How to Join Paths and Anchor Points in Adobe Illustrator, plus The Join Tool

Start by selecting 2 anchor points with the Direct Selection tool and choose Object > Path > Join. In this post I show you several ways for how to join paths and anchor points in Adobe Illustrator, and tips to make it easier.

Watch my quick YouTube video for the demonstration. Here’s a summary:

Joining Anchor Points in Adobe Illustrator

To join Anchor Points, select 2 open endpoints with the Direct Selection tool and choose Object > Path > Join, or use the shortcut Command/Ctrl + J.

If the 2 points are not in the same position, a path segment will be created between them. To Align 2 anchor points so they can be joined into a single anchor point, you must exactly align one point on top of the other before joining.

Aligning Anchor Points in Adobe Illustrator

To align two anchor points so they can be joined into a single anchor point, select 2 open endpoints with the Direct Selection tool and choose Object > Path > Average. In the dialog, select the axis you want the points aligned on, and click OK.

The keyboard shortcut for Average is Option/Alt Command/Ctrl + J.

You can also align anchor points by turning on Smart Guides (Command/Ctrl + U). You’ll see pink highlighting and see snapping when you move one anchor point over another.

With many points to align, you may want to turn on Snap to Point (View > Snap to Point) and use the Direct Selection tool to align one point to another. When they are aligned, you will see a magnetic snap. When you want to go back to drawing in Illustrator, it’s best to turn off the Snap to Point feature because constant snapping will interrupt your drawing flow.

Snapping Settings in the Properties Panel

To access the Smart Guides and Snap to Point buttons in the Illustrator Properties panel, first, grab the Selection tool (black arrow) and click on your artboard to deselect everything. With nothing selected, the Properties panel displays snapping controls and other document-wide settings.

Anchor points can also be aligned using the Align panel commands, and anchor points can be nudged with the arrow keys on your keyboard, too. There are many ways of working with precision in Illustrator, including using Rulers and Guides. Here’s my blog post about Rulers and Guides in Illustrator.

Keyboard Shortcut for Averaging and Joining Two Anchor Points in One Step

This keyboard shortcut is worth memorizing if you work on technical drawings and have to join anchor points frequently in Illustrator. Basically, just add Shift to the Average shortcut.

Mac: Shift + Option + Command + J

Windows: Shift + Alt + Control + J

How to Use the Join Tool in Adobe Illustrator

The Join tool is in the Advanced tool panel under the Pencil and Shaper tools. Drag or scrub across overlapping paths to trim and join them together in one step.

The Join tool works on whatever you have selected, or if nothing is selected, the Join tool will work on any intersecting path that’s visible in your document.

More Anchor Point Joining Tips

When you select 2 open endpoints, you can also right-click on the artboard to see a contextual menu that contains the Average and Join commands.

Joins result in corner points, so you may need to convert a point to a smooth point afterward using the Anchor Point tool or the buttons on the Control bar or Properties panel.

Like most things in Adobe Illustrator, there’s more than one way to join paths and anchor points. I hope you found this post useful! - Laura