Select the Type tool and position the insertion point in the cell.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to add text, images, and header or footer rows to tables in Adobe InDesign.
You can insert text, anchored objects, XML tags, other tables, and images directly into table cells to build structured layouts. When you add content to a table, the row height expands automatically to accommodate additional lines of text or graphics unless the row height is set to a fixed value. Footnotes cannot be added to tables.
Add text to table cells
Type your content directly into the cell.
Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to create a new paragraph within the same cell.
Press Tab to move forward through cells or Shift + Tab to move backward. Pressing Tab in the last cell of a table automatically inserts a new row.
Copy or place text from external sources
For existing text content, you can paste or place text files.
Place the insertion point in the target cell using the Type tool.
Paste copied text by selecting Edit > Paste.
Place a text file by selecting File > Place and then double-click a text file.
Add graphics to a table
Select the insertion point in the cell using the Type tool.
Select File > Place.
In the Place dialog box, select your graphics file and adjust any import options if prompted.
Select Open to load the graphics into the place cursor.
Select inside the target cell to place the graphic.
You can place images in table cells by selecting Object > Anchored Object > Insert and then adding a graphic. You can also copy a graphic or frame by positioning the insertion point and selecting Edit > Paste.
To avoid an overset cell, place the image outside the table, resize the image, and then paste it into the table cell.
Add graphics from CC Libraries
Select the insertion point in the cell using the Type tool.
Select the CC Libraries panel.
Select the graphics in the Graphics category.
Drag-and-drop the graphics into the cell.
Note
You cannot drag-and-drop InDesign snippets from the Graphics category in the CC Libraries panel.
When you add a graphic larger than the cell, the cell height expands to accommodate it, but the cell width does not change, leaving the graphic to extend beyond the cell's right edge. If the row in which the graphic is placed is set to a fixed height, a graphic that is taller than the row height causes the cell to become overset.
Add header and footer rows
When a table continues across columns, frames, or pages, readers may lose context for the data. Header and footer rows help maintain clarity by repeating important information, such as column labels or continuation notes, at the top or bottom of each table section. You can add these rows when creating the table or later by using the Table Options dialog box. You can also convert existing body rows into header or footer rows.
Convert existing rows to header or footer rows
Select the rows at the top of the table to convert them to header rows, or select rows at the bottom to convert them to footer rows.
Select Table > Convert Rows > To Header or To Footer.
Add header or footer rows
Place the insertion point in the table.
Select Table > Table Options > Headers and Footers.
Specify the number of Header Rows or Footer Rows in the Table Options dialog box. Blank rows are added to the top or bottom of the table as needed.
Select how the header or footer repeats:
- Every Text Column displays the header or footer in each column of a multi-column text frame.
- Once per Frame displays it once in each threaded frame.
- Once per Page displays it once on each page.
Select Skip First if you do not want the header to appear in the first row of the table. Skip First lets you omit header or footer text at the start of a table. For tables that span pages, use it to avoid showing labels like “(Continued)” on the first row.
Select Skip Last if you do not want the footer to appear in the last row of the table.
Select OK.
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