About the Path Selection Tool
After drawing a shape with the pen, you often need to move all of it. The path selection tool picks up the whole path at once: press on the line or on any of its points and drag, and every point and handle moves together, so the shape does not change, only its position. Use it to place an outline over the part of a photo it belongs to, to line a shape up with something, or to move a ready-made triangle, square, circle or heart to the right place before you edit it. The other path tools are on the same page. Download the picture with the path drawn on it, or the path as SVG. Your picture stays in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Path Selection Tool
- 1Select an image or drop one on the page.
- 2Draw a path with the Pen tool, or choose a ready-made shape.
- 3With Path Selection chosen, press on the line or on a point and drag.
- 4Release where the shape should sit. Undo if you went too far.
- 5Download the PNG or the SVG.
Moving without changing
A path is stored as a list of positions. The path selection tool adds the same horizontal and vertical distance to every one of them, including the handles, so lengths, angles and curves are unchanged. It is a pure move.
Good times to use it
- You drew a shape in the wrong place and want to shift it, not redraw it.
- You started from the Circle or Heart preset and need it over a particular object.
- You want to line a shape up with part of the picture.
- You need to check how an outline looks in a different position.
- You are about to download and want to centre the path.
Grabbing the path
The tool picks up the path when you press close to the line or to a point. The distance is about the size of a fingertip on screen. If you are working with a very thin line, press on one of the points instead, shown as small squares and circles.
Combining the tools
A common sequence is to start from a preset, move it with Path Selection, add points with Add Anchor Point, shape them with Direct Selection, and finish by choosing a colour and a fill.
Phone and computer
Drag with a finger or the mouse. The page does not scroll while you touch the picture, so a drag moves the path and not the page. Selecting a whole path is the first step before moving it. Edit one point with the Direct Selection Tool, draw new paths with the Pen Tool, and add more points using the Add Anchor Point Tool.
Features
- Seven path tools in one editor, so you can switch as you work
- Cubic bezier curves with draggable handles
- Undo for every step
- PNG download with the line drawn on your picture
- SVG download and copyable path data
- Private: your picture is edited in your browser and never uploaded
- Moves every point and handle together
- Works with open and closed paths
- Grab the line or any point
Frequently asked questions
What does path selection do?
It moves the whole path. All the points and handles shift by the same amount, so the shape and its curves stay exactly as they were.
How is it different from Direct Selection?
Direct Selection moves one point or handle at a time and so changes the shape. Path Selection moves everything together and keeps the shape.
Where do I press?
On the line itself or on one of its points. If you press somewhere else, nothing moves.
Can I move the path partly off the picture?
Yes. Parts outside the picture are not drawn in the PNG, but the SVG still has them.
Can I resize or rotate the path?
Not in this tool. You can redraw it, or adjust points with Direct Selection.
Can I move a closed shape with a fill?
Yes. Press on its outline or on a point. The fill moves with it.
How do I get it back where it was?
Press Undo.
Is my picture uploaded?
No.