Document

Create a Clickable Table of Contents For long documents, take your organization to the next level by creating an automatic, clickable Table of Contents that updates as you edit.