Unable to move or select annotation in ArcGIS Pro

Description

In ArcGIS Pro, when attempting to move or select annotation using the Select, Annotation, or Move tool in the map or layout view, the annotation is non-selectable or non-editable.

Cause

The following are known causes for this issue:

• The editing capabilities of the annotation feature class is not enabled in ArcGIS Pro.
• The annotation feature class is non-editable in ArcGIS Pro.
• The labels of the layer are not converted to annotation.
• The ‘Create a new selection’ option of the Select tool is not selected.
• The display cache on the machine is not cleared.

Solution or Workaround

Depending on the cause, use one of the options below to resolve the issue.

Enable editing of the annotation feature class

In ArcGIS Pro, in the Contents pane, on the List By Editing tab, check the layer to enable editing. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Specify which layers can be edited for more information.

Convert the non-editable annotation feature class to a geodatabase feature class

1. In the Contents pane, browse to and right-click the layer.
2. Click Data > Export Features.
3. In the Export Features window, on the Parameters tab, click the drop-down arrow, and select the non-editable layer for Input Features.
4. For Output Location, select a geodatabase as the location of the output feature class.
5. Specify a name for Output Name, and click OK.

Ensure the labels are converted to annotation to be editable

Convert labels to annotation to edit or move them using the Annotation tool. Refer to ArcGIS Pro: Convert labels to annotation for more information.

Ensure the Create a new selection option of the Select tool is selected

Configure the Selection settings to select the Create a new selection option.

1. Open the ArcGIS Pro project.
2. On the top ribbon, click the Edit tab, and click Selection Options in the Selection group.
3. In the Options window, on the Selection tab, under Selection combination mode, select the Create a new selection option. Click OK.

Clear the display cache on the machine

1. Launch ArcGIS Pro. Click Settings on the bottom-left corner, and click Options.
2. In the Options window, click the Display tab.
3. Under Local cache, check the Clear cache check box, and click OK.

4. Close and relaunch ArcGIS Pro.