# Select, move and rename on canvas

Almost all visual editing is selecting something, moving it, and renaming it. Those three cover most edits, and each writes straight back into the source.

Renaming is the one worth learning: press Enter or double-click, type, and the source updates.

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## What this is for

* Making small edits to an existing diagram.
* Rearranging a diagram for readability.
* Renaming nodes without hunting through the source.

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## How it works

| **Action**          | **How**                                    |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Select              | Click a node or an edge.                   |
| Move                | Drag a node. The layout adjusts around it. |
| Rename              | Press Enter, or double-click, then type.   |
| Delete              | Select and press Delete.                   |
| Clear the selection | Escape, or click empty canvas.             |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Every gesture becomes a source change immediately, so undo works the way you expect.
* Moving a node in a laid-out diagram is a hint to the layout, not an absolute position.
* Renaming changes the label, not the node id, so existing connections survive.

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## Related

[Connect Mermaid shapesAlt and drag.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/connect-mermaid-shapes.html)

[Mermaid shapes, arrows and coloursThe entity popover.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/mermaid-shapes-arrows-and-colours.html)

[Mermaid visual editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/mermaid-visual-editor.html)

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_Drag it. The text keeps up._