How to Unanchor an Object in Adobe InDesign

Updated on:

April 6, 2026

By:

Madhav Bhandari

Use this interactive demo to learn how to unanchor an object in Adobe InDesign.

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Here’s a simple and quick guide on how to unanchor an object in Adobe InDesign:

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To unanchor an object attached to text, right-click the image or object.
Choose 'Anchored Object' → 'Release' to free the object from the text.
To confirm the object has been released, the anchor icon will change back to a regular point on the image’s corner, indicating it is successfully unanchored.

📌 Why this matters

Unanchoring objects gives you full control over placement and formatting without text flow constraints. When objects are anchored, they move with text edits and follow paragraph spacing rules, which can disrupt your intended layout.

By releasing them, you can position elements precisely where needed, layer them behind or in front of text, and maintain consistent spacing regardless of content changes. This becomes essential when creating complex layouts like magazine spreads or marketing materials where visual hierarchy and exact positioning matter more than maintaining the text-object relationship.

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