Excel shape textbox vba excel

Author: Oscar Cronquist Article last updated on February 17, 2023

There are two different kinds of text boxes, Form controls and ActiveX Controls. Form controls can only be used on worksheets whereas ActiveX Controls are far more advanced, offers a lot more customization, can be manipulated in more ways using VBA, and can also be used on userforms.

The examples in this post are text boxes from the group Form Controls. A text box is an empty field that can be used to submit data from the user or show data to the user. The image above shows a textbox containing text TextBox.

There are more VBA articles in the VBA knowledge base. Text boxes are great for dynamic worksheets, dashboards, or interactive charts. They allow you to build amazing workbooks with minimal effort.

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Formatting a text box

A textbox can be formatted in many different ways.

• Opacity
• background color
• border width
• border color
• font size
• font color
• font

The image above shows a textbox containing text «A textbox», a black border and a blue background. Select the text box you want to format.

To select a textbox press with left mouse button on it with the left mouse button. A selected textbox has white circles around it called sizing handles.

I will explain how to use the sizing handles later in this article. Go to tab «Shape Format» on the ribbon. This allows you to change the background color, border size, border color, etc.

The «Shape Format» tab is only visible on the ribbon if a textbox is selected.

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Insert a text box

To create a text box simply go to tab «Insert» on the ribbon and press with left mouse button on the «Text box» button.

Now press and hold with the left mouse button where you want to place the text box on the worksheet.

Drag with mouse to size the button. Release left mouse button to create the text box.

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Position, size and align a text box

Press with left mouse button on with left mouse button to select the text box. Move the mouse cursor to the edge of the text box, the cursor changes.

Press and hold with left mouse button on the border of the text box. Drag with mouse to its new location. Release the mouse button to release the text box.

To resize a textbox you first select the textbox so the sizing handles appear, they are white circles surrounding the textbox.

Press and hold with left mouse button on a sizing handle, then drag with mouse to resize the textbox.

To align a text box to the cell grid, select the text box in order to see the sizing handles. Press and hold the Alt key, press and hold with left mouse button on a sizing handle.

Drag with mouse to align the sizing handle with the cell grid. Release the left mouse button and the Alt key.

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Link a text box to a cell

These steps show how to link a text box to a cell value. The image above shows a text box linked to cell G3, cell G3 has value «Text value». The text box shows the exact same value as in cell G3.

1. Press with left mouse button on the text box to select it.
2. Press with left mouse button on in the formula bar, a prompt appears.
3. Type the cell reference to a cell you want to link. See the image above.

This makes the text box dynamic meaning if the linked cell value changes the text box cell value changes accordingly. This technique is useful in an interactive dashboard, chart or worksheet.

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Insert a text box programmatically

The AddTextBox method allows you to specify the distance from the cell grids top and left border, see picture above.

AddTextbox( Orientation, Left, Top, Width, Height)

It also lets you specify the width and height of the textbox you want to create. The macro below inserts a text box on worksheet Sheet1 60 points from the top border and 40 points from the left border. The text box width is 120 points and height is 80 points.

Sub TextBox()
Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes.AddTextbox(msoTextOrientationHorizontal, _ 
   60, 40, 120, 80).TextFrame.Characters.Text = "Text Box"
End Sub

I will explain where to put this macro later in this article.

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Font and font size

The following code changes the font to Arial and font size to 20 of text box «Textbox 1» located on worksheet Sheet1.

'Name macro
Sub ChangeFontSize()

'The With ... End With statement allows you to write shorter code by referring to an object only once instead of using it with each property.
With Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("TextBox 1").TextFrame.Characters.Font

'Change font 
.Name = "Arial"

'Change font size
.Size = 20
End With
End Sub

The picture to the right shows text font Arial and font size 20 in text box «Text Box 1» on worksheet Sheet1.

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Add or edit text

The macro below changes text in the text box named «Shape1» to «Text Box1» on worksheet Sheet1.

'Name macro
Sub ChangeText()

'Change text box text
Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("Shape1").TextFrame.Characters.Text _ 
   = "Text Box1"
End Sub

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Position a text box

The macro below changes the location of text box «TextBox 1» on Sheet1.

50 points from the left border and 30 points from the top border.

'Name macro
Sub PositionShape()

'The With ... End With statement allows you to write shorter code by referring to an object only once instead of using it with each property.
With Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("TextBox 1")

   'Move text box 50 points from left worksheet border
   .Left = 50

   ''Move text box 30 points from top worksheet border
   .Top = 30
End With
End Sub

Read more: Move a shape (vba)

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Resize a text box

The picture above demonstrates a text box that resizes from height 100 points and width 50 points (left text box) to height 50 points and width 100 points (right text box).

'Name macro
Sub ResizeShape()

'The With ... End With statement allows you to write shorter code by referring to an object only once instead of using it with each property.
With Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("TextBox 1")

    'Change text box height to 50
    .Height = 50

    'Change text box width to 100
    .Width = 100
End With
End Sub

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Assign a macro to a text box

The text box allows you to link a macro to a text box, what happens is that when a user press with left mouse button ons on a text box the assigned macro runs.

To assign a macro to a specific text box using VBA see following code.

'Name macro
Sub AssignMacro()

'Assign macro named Macro1 to text box named Textbox 1
Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("TextBox 1").OnAction = "Macro1"
End Sub

The macro above assigns Macro1 to «TextBox 1» on worksheet Sheet1.

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Change text box color

The picture to the right shows «TextBox 1» with the color red.

The macro below changes the color of «TextBox 1» using RGB values.

Sub ColorShape()

'Change background color
Worksheets("Sheet1").Shapes("TextBox 1").Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0)
End Sub

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Link text box to cell

This macro links text box «TextBox 1» to cell D2, the text box will now show the value in cell D2 making it dynamic meaning you can easily change what is shown in the text box by changing the value, for example, with a formula in cell D2.

'Name macro
Sub LinkCell()

'Link cell to text box
Worksheets("Sheet1").TextBoxes("TextBox 1").Formula = "=$D$2"
End Sub

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Hide/Show text box

The visible property allows you to hide the text box.

This macro hides «TextBox 1» on worksheet Sheet1.

'Name macro
Sub HideTextBox()

'Hide text box named Textbox 1
Worksheets("Sheet1").TextBoxes("TextBox 1").Visible = False
End Sub

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Delete text box

This macro deletes «TextBox 2» on worksheet Sheet1.

'Name macro
Sub DeleteTextBox()

'Delete text box named Textbox 2
Worksheets("Sheet1").TextBoxes("TextBox 2").Delete
End Sub

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Where to copy the code?

Follow these steps to insert macro to your workbook.

1. Copy macro.
2. Go to VB Editor (Alt+F11).
   
3. Press with mouse on «Insert» on the top menu.
4. Press with left mouse button on «Module» to insert a module to the workbook.
5. Paste macro to the code module.
6. Exit VB Editor.
7. Save the workbook as a macro-enabled workbook (*.xlsm).
   If you don’t the macro will be gone the next time you open the workbook.

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Recommended articles

• Excel VBA Text boxes on userforms

What This VBA Code Does

This VBA macro has a ton of great stuff!  First it creates a shape and adjusts its size and location on the active slide.  After that, the macro tackles the main formatting commands that I personally use the most in PowerPoint. Enjoy!

Sub Create_A_Shape()

‘PURPOSE:Create a Text Box Shape and Reformat it
‘SOURCE: www.TheSpreadsheetGuru.com

Dim Sld As Slide
Dim Shp As Shape

‘ERROR HANDLING
    If ActivePresentation.Slides.Count = 0 Then
        MsgBox «You do not have any slides in your PowerPoint project.»
        Exit Sub
    End If

Set Sld = Application.ActiveWindow.View.Slide

‘Create shape with Specified Dimensions and Slide Position
    Set Shp = Sld.Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeRectangle, _
        Left:=24, Top:=65.6, Width:=672, Height:=26.6)

‘FORMAT SHAPE
    ‘Shape Name
        Shp.Name = «My Header»

        ‘No Shape Border
        Shp.Line.Visible = msoFalse

        ‘Shape Fill Color
        Shp.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(184, 59, 29)

        ‘Shape Text Color
        Shp.TextFrame.TextRange.Font.Color.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)

        ‘Text inside Shape
        Shp.TextFrame.TextRange.Characters.Text = «[Header]»

        ‘Center Align Text
        Shp.TextFrame.TextRange.Paragraphs.ParagraphFormat.Alignment = ppAlignCenter

        ‘Vertically Align Text to Middle
        Shp.TextFrame2.VerticalAnchor = msoAnchorMiddle

        ‘Adjust Font Size
        Shp.TextFrame2.TextRange.Font.Size = 14

        ‘Adjust Font Style
        Shp.TextFrame2.TextRange.Font.Name = «Arial»

End Sub

Using VBA Code Found On The Internet

Now that you’ve found some VBA code that could potentially solve your Excel automation problem, what do you do with it? If you don’t necessarily want to learn how to code VBA and are just looking for the fastest way to implement this code into your spreadsheet, I wrote an article (with video) that explains how to get the VBA code you’ve found running on your spreadsheet.

Getting Started Automating Excel

Are you new to VBA and not sure where to begin? Check out my quickstart guide to learning VBA. This article won’t overwhelm you with fancy coding jargon, as it provides you with a simplistic and straightforward approach to the basic things I wish I knew when trying to teach myself how to automate tasks in Excel with VBA Macros.

Also, if you haven’t checked out Excel’s latest automation feature called Power Query, I have put together a beginner’s guide for automating with Excel’s Power Query feature as well! This little-known built-in Excel feature allows you to merge and clean data automatically with little to no coding!

How Do I Modify This To Fit My Specific Needs?

Chances are this post did not give you the exact answer you were looking for. We all have different situations and it’s impossible to account for every particular need one might have. That’s why I want to share with you: My Guide to Getting the Solution to your Problems FAST! In this article, I explain the best strategies I have come up with over the years to get quick answers to complex problems in Excel, PowerPoint, VBA, you name it! 

I highly recommend that you check this guide out before asking me or anyone else in the comments section to solve your specific problem. I can guarantee that 9 times out of 10, one of my strategies will get you the answer(s) you are needing faster than it will take me to get back to you with a possible solution. I try my best to help everyone out, but sometimes I don’t have time to fit everyone’s questions in (there never seem to be quite enough hours in the day!).

I wish you the best of luck and I hope this tutorial gets you heading in the right direction!

Chris
Founder, TheSpreadsheetGuru.com

The Excel VBA Shape object represents an object in the
drawing layer, such as an AutoShape, freeform, OLE object, or picture. It is a
member of the Shapes collection, which contains all the shapes in a workbook,
but represents a single shape in a worksheet.

How to refer to the Shape
object

We refer to the Shapes collection in a given worksheet as indicated below:

ActiveSheet.Shapes                       

Then, we can use properties and methods of the Shapes collection as per the Excel object model structure. Some useful methods of the Shapes collection are: AddShape,
AddTextBox, AddFormControl, AddPicture, Item, SelectAll. See below an example
of the structure (for AddShape see next section).

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.SelectAll                    ‘selects all the shapes in
the active sheet

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.Item(1).Select           ‘selects the first shape in the
active sheet

The latest can simply be referred to as either of the below two
options: the first one using the index, and the second using the shape name. Thus, we refer to a single Shape object.

ActiveSheet.Shapes(1)

ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle 1»)

Add new shapes

We use the method AddShape of the Excel VBA Shapes
collection to create or add a new shape in a given worksheet. Excel
automatically gives a default name depending on the type of shape (for example,
Rectangle 1, TextBox 2, etc), but we can easily change the name of the shape
and many other properties (see later). See below the standard statement to add
a new AutoShape in the active worksheet. 

ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddShape MsoAutoShapeType, pLeft, pTop, pWidth, pHeight

Where MsoAutoShapeType specifies the type of
an AutoShape object (MsoAutoShapeType enumeration for Microsoft Office), and pLeft, pTop, pWidth, and pHeight determine the position and
size of the shape in points. Note that the pLeft and pTop refer to the upper
left corner of the shape in reference to the upper left edge of the worksheet.

In the following example, we add a rectangle
to the active worksheet.

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddShape
msoShapeRectangle, 20, 20, 200, 100

In order to add the shape to a specific cell
or range in the worksheet, we need to specify the position and size of the
shape as follows:

 Dim rng As Range

 Set rng = ActiveSheet.Range(«D4:H8»)

 rngLeft = rng.Left

 rngTop = rng.Top

 rngHeight = rng.Height

 rngWidth = rng.Width

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddShape msoShapeRectangle,
rngLeft, rngTop, rngWidth, rngHeight

It is more practical to add the shape to an
object variable in order to easily apply formatting properties or methods later.
In the following example, we define an object variable called “MyShape” to add
a rectangle to the active worksheet, then we change the name of the shape and
apply any other properties (for this see next section).

 Dim MyShape As Shape

 Set MyShape =
ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 50, 50, 140, 80)

 With MyShape

     .Name =
«MyFirstShape»

     ‘other
properties

 End With

We can add other types of shapes such as text
boxes, form controls, smart art shapes, pictures, etc, with the corresponding
method of the Shapes collection. Here are some useful examples.

The code below adds a textbox into the active
worksheet with given dimensions (100×60) and some inner text. Note that we use
the TextFrame.Characters method to work with text inside the box.

 Dim
txtbox As Shape

 Set
txtbox = ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddTextbox(msoTextOrientationHorizontal, 50, 50,
100, 60)

 With
txtbox.TextFrame.Characters

     .Text = «This is my first textbox»

     .Font.Color = vbRed

 End
With

We can add form controls such as buttons,
check boxes, combo boxes, etc, with the AddFormControl method of the Shapes
collection. For example, to add a command button we can use a similar structure
than the one we have seen earlier:

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.AddFormControl
xlButtonControl, 20, 20, 100, 40

In this particular case we
can also use the Buttons.Add method directly. The following subroutine adds a command button to the active worksheet,
and assigns another procedure (ButtonAction) to be run when clicked.

 Sub
AddButtonToWorksheet()

     Dim
btn As Object

     Set
btn = ActiveSheet.Buttons.Add(20, 20, 100, 40)

     btn.OnAction = «ButtonAction»

 End Sub

 Sub
ButtonAction()

     MsgBox «You have pressed the button»

 End Sub

Select, copy, and delete shapes

We can select, copy, or delete a shape using
the corresponding methods of the Shape object, and specifying that particular
shape with either the number or name (as we have seen earlier).  

 ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle 1»).Select        ‘selects Rectangle 1

 ActiveSheet.Shapes(2).Select                          ‘selects
the second shape

 ActiveSheet.Shapes.SelectAll                           ‘selects all shapes in the
active sheet

 ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle 1»).Copy

 ActiveSheet.Paste

 ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle
1»).Delete

In order to copy or delete all shapes in the
worksheet we need to loop through all shapes using a For Each loop. If you are
not familiar with loops, please check the lesson 6 (Conditions and Loops) in
the training for beginners. The following example deletes all shapes in the
active worksheet:

 Dim shp As Shape

 For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes

     shp.Delete

 Next shp

If we want to select and work with a subset of shapes (more
than just one), we have to construct a ShapeRange
collection that contains the shapes we want to work with. In the example below,
we select a rectangular shape (Rectangle 1) and a textbox (TextBox 2) through
an array of shapes. We can now work with those shapes and apply for example
formatting properties to both at the same time.

 Dim ShpSubsetArray() As Variant

 Dim ShpSubset As Object

 ShpSubsetArray = Array(«Rectangle 1»,
«TextBox 2»)

 Set ShpSubset =
ActiveSheet.Shapes.Range(ShpSubsetArray)

 ShpSubset.Select

Format shapes

There are a bunch of properties to format
shapes in Excel VBA. We can specify the position in the worksheet with the Top
and Left properties as we have seen earlier. Similarly, we can set the width
and height of the shape with the respective properties of the Shape
object.

 With ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle 1»)

     .Top = 100

     .Left = 100

     .Width = 200

     .Height = 120

 End With

We can also change the aspect of the interior
and border of the shape. The following example changes the interior color of the
rectangle to blue and sets a thick red border around using the Fill and Line
properties.

 With ActiveSheet.Shapes(«Rectangle 1»)

     .Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(0, 0, 255)

     .Line.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0)

     .Line.Weight = xlThick

 End With

In order to add text to the shape we need to
use the TextFrame property. This may be particularly useful when dealing with
textboxes. We use the TextFrame.Characters method to add text, change font
properties, etc. The example below adds some text red and bold inside the
textbox.

 With ActiveSheet.Shapes(«TextBox 2»)

     With .TextFrame.Characters

         .Text = «This is my textbox»

         .Font.Color = vbRed

         .Font.Bold = True

     End With

 End With

Other VBA Objects

Application

Workbook

Worksheet

WorksheetFunction

Range

Chart