How to Add Arrows to a Screenshot

Most of the time, when I take a screenshot, the only thing I really want to do is point at one specific thing in it. An arrow does that in seconds, and usually saves me writing a paragraph of explanation underneath.

Here's how to add one in Pixelmatic's free screenshot editor. No install, no browser extension, just a free account.

The Fast Version

Open the editor and bring in your screenshot (capture, paste, or drag-and-drop).
Click Arrow in the annotation toolbar.
Click and drag from where you want the arrow to start to where you want it to land.
The arrow stays selected, so you can drag either endpoint to fine-tune the position, or change the colour from the side panel.
Export the PNG.

That's it. If you'd like a label as well, click Text and type next to the arrow.

[ VIDEO PLACEHOLDER ]
10–15 second clip: paste a screenshot of a SaaS settings page,
click the arrow tool, draw an arrow pointing at the "Save" button,
add a "Click here" text label, export. Make the workflow
obviously fast.

Alt text: Adding an arrow and a text label to a screenshot of a
SaaS settings page.

When Arrows Help

Help docs. "Click the gear icon" on its own is fine. "Click the gear icon" with an arrow pointing at it is generally the difference between someone reading the article and someone actually finding the button.
Bug reports. Circle the broken pixel. It saves engineering working through 200 reports trying to figure out what you saw.
Onboarding emails. One screenshot, one arrow, one clear next step. Usually more useful than a long setup paragraph.
Internal walkthroughs. A Slack message with a screenshot and a few labelled arrows is often quicker than a five-minute Loom, both to make and to watch.

A Few Small Habits

A handful of things that, in my experience, make arrows look intentional rather than busy.

Match the colour to your brand or to the UI element, rather than reaching for bright red every time. A cyan arrow pointing at a cyan button reads as design. A red arrow on a green dashboard reads as alarm.
Keep arrows short. Long diagonal arrows across the whole screenshot tend to feel noisy. If the thing you're pointing at is small, zoom in first. If it's far from where the label naturally sits, move the label closer to the tip of the arrow.
Use a box where you'd otherwise use three arrows. If you're trying to highlight a section of the UI rather than a single button, a thin box around the section is generally cleaner.
Label the arrow if there's any doubt at all. "Click here" is fine, and it's a lot better than leaving the reader to guess.

Numbered Steps with Arrows

If you're documenting a multi-step flow in a single screenshot (a wizard, a settings panel, an onboarding screen), you can combine arrows with text labels numbered 1, 2, 3. One screenshot replaces three, and the reader doesn't need to scroll to follow along.

What if I just want to circle something?

There isn't a dedicated circle tool right now. The box tool, with its corners pulled in tight, generally does the same job, and against rectangular UI it tends to look a bit cleaner anyway.

Try it now in the free screenshot editor →