How to Group (and Ungroup) Elements in Canva: Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

This guide explains how to group (and ungroup) elements in Canva in clear, practical terms. It covers the key concepts, recommended steps, common limitations, and useful checks so you can make a better-informed decision.

If you need to move elements around your Canva artboard, group them. Grouping elements in Canva not only saves time, but also keeps your designs spaced correctly.

How to group and ungroup Canva elements from the browser

Grouping elements in Canva allows you to move multiple elements around your canvas in one quick motion. It also ensures that small layouts in your design stay consistent, such as a logo with typography underneath. Grouping in Canva is non-destructive, so you can easily ungroup your objects at any time.

Before you can group elements together, you must first select them. You can select multiple elements in Canva in a few different ways.

Click and drag to select

If the elements you want to select and group are together, the easiest way to select them is to click and drag the cursor over that area.

Hovering over an element will display a purple box around the element's border. Clicking and dragging across elements will display a translucent purple box indicating which elements are selected, while individual elements retain their purple borders. This helps you visualize which elements are and are not selected.

You don't need to drag across the entire area of each element you want to select, just whatever part of each element falls within your dragged boundary will appear in the area you selected.

Using the Group and Ungroup buttons

There are many hidden features in Canva, but groups aren't one of them; the Group button is easy to spot.

When you select two or more objects, a floating toolbar will appear based on your selection. This toolbar features a Group button along with the related Canva AI tools, Duplicate, Lock, Delete, and More. Selecting Group will place your selected elements into a group together.

Ungrouping is just as easy. Select any element in the group and select Ungroup. Ungrouping your Canva will return each element to its own, movable, independent state.

Right click to group and ungroup

Select the elements you want to group, then right-click and select Group from the menu.

Do the opposite to ungroup objects: Right-click on the group and select Ungroup from the options. This will once again bring your previously grouped elements back into independent elements.

How to group and ungroup elements in the Canva app

The Canva app is a great option for designing on the go, but it works differently than the web version of Canva. Let's take a look at how you can select, group, and ungroup elements on the Canva mobile or tablet app.

Select elements in the Canva app

Since the Canva app uses touch technology, selecting elements is a little different than using the cursor or Shift key on the browser version.

To select an individual element on the Canva app, tap it once until a purple box surrounds it.

Once you've selected your first element, a floating toolbar will appear. Tap '…' to open the More menu, then select Select Multiple. Then tap any additional elements you want to select; each element will have a purple box, and the group of selected elements will be linked in a white dotted box. The Select Multiple menu action also indicates the number of elements selected in red, so you can keep track.

Tip: To deselect, simply tap anywhere else on your Canva canvas.

How to group elements in the Canva app

Once multiple elements are selected, you will be in the More menu, where you will find the Group tool.

Press Group and the white dotted boundary with multiple selected elements in a purple box will turn into a large purple box indicating the grouped element has been created. This is represented again by the number on Select Multiple, which is now 1.

To ungroup elements in the Canva app, select the group and the floating toolbar now offers an Ungroup option. If it doesn't appear, select "." on the floating toolbar and select Ungroup from there.

Key Takeaways

Use the guidance above as a practical reference for group (and ungroup) elements in Canva. Check compatibility, follow the steps carefully, and verify important details with official documentation when software, security, accounts, health, or purchases are involved.