How to Insert a Check Box in Word

Want to add a check box or tick box to a list or form in Microsoft Word? It's easy to do, and you can even make it checkable so you can click the box with your mouse. We'll show you an easy way to add a clickable checkbox using Developer Mode in Microsoft Word.

Steps

  1. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 1
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    Open a new file in Microsoft Word. Do so by opening the app shaped like a blue W. Then click on File in the menu bar at the top of the screen, and click on New Blank Document.
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    Click on File in the menu bar and then Options in the menu.
    • On Mac, click on Word in the menu bar and then Preferences… in the menu.
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  3. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 3
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    Click on Customize Ribbon and then Main Tabs in the "Customize the Ribbon:" drop-down menu."[1]
    • On Mac, click on Ribbon & Toolbar in the "Authoring and Proofing Tools" section of the dialog box, then click on the Ribbon tab at the top of the dialog box.
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    Check "Developer" in the "Main Tabs" pane.
  5. Image titled Insert a Check Box in Word Step 5
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    Click on Ok.
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    Click on Developer. It's a tab in the upper-right part of the window.
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    Position the cursor where you'd like to insert the check box.
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    Click on Check Box. It's in the menu bar at the top of the window.
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    Add additional check boxes and text as needed.
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    Lock the form. To do so, select the entire list, to be found in the Controls section on the Developer tab, then click on Group and Group.
    • On Mac, click Protect Form in the Developer tab toolbar.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What should I do if the check box is grayed out in my ribbon?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It is grayed out for me too. However, if you click on the one icon that isn't -- Legacy Tools -- then you will find the exact same checkbox, which you should be able to select.
  • Question
    How can I enlarge the size of a text box without enlarging the text?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    In Word, just dragging the corner of the text box should be sufficient. If the text changes size accidentally, you can always highlight it and change it back to the desired size.
  • Question
    How do you make a drop box in word?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Download LibreOffice. Follow the manual on how to add a list or list/add or list/multiselect box (or just look under "insert" in the menu). You can add a data source for the dropdown menu items from a database, a spreadsheet or within the file structure itself.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Make-a-checklist-in-Word-dd04fa4f-2ca7-4543-8818-c469eca9f45c

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 1,236,538 times.
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Co-authors: 13
Updated: June 20, 2022
Views: 1,236,538
Categories: Microsoft Word
Article SummaryX

1. Open a document.
2. Click File.
3. Select Customize Ribbon and then click Main Tabs.
4. Check the "Developer" box.
5. Click Save.
6. Click Developer.
7. Click where you want to insert the check box.
8. Click Check Box.
9. Add additional boxes and text.
10. Lock the form.

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