# Layers, groups and order

Layers are underused and genuinely useful: put annotations on their own layer and you can hide them for a clean export, or lock the background so you stop selecting it by accident.

Groups are lighter: a bundle of shapes that move together until you ungroup them.

## How to enable

### 1\. Make the layers panel visible from the menu

![image-20260907-081902.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/d332f833-c2af-4be6-ac72-db8ea9d8344d.webp)

Enable Layers

### 2\. The layer panel is displayed

![Screenshot 2026-09-07 at 09.19.28.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/2996df6c-2eaf-47e8-938a-b1587b5de0ba.webp)

Layer Window

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## What this is for

* Complex diagrams where you keep selecting the wrong thing.
* Diagrams with an annotation layer you want to hide sometimes.
* Controlling which of two overlapping shapes is in front.

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## How it works

| **Action**      | **How**                                                             |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Layers          | Edit, Layers, or Ctrl+Shift+L. Add, rename, hide, lock and reorder. |
| Move to a layer | Right-click a selection, Edit, Move to Layer.                       |
| Group           | Ctrl+G. Ungroup with Ctrl+Shift+U.                                  |
| Bring forward   | Ctrl+Shift+F sends to front; Ctrl+Shift+B sends to back.            |
| Lock            | Lock a layer to stop selecting anything on it.                      |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Locking the background layer is the fastest fix for a diagram where you keep dragging the wrong shape.
* Hidden layers still export unless you hide them before exporting; check before sending.
* Groups nest. Ungrouping once may leave you inside another group.

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## Related

[Align, distribute and auto layoutMaking it look deliberate.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/align-distribute-and-auto-layout.html)

[Labels, links and shape dataText, metadata and clickable areas.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/labels-links-and-shape-data.html)

[draw.io editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-editor.html)

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_The canvas rewards ten minutes of learning._