Extrude is the most-used modeling tool in Blender. It takes a face, edge or vertex and pulls out new geometry connected to it, which is how flat shapes grow into 3D forms. Master this one key and you can build a huge range of objects.
Step 1: Enter Edit Mode and select
- Select your object and press Tab to enter Edit Mode.
- Choose a select mode at the top-left: vertex, edge or face (keys 1, 2, 3).
- Select the part you want to extrude.
Step 2: Extrude
- Press E.
- Move your mouse. The selection pulls out, creating new geometry.
- Left-click to confirm.
To constrain the direction, press an axis key while extruding: E then Z pushes straight up, E then X or Y locks to those axes.
Watch out for the classic mistake
If you press E and then Escape or right-click to cancel, the new geometry is still created, it just stays exactly where it started. That leaves a hidden duplicate face inside your mesh, a very common beginner bug. To cancel cleanly, press E then Ctrl + Z to undo the whole operation.
Useful extrude variants
Press E and right-click, or use the Mesh > Extrude menu, to reach the options:
- Extrude Region: the default, moves the selection as one.
- Extrude Along Normals: pushes each face out along its own direction, perfect for adding even thickness to a curved surface.
- Extrude Individual Faces: extrudes each selected face separately.
Keep going
Extrude pairs with tools like the loop cut and knife to build detailed models. Our Blender Basics course teaches the full modeling toolkit, and you can start free.