How to Add a Page Border in Google Docs

When creating a certificate, a formal invitation, or a cover page for a report, adding a border around the edge of the document can dramatically improve its professional appearance. In traditional word processors like Microsoft Word, adding a page border is a simple toggle in the design menu.

Google Docs, however, prioritises simplicity and lacks a dedicated “Page Border” button. To create a border that frames your entire page, you must use a clever workaround involving the internal drawing tool to create a scalable rectangle.

How to Create the Border Using the Drawing Tool

The most reliable method to create a customisable border that stays locked to the edges of your page is to draw it manually and layer it behind your text.

Step 1: Open the Drawing Canvas

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Click on the Insert menu in the top toolbar.
3. Hover over Drawing, and select New. This will open a blank checkerboard canvas floating above your document.

Step 2: Draw the Border Shape

1. In the Drawing toolbar, click the Shape icon (it looks like a small circle overlapping a square).
2. Hover over the Shapes category and select the standard Rectangle.
3. Click and drag your mouse across the canvas to draw a large rectangle. Do not worry about making it the exact size of your page yet; you will resize it later.

Step 3: Customise the Border Style

By default, the rectangle will be filled with a solid colour (usually light blue), which will hide your text. You must make the centre transparent.

1. While the rectangle is selected, click the Fill color icon (the tipping paint bucket) in the toolbar.
2. Select Transparent at the bottom of the colour menu.
3. Next, click the Border color icon (the pencil) to choose the colour of your border line.
4. Click the Border weight icon (the lines of varying thickness) to make the border thicker and more visible (e.g., 4px or 8px).
5. When you are satisfied with the design, click the blue Save and Close button in the top right corner.

How to Position the Border on the Page

The border will now appear in your document, but it will act like a normal image, pushing your text out of the way. You must format it to sit behind the text and stretch it to the page edges.

1. Click once on the rectangle you just inserted. A small formatting menu will appear directly below it.
2. In this menu, click the Behind text icon. This ensures you can type normally without the border interfering.
3. Click the Position options drop-down menu (it usually says “Move with text” by default) and change it to Fix position on page. This locks the border in place so it does not move when you press Enter.
4. Finally, click and drag the blue handles on the corners of the rectangle to stretch it outwards until it frames the edges of your page perfectly.

How to Apply the Border to Multiple Pages

Because this border is technically an image, it will only apply to the specific page where you drew it. If you have a 10-page document and want the border on every page, you should place it inside the document header.

To do this, simply double-click the very top margin of your page to open the Header section, and then follow the exact same steps above. Any drawing placed inside the Header will automatically duplicate itself across every single page in the document.