A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element with refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. Each second, third, fourth and fifth lens element has refractive power. The sixth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof, and both of the surfaces of the sixth lens element are aspheric. The seventh lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, wherein the image-side surface has at least one convex shape in an off-axis region thereof.