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ggplot2 geom_text() in R: Add Text Labels to a Plot

The geom_text() function in ggplot2 places TEXT LABELS at specified (x, y) coordinates. Combined with hjust, vjust, and size aesthetics, it adds annotations to scatter plots and bar charts.

By Selva Prabhakaran  ·  Published May 12, 2026  ·  Last updated May 12, 2026
⚡ Quick Answer
ggplot(df, aes(x, y, label = name)) + geom_text()
geom_text(hjust = 0, vjust = -1)         # offset positioning
geom_text(size = 3, color = "red")
geom_label()                              # boxed version
ggrepel::geom_text_repel()                # auto-adjust to avoid overlap

Need explanation? Read on for examples and pitfalls.

📊 Is geom_text() the right tool?
STARTtext labels at coordinatesgeom_text()boxed labelsgeom_label()avoid overlapggrepel::geom_text_repel()one-off annotationsannotate("text", ...)numeric labels above barsgeom_text(aes(label = value), vjust = -0.5)

What geom_text() does in one sentence

geom_text() places text from the label aesthetic at each (x, y) coordinate. Width-zero text; place labels exactly at points.

Syntax

geom_text(mapping = NULL, data = NULL, hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0.5, size = 3.88, ...). Requires aes(x, y, label).

Run live
Run live, no install needed. Every R block on this page runs in your browser. Click Run, edit the code, re-run instantly. No setup.
RLabel points with car names
library(ggplot2) library(tibble) mtcars |> tibble::rownames_to_column("car") |> head(10) |> ggplot(aes(wt, mpg, label = car)) + geom_point() + geom_text(hjust = -0.1, size = 3)

  

  





Tip
Use ggrepel::geom_text_repel() for plots with many labels. It automatically shifts overlapping labels apart, much cleaner than manual hjust/vjust.



Five common patterns



1. Label scatter points




  

    
RAnnotate each point

    
ggplot(df, aes(x, y, label = name)) +
  geom_point() +
  geom_text(hjust = -0.2)

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





2. Numeric labels on bars




  

    
RShow values above bars

    
mtcars |>
  count(cyl) |>
  ggplot(aes(factor(cyl), n)) +
  geom_col() +
  geom_text(aes(label = n), vjust = -0.5)

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





3. Different text per point




  

    
RConditional labels

    
mtcars |>
  tibble::rownames_to_column("car") |>
  mutate(label = ifelse(mpg > 30, car, "")) |>
  ggplot(aes(wt, mpg, label = label)) +
  geom_point() +
  geom_text(hjust = -0.1)

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Empty string for unlabeled points.



4. ggrepel for non-overlapping




  

    
RAuto-adjust labels

    
library(ggrepel)
ggplot(mtcars, aes(wt, mpg, label = rownames(mtcars))) +
  geom_point() +
  geom_text_repel()

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





5. With size aesthetic




  

    
RSize by value

    
ggplot(df, aes(x, y, label = name, size = importance)) +
  geom_text()

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Key Insight
For overlapping labels, ggrepel::geom_text_repel is much better than manual offsets. It uses force-directed placement to avoid collisions.



geom_text() vs geom_label() vs ggrepel







Function
Style
Best for






geom_text()
Plain text
Lightweight labels




geom_label()
Boxed text
High-contrast labels




ggrepel::geom_text_repel()
Plain + auto-place
Many overlapping labels




ggrepel::geom_label_repel()
Boxed + auto-place
High-contrast non-overlap







A practical workflow



Use ggrepel for any plot with more than a handful of labels.




  

    
RInteractive R

    
library(ggrepel)

mtcars |>
  tibble::rownames_to_column("car") |>
  ggplot(aes(wt, mpg, label = car)) +
  geom_point() +
  geom_text_repel(max.overlaps = 15, size = 3)

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Cleaner than manual hjust/vjust placement.



Common pitfalls



Pitfall 1: overlap. Many labels at similar coordinates overlap. ggrepel fixes this.



Pitfall 2: hjust/vjust confusion. hjust = 0 is left-aligned (label TO THE RIGHT of point); hjust = 1 is right-aligned (label TO THE LEFT). Test interactively.



Warning
Default geom_text() size is 3.88 (in mm). Often too small. Use size = 3 to 5 for typical plots.



Try it yourself





Try it: Add car name labels to a scatter of wt vs mpg using ggrepel. Save to ex_plot.



  

    
RYour turn: scatter with labels

    
library(ggrepel)

ex_plot <- mtcars |>
  tibble::rownames_to_column("car") |>
  # your code here

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Click to reveal solution



  

    
RSolution

    
ex_plot <- mtcars |>
  tibble::rownames_to_column("car") |>
  ggplot(aes(wt, mpg, label = car)) +
  geom_point() +
  geom_text_repel(size = 3)

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Explanation: ggrepel automatically places labels to avoid overlap.










After mastering geom_text, look at:



    


  • geom_label(): boxed version
    • 


  • ggrepel::geom_text_repel(): anti-overlap
    • 


  • annotate("text", ...): one-off labels
    • 


  • geom_text(check_overlap = TRUE): simple anti-overlap (less polished than ggrepel)
    • 





FAQ



What does geom_text do in ggplot2?



geom_text() places text from the label aesthetic at (x, y) coordinates.



What is the difference between geom_text and geom_label?



geom_text is plain text. geom_label adds a colored box behind the text. Use geom_label for high-contrast over busy plots.



How do I avoid label overlap?



Use ggrepel::geom_text_repel() (or geom_label_repel). They auto-shift labels to prevent collisions.



How do I position labels relative to points?



hjust/vjust: 0 is left/bottom-aligned; 1 is right/top-aligned. Negative values offset further. Test interactively.



Can I conditionally label points?



Yes. Pass an empty string for points to skip: mutate(label = ifelse(condition, name, "")).



          

        


        
      


      

        

        
© 2016-2026 Selva Prabhakaran.
          This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License.
        

        

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