Drag a panel by its tab out of its dock to make it float.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to organize panels in Adobe InDesign to design a workspace that fits your workflow.
Customize your panel layout to access your most-used tools quickly and keep your workspace uncluttered. In InDesign, you can stack, float, or collapse panels, and your layout is automatically saved. You can also save layouts as named workspaces (Window > Workspace > New Workspace) to switch easily between different project types. For best results, place the panels you use most where they're easy to reach without blocking your view of the document.
Stack floating panels
Drag the floating panel by its tab to the drop zone at the bottom of another floating panel to stack.
To reorder stacked panels, drag a panel up or down by its tab.
To move stacked floating panels together as a unit, drag the topmost title bar.
Collapse panels to icons
Select the double-arrow icon at the top of the dock to collapse all panels in that column to icons. This can help save screen space while keeping occasionally used panels easily accessible.
To expand a single panel, select its icon.
Drag the edge of the dock to adjust its width. Narrower docks hide icon labels, while wider docks display them.
Work with panel groups
To add a panel to a group, drag the panel tab to the highlighted drop zone within the group.
To rearrange panels within a group, drag a panel's tab to a new position in the group.
To remove a panel from a group, drag it by its tab outside the group.
To move an entire group, drag the title bar above the tabs.
You can add new panels, remove those you don't use, and rearrange individual and grouped panels for quick access to essential tools while working on documents. With these features, you have full control to create a workspace that suits your design needs and workflow preferences.
Show or hide panels
To hide or show all panels, including the Tools and Control panels, press Tab.
To hide or show all panels, except the Tools and Control panels, press Shift + Tab.
Add a panel
Select Window.
Choose the panel you want to add from the list.
Drag the panel by its tab to dock it in your preferred location. Panels display checkmarks in the Window menu when they're currently visible in your workspace.
Move panels within a dock
Drag a panel by its tab to the narrow blue drop zone above or below another panel.
Release the pointer when the blue highlight appears in your desired position.
Remove panels
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (macOS) the panel tab.
Select Close from the context menu. You can also remove a panel by deselecting it from the Window menu. If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears automatically.
Dock panels
A dock is a group of panels that appear together, arranged vertically along the edges of your workspace. You can dock panels to keep related tools together or undock them to use specific panels independently. When you move panels, InDesign displays blue-highlighted drop zones to indicate where you can place them. Any changes you make remain in your current workspace until you reset or switch to another workspace.
Select the panel you want to move by selecting its tab.
Drag the panel tab toward the target dock until a blue drop zone appears.
Position the panel at the top, bottom, or between other panels in the dock.
Release the pointer when the blue highlight indicates your desired location.
Undock panels
Select and hold the tab of the panel you want to undock.
Drag the panel away from its current dock location.
Move the panel to an empty workspace area, avoiding any blue drop zones.
Release the pointer to create a free-floating panel.
If you remove all panels from a dock, the dock disappears. To create a new dock, drag a panel or panel group to the right edge of the workspace until a drop zone appears. To keep a panel group together, drag it by its title bar rather than an individual tab.
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