An After Effects layer rotates around the wrong point

Put the anchor where the pivot should be

Save a project copy before changing an animated layer. For a finished animation, inspect more than the current frame: an adjustment that looks right at one moment may not preserve the rest of the motion.

Choose the pivot deliberately

Select the intended layer in the Timeline and locate its anchor in the Composition panel. For a centered logo spin, you probably want the middle of the visible artwork. For a clock hand, you want the point where it attaches to the clock, not the middle of its length.

Adobe documents Layer > Transform > Center Anchor Point In Layer Content for centering the pivot. For an off-center pivot, select Pan Behind (Anchor Point) and drag the anchor in the Composition panel. This adjusts Anchor Point and Position together to keep the layer in place. See Adobe's layer properties reference.

Use the plain drag operation here. Do not add modifier keys experimentally: Adobe documents a different behavior for an Alt/Option-modified drag.

Do not confuse these two commands

The second command changes where the layer is placed; it does not select the right pivot within the artwork. Adobe explains that distinction in its layer arrangement guide.

Check the rotation before continuing

On an unanimated working copy, make a small temporary change to the layer's Rotation value. Watch the point that should stay fixed, then undo the temporary change. For the clock-hand example, the attachment point should stay put while the tip travels around it.

For an already animated layer, preview the whole affected interval in the project copy. Compare the start, middle, and end with the original. Avoid repairing only the opening frame and assuming the remaining keyframes will still describe the intended movement.

If the pivot appears correct but the layer still travels unexpectedly, note whether the layer is parented, uses expressions, or is a shape with its own group transform. Stop applying this simple layer-level fix to a more complex rig. Use Adobe's After Effects Help community with a sanitized example and the relevant transform values.

If the motion path is now right but moving edges look too sharp, the separate motion-blur checks cover that appearance issue.