Essentially you don't. Gradient fills are based on the boundaries of the shape they are applied to. If you alter the boundaries, then the gradient position and length will change. It is simply how gradient fills work.

It's a very simple matter to grab the Gradient Tool and move the annotator to where you want it.

Answer from Scott on Stack Exchange
Discussions

Does anyone know how to get the gradient on the top?
It looks like you need to shift the gradient up, it also looks like the top one looks to have a large radial gradient on rather than linear (I could be wrong, I'm on mobile). Would moving the gradient up slightly, redrawing it higher, not achieve the same effect? More on reddit.com
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13
6
August 4, 2024
How to edit gradient stroke?
Shift + X will switch the fill and stroke. So you could potentially apply the changes you want to the fill and then just switch them to the stroke. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/AdobeIllustrator
2
1
October 5, 2022
Need help changing gradient direction in live paint, if possible.
Never tried this but should work, double click the live paint object to enter isolation modeX use the direct selection tool to select the shape then try changing the direction with the gradient palette. If that doesn’t work, I guess you will need to expand the live paint object and modify the gradients afterwards. More on reddit.com
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2
2
December 13, 2021
How to: make a simple mesh gradient in Adobe Illustrator with the Mesh Tool!
You do not need to keep switching between the eyedropper and direct selection tool. While using the eyedropper hold down the CTRL key and it will temporarily switch to the direct selection tool. More on reddit.com
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July 3, 2024
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Quora
quora.com › How-do-you-move-the-center-of-a-radial-gradient-in-Illustrator
How to move the center of a radial gradient in Illustrator - Quora
Adobe Illustrator lets you reposition a radial gradient’s center precisely or interactively. Two reliable methods: ... Select the object filled with the radial gradient. Choose the Gradient tool (G). Click-drag on the object to move the ...
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Make Illustrator's Gradient Tool EASY! - YouTube
Head to https://squarespace.com/dansky to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DANSKYAdobe Illustrator's Gradient Tool is a pow...
Published   June 24, 2024
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Designmodo
designmodo.com › home › resources › adobe tools › how to control gradient fills in adobe illustrator
How to Control Gradient Fills in Adobe Illustrator
March 18, 2024 - If after you create a radial gradient, you click on any place with the help of the Gradient Tool (G), then the center of the gradient will be moved to this place, and at the same time we will get the eccentric radial gradient, as shown in the following picture. Of course, in the article about the gradients I should say that in Adobe Illustrator CS6 we are able to apply a gradient to a stroke.
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Adobe
helpx.adobe.com › illustrator › using › gradients.html
Gradient types in Illustrator
October 27, 2025 - Learn about linear, radial, and freeform gradients in Adobe Illustrator on desktop. Explore gradient types and how to use them.
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Solopress UK
solopress.com › home › design tutorials › how to use the gradient tool in illustrator
How To Use The Gradient Tool In Illustrator | Adobe Tutorial | Solopress UK
April 26, 2021 - If I select the lighter blue and try and move it as close to the middle as possible, looking at the location box should reveal that I’m actually little way off. I can drop down the menu to snap the gradient point to a certain percentage of the image, or type in my own value and press enter. So that’s how you make the traditional gradients, but in the latest update of Illustrator, which at this point is Illustrator 2020, there’s a new freeform gradient option within this tool.
Find elsewhere
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Maschituts
maschituts.com › how-to-use-gradients-in-illustrator
How to Use Gradients in Illustrator — In-depth Guide
September 26, 2023 - On the left side of the Gradient Annotator, you can change the size of the gradient or just click and drag. Changing the form is similar to changing the size, and also, there is a drop-down menu for changing the form.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/adobeillustrator › does anyone know how to get the gradient on the top?
r/AdobeIllustrator on Reddit: Does anyone know how to get the gradient on the top?
August 4, 2024 -

I have a vector graphic on the bottom. It was drawn in illustrator and exported as an svg which I then imported into figma.

However I've been trying to get it to look like the gradient on the top and unable to do it. I've played with multiple linear and radial gradients but it's just not coming very smoothly.

Does anyone know how I could achieve this effect? For context the one on the top is the same graphic with the noir filter on iphone images.

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Adobe Support Community
community.adobe.com › home › app communities › illustrator › questions › change gradient direction
Change Gradient Direction | Community
February 25, 2018 - Gradients in Illustrator · And then click on the button "Reverse gradient" It's marked as E in the docs · A · anastasial47481365 · Participant · Forum|Forum|8 years ago · February 25, 2018 · I suppose you should to try use gradient tool (G on keyboard) to move your gradient to place you prefer.
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Adobe
helpx.adobe.com › illustrator › web › add-and-edit-artwork › add-colors › modify-gradients.html
Modify gradients in Illustrator on the web (Beta)
September 9, 2024 - Change the position of color stops: Drag the color stop and place them to the specific location. Set the spread of a color stop: Select a point gradient and drag the circular spread.
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Shutterstock
shutterstock.com › blog home › designer › design resources › how to use the gradient tool in illustrator
Tool Guide: How to Use the Gradient Tool in Adobe Illustrator
November 9, 2022 - Compound paths treat multiple paths as one cohesive unit. This disperses your gradient across multiple shapes · To release the compound path, click Shift+Option+Command+8 or navigate to Object > Compound Path > Release. Searching for more tips and tutorials to expand your Adobe Illustrator knowledge?
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Howcast
howcast.com › videos › 513801-how-to-work-with-gradients-adobe-illustrator
How to Work with Gradients in Adobe Illustrator
So we can change it so that it goes in the direction we want or we can use the gradient tool which you hit the G button on your keyboard and it will bring up our gradient bar which we can then shift to change where our gradient starts and stops and change the size.
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Envato Tuts+
design.tutsplus.com › home › design & illustration › theory › design trends
How to Use the Gradient Tool in Illustrator | Envato Tuts+
November 13, 2022 - If you want to apply the gradient across all the letters, go to Object > Compound Path > Make. Now the gradient will appear across all the letters. Congratulations! And that's how to how to use the Illustrator Gradient Tool to apply and adjust ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/adobeillustrator › how to edit gradient stroke?
r/AdobeIllustrator on Reddit: How to edit gradient stroke?
October 5, 2022 -

How can I edit an existing gradient stroke? I select stroke color, then Gradient Options, but as soon as I try to edit the gradient it applies that gradient to the fill, which I do not want.

Thanks for any advice.

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ASK Design
askdesign.biz › home › text gradients in adobe illustrator
Text Gradients in Adobe Illustrator - ASK Design Blog
March 14, 2022 - Click and drag over the text – determines the direction of the colors and the angle of the gradient. Experiment! – See what happens when you click and drag left to right vs. right to left.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/adobeillustrator › need help changing gradient direction in live paint, if possible.
r/AdobeIllustrator on Reddit: Need help changing gradient direction in live paint, if possible.
December 13, 2021 -

TL:DR: the title says it all.

I feel like I'm a pretty proficient Illustrator user after the past 3 years of using it, but I still for the life of me can't figure out how to change the gradient direction in live paint. My method to correct this right now is to create a layer with shapes behind the piece that I fill with the gradient direction I need. Is there a better way to go about this? Would would tremendously help my workload, I feel, and maybe I'm taking some unnecessary steps that are wasting time. Any advice is welcome y'all.

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Wyzant
wyzant.com › resources › ask an expert
Illustrator: How do I copy a gradient (including direction) from one object to another? | Wyzant Ask An Expert
April 4, 2019 - I know I can copy a gradient (minus direction) from one object to another, but how do I preserve the direction of the gradient? (I'm using Illustrator CS6) ... Chris P. answered • 06/11/19 ... This came up in class recently. Click the Layer’s arrow to see its Sublayers.
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FMC Training
blog.fmctraining.com › blog › how-to-make-a-gradient-in-illustrator
How to Make a Gradient in Illustrator - Blog
May 3, 2022 - Creating a gradient tool is a simple process, and we'll first start with creating a new document in Illustrator. You can create a new document in Adobe Illustrator by clicking on File → New. In the window that appears, name your document and set its dimensions (you can adjust these later). Click Create when you're ready to move ...
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CreativePro
creativepro.com › home › color › how to move gradient swatches between illustrator and indesign
How to Move Gradient Swatches Between Illustrator and InDesign
December 12, 2024 - 1. Create a new Illustrator document in CMYK color mode (this trick won’t work if you have an RGB Illustrator document). 2. Use the color libraries button at the bottom of the Swatches panel to locate the gradient(s) you want.