How to add check boxes in Microsoft Word

Check boxes make life so much easier when it comes to creating lists. Ticking things off those lists means they’re done, and you need not think about them any longer. For example, once you find what you’re looking for on your shopping list, you can check it off. This is how to add check boxes in Microsoft Word.

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How to insert a check box in a Word document

Creating a print-only list

Creating a print-only list — meaning you can’t click on the check boxes to fill them in — is entirely possible from Define New Bullet. This is useful for lists where you have a pen or pencil handy. You can create empty squares for your lists that you can physically fill in manually with a pen or pencil.

Start by going to your Microsoft Word document and clicking the dropdown arrow on the Bullets button.

From the following options, click Define New Bullet….

Within Define New Bullet, click Symbol….

Using the dropdown at the top, change the font to Wingdings. Character codes 111, 112, 113, and 114 all work great for check boxes. When you find the empty box you like, click OK.

Back in the Define New Bullet pop-out, click OK.

Your new check boxes are ready to go as bullets.

Developer options

Open Microsoft Word. From the home screen (or, if you’re in a document, the File tab), click Options.

In Word Options, click the Customize Ribbon tab.

Within Customize Ribbon, find and select Developer within the “Customize the Ribbon” field. When you’ve checked it, select OK.

Back in your Word document, click the Developer tab.

Click the Check Box Content Control button.

Microsoft Support suggests you type out the list before clicking Check Box Content Control at the beginning of the first line. After that, you can change the X to a checkmark by going to Developer > Properties > Content Control Properties > Change (next to Checked symbol).

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