How to Insert a Checkbox in Word

You need checkboxes in a Word document, either printed boxes to tick with a pen or boxes that toggle with a click on screen. The two use different tools.

Insert a printable checkbox as a bullet

Select the lines that should have boxes. Click Home, the arrow next to Bullets, then Define New Bullet. Click Symbol, set Font to Wingdings, pick the empty square (character code 168), and click OK twice. Each line now starts with a box. The bullet continues when you press Enter, so new items get boxes too.

Show the Developer tab

For clickable boxes, click File, Options, Customize Ribbon. In the list on the right under Main Tabs, tick Developer, then click OK. The Developer tab now appears on the ribbon and stays there.

Insert a clickable checkbox

Click where the box should go, then click Developer, Check Box Content Control in the Controls group; the icon shows a tick inside a box. A box appears, and clicking it toggles between checked and unchecked. Type the label text after it, and copy and paste the box to add more.

Change the checked symbol

Click the box, then click Developer, Properties. Under Check Box Properties, click Change next to Checked symbol, choose a mark such as the Wingdings check mark (character code 252) or crossed box (character code 253), and click OK in both dialogs. The same dialog changes the Unchecked symbol, and ticking Content control cannot be deleted stops readers from removing the box while they fill in the form.

On Mac. Click Word, Preferences, Ribbon & Toolbar, tick Developer under Main Tabs, and click Save. The Developer tab then offers the same Check Box control, and the bullet method works from Home, Bullets, Define New Bullet as on Windows.

Word for the web. The browser version has no Developer tab and cannot insert content controls, so use the bullet method there. Documents that already contain clickable boxes still open, and the boxes can be toggled.