List box in word document

Show the Developer tab

If the developer tab isn’t already visible, see Show the Developer tab.

Make your list

1. Type the list.

2. Go to Developer and select the Check Box Content Control at the beginning of the first line.

   

3. To change the default X to something else, see Make changes to checkboxes.

4. Copy and paste the check box control at the beginning of each line.

5. Select a checkbox to put an X (or other character) in the check box.

Add hanging indentation

If some list items are more than one line long, use hanging indents to align them.

1. Select the list. Bullets or numbers won’t look selected.

2. Go to Home and select the Paragraph dialog box launcher .

3. Under Indentation, in the Left box, type 0.25.

4. Under Special, choose Hanging.

5. For By, Word sets a default value of 0.5 inches. Change this if you want your additional lines indented differently.

6. Select OK when finished.

Lock the text and controls to prevent changes

1. Select the list and checkboxes.

2. Go to Developer >Group > Group.

   To unlock the list, select the list and choose Group > Ungroup.

Create a print only list

1. Go to Home and select the down arrow next to the Bullets button.

   

2. In the drop down menu, select Define New Bullet.

3. Select Symbol and find a box character. If you don’t initially see one, change Font to Wingdings or Segoe UI Symbol.

4. Select OK twice, and create your list.

Word for the web supports only the on-paper form of checklist.

1. Write your list, and then select it.

2. On the Home tab, choose the down-arrow next to the Bullets list to open the bullet library, and then choose the checkbox symbol.

   

Word has this nice feature which enables insertion of text fields, check boxes, drop-down lists, etc. You can use these elements to create a form in Word.

These elements are available under the  tab menu Developer in the Word Ribbon. If you are unable to find this tab in the Ribbon, most likely you need to enable this using the Word Options dialog box.

To enable the Developer tab (Word 2007)

1.   Click the Office button . A drop-down list appears.

2.   Click the Word Options button from the bottom of the list. Word Options dialog box appears.

3.   On the dialog box, under the category Popular (see on the left hand side), select the option Developer tab in the Ribbon. Now, you can view the Developer tab in the Ribbon. See below  image.

To insert a legacy check box
1. Click the Developer tab.

2.  Under the group Controls, click the Legacy Tools button. A drop-down list of icons appears. See below image.

3.  Under the section Legacy Form, click the check box icon as shown in the below image. Word creates a check box at the cursor position. By       default, the checkbox is in design mode (you can see the Design Mode icon being enabled within the Controls group)

Note:  If you wish, you can remove the shading of the check box by clicking the Form Field Shading icon under Legacy Form.

4.  By the way, you cannot use the checkbox in design mode. To disable design mode, click the Design Mode icon within the Controls group.

Also, you should enforce protection to the document (or form) before you share it with others to capture information.

This step is applicable to all other controls as well.

To enforce protection
1.  Under the Developer tab, within the group Protect, click icon Protect Document. A drop-down list appears.

2.  From the drop-down menu, click Restrict Formatting and Editing. Restrict Formatting and Editing task pane appears on the right         hand side.

3.  From this dialog box, select option Allow only this type of editing in the document option. A drop-down is enabled. Select Filling in       forms option from the drop-down list. See below image.

4.  Click button Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. The Start Enforcing Protection dialog box appears, which prompts you to enter a                 password.

5.  Enter a password and retype password. Your document is protected and the check box is now clickable.

Important: Remember that you cannot edit a protected document. If you wish to make changes in the document, you have to remove protection by entering the valid password.

To stop protection

1.   Under the Developer tab, within the group Protect, click Protect Document. The Restrict Formatting and Editing task pane appears.

2.   From the bottom of the dialog box, click the button Stop Protection. Enter valid password to remove protection.

To insert a drop-down list
1.    Under the Developer tab, within the group Controls, click the Drop-Down List icon. A drop-down list appears in the document. See below image.

2.   You can see the Properties button being enabled within the Controls group. Click Properties. The Content Control Properties dialog box appears.

3.   In the dialog box, under section General, enter a Title of the drop-down list.

4.   Under section Drop-Down List Properties , click button Add to enter the display name and value for the first list item in the Add Choice dialog box and then click OK. Item is added to the list.

In the similar way, you can keep adding items to the list.

5.   Click the Modify/Remove button to edit/delete list items.

6.   Finally, click OK to close the Content Control Properties dialog box. You can view the drop-down list displays all the list items. See below image.

7.  Enforce protection to the document, so that list values cannot be modified.

To insert an ActiveX Control check box

1.   Click the Developer tab.
2.   Under the group Controls, click the Legacy Tools button.
3.   From category ActiveX Controls, click the check box icon. A check box is created at the insertion point. See below image.

You can notice that the Design Mode icon being enabled within the Controls group. This is important to edit the check box properties.

4.   Right-click the check box. From the right-click menu, click CheckBox Object and then click Edit. The check is in edit mode. You can enter        a name of the checkbox.
5.   From the right-click menu, click Properties to control properties of the check box.

6.  Click Design Mode to disable. The check box is now clickable.

Note: The difference between a legacy and ActiveX control check box is that, ActiveX checkbox provides advanced or extended features, i.e. you can write program for it in visual basic to make the check box behave in different ways.

Insert text fields

1.   Click the Developer tab.

2.   Under the group Controls,  click the icon Rich Text or Text. A text field is created in the document. See below image.

3.   You can change the default text appearing in the text box by enabling the Design Mode button in the Control Group.

Insert a Combobox

1. Under the Developer tab, within the group Controls, click the Combobox icon . A combobox is created at the cursor position.
2. Select the combobox and then click Properties (available within the group Controls. The Content Control Properties dialog box appears.
3. In the dialog box, under the section General, enter a Title of the combobox.
4. In the dialog box, under the section Drop-down List Properties, click the Add button. Add Choice dialog box appears.
5. Enter a display name and value for the first list item. Click OK.
6. Click Add again to enter a second list item. Click OK. You can keep adding as many item as you need.
7. Finally, click OK.

The combobox list is populated with the list items. Remember, the combobox should not be in Design Mode to view the list of items. You can find the Design Mode icon within the group Controls . See below image.

Also See:

https://wordknowhow.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/how-to-create-radio-buttons-option-buttons-in-ms-word/

https://wordknowhow.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/how-to-create-or-add-checkboxes-checkbox-controls-to-your-word-document/

https://wordknowhow.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/how-to-add-a-text-field-in-word/

You’ll find them on sticky notes and hospital clipboards. They’re used in commercial kitchens and classrooms. They can save you time and save lives. I’m talking about the humble checklist. 

Do you need to insert a check box in Word? This tutorial shows you how to add a Microsoft Word checkbox.

If you’re interested in productivity and efficiency, you probably use checklists regularly. Checklists are essential to help you remember things and stay organized. They’re also useful for making complicated tasks more manageable. 

In this article, you’ll learn how to add a check box in Word that can be used in two ways:

1. printed out and marked on paper
2. shared digitally and marked right inside Microsoft Word

You may also decide to use a Word template with a checklist built in. Premium templates for Word are created by professional designers. So the big design and layout decisions have already been made for you. In this case, the steps below will come in handy as well, if you want to change or customize a Microsoft Word checklist within a template.

How to Make Checklists With Check Boxes in Microsoft Word Quickly (Video)

In this video, we’ll show you how to use Microsoft Word to create a checklist with check boxes. You’ll start with a pre-designed template and learn how to customize it for your needs. 

To learn even more about how to use checklists in Microsoft Word, or if you’re looking for the best templates to convert to checklists, keep reading.

3 Good Reasons to Use Checklists

If you’ve only ever used a to-list, it may come as a surprise that checklists have at least three different uses:

1. To remember items. Your reliable to-do list falls under this category. A grocery list is another example of a checklist used to remember things. 
2. To remember items in the right order. Sometimes it’s not enough to remember a list of items. You need to remember them in a specific sequence as well, such as the steps for a procedure, recipe, or instructions. An example of this is a checklist of steps to assemble furniture.
3. To make sure that specific requirements or criteria are met. Finally, checklists are used to ensure that a set of requirements are met. For example, if you were shortlisting a set of job candidates, you could use a checklist of the minimum requirements for the job to assess each candidate.

Checklists are so powerful that, according to Atul Gawande in The Checklist Manifesto, in complex lines of work like surgery or flying an airplane, good checklists 

“…by remaining swift and usable and resolutely modest, they are are saving thousands upon thousands of lives.”

Whether you need to create a life-saving checklist or a mundane one, you’ll follow the same steps for creating checklists in Word.

Note: In the steps that follow, I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.47. If you’re using a different version, the interface and steps may be different.

How to Insert a Check Box in Word (for a Printed Form)

Let’s begin by creating a checklist in Word for a printed form. In other words, the items on the checklist will be marked on paper. To insert a check box in Word:

1. Select the Items

Click and drag the mouse to select the items you want to include in the checklist.

You can also create just one checklist item first. And then, to add new items, place the cursor at the end of the first checklist item. Hit Return, and the next line will automatically have a check box.

2. Insert Bullets

Under the Home tab, click on the arrow beside Bullets icon to open the Bullet Library. Choose the bullet you want to use in your checklist. If you want to use a different symbol, then click Define New Bullet….

The Customize Bulleted List menu pops up.

3. Customize the Check Box Symbol

Click on the Bullet… button. 

The Symbol menu opens. Find the symbol you wish to use. In this example, I’m selecting the square outline from the Wingdings font. Click on the symbol, then click OK.

And just like that, you’ve created a checklist in Word that you can print out for marking.

You’ve just learned how to make a checklist in Word, specifically one that’ll be printed out and marked on paper.

You can also use Microsoft Word check boxes to create a form that’ll be marked digitally, right within Word itself. That’s what we’ll be doing in the next section, where you’ll learn how to create a check box in Word.

How to Insert a Check Box in Word (for Marking in Word)

You can also create a clickable check box in Word by using the Check Box Content feature. This creates a fillable form that you disseminate as a Microsoft Word document.

1. Insert a Check Box

Place the cursor in front of the first item on your checklist. Go to the Developer tab, then click Check Box Form Field.

A clickable check box is inserted where your cursor was. The check box behaves like a special character (much like a piece of text or graphic), not a bullet point.

For example, if you go to the end of the checklist item and press Return, the next line won’t automatically have its own check box. Keep reading to find out how to add check boxes to several items.

2. Modify the Check Box

By default, Microsoft Word automatically determines the size of the check box based on the font size. But you can change the default settings.

With the cursor either immediately before or after the check box you created, click on the Options button on the Developer tab. The Check Box Form Field Options menu opens.

Under Check Box Size, tick the radio button for Exactly, then select or type in the exact size you want for the check box. Then, click OK.

From the Check Box Form Field Options menu, you can also choose whether the check box should be checked or unchecked by default.

3. Copy the Check Box

When the check box looks just the way you like it, copy it to other items on your checklist. Highlight the check box you created. Press CTRL+C to copy the check box. Place the cursor in front of another checklist item, then press CTRL+V to paste it. Repeat for the other items on your list or form.

4. Protect the Form

When you’ve added all the check boxes you need and you’re happy with how they look, protect the form so that other users can’t edit it while they’re filling it out.

To do this, under the Developer tab, click Protect Form.

Now, the check boxes can’t be edited or formatted anymore.

5. Test the Form

After protecting the form, you can now test the check boxes. Click on a check box to check or uncheck it.

To change the settings on a check box, click Protect Form again to un-protect it. Remember to protect the form before sharing it with others, so they can’t inadvertently edit it!

6. Share the Form With Others

To share the form with others so they can fill it out in Microsoft Word, click on the Share button in the upper right-hand corner of Word. Then, click Send a Copy.

The Send a Copy menu opens. Leave the Send as format to its default setting, which is Word document. If you copy the file as a PDF, then it’ll no longer be clickable.

Click Email as Attachment.

This launches your default email application, with a copy of the Word checklist attached.

You can now send off the Word document. The protected form with check boxes within the document will be clickable. The recipients can check/uncheck the boxes and then send their copy of the document back to you. 

Now you know how to create a check box in Word as a form, protect it, and share it for others to fill.

5 Tips for Creating a Good Checklist

Checklists can be incredibly useful and powerful, but only if they’re good checklists to begin with. Follow these tips for making a good checklist:

1. Make It Specific

Each item on the checklist should be about one thing and one thing only. If not, break item up into two or more separate items. Also make sure that each item is clear about what it’s referring to. If it can have many meanings or interpretations, think about how you can make it clearer.

2. Keep It Short 

Keep the checklist manageable by limiting the number of items. If you must have a large number of items on your checklist, then follow the next tip.

3. Organize the Items

If you’ve got a long list, group similar items into categories or groups. Then, add a descriptive header for each group of items. This helps the user navigate the checklist more easily. This is especially useful if the checklist is about a multi-step, complicated process or procedure.

4. Test It With Users 

Test the checklist with the people who’ll be using them. Observe them using the checklist in different scenarios. Take note of where they get confused and tripped up. Address anything they find confusing or unnecessary.

5. Keep It Updated

As your procedures and requirements change, revisit your checklists to make sure they’re still up-to-date.

Create Professional Checklists in Word With Premium Templates

If you need your checklist to be both functional and polished-looking, then use a checklist template for Word. Both free and paid checklist templates for Word are available. But usually, a premium checklist is better than a free editable checklist template for Word and offers more features.

For commercial use, you’re better off getting a premium MS Word checklist template. One great source for premium Word templates is Envato Elements because of its terrific offer. For one small monthly subscription, you get unlimited downloads of creative assets for creating print, digital, audio, and video materials. These include Word templates as well as fonts, photos, and graphics.

But, for one-off projects, another good source of templates for Word is GraphicRiver. In this marketplace, you pay only for each use of the material. It’s a great and budget-friendly option for those who create only a few communication materials.

Whether sourced from Elements or GraphicRiver, these premium templates for Word are designed by professionals. They’re made to be customizable and adaptable. And many come with after-sales support from the designer. This means, if you ever have any problems using the templates, you can reach out to them for help.

Optimize Your Productivity and Effectiveness with a Microsoft Word Checklist

Now you know how to add a checkbox in Word, whether it’s a printed checklist or one that’ll be marked digitally within Word. With a printed checklist, you first print out the form and then ask the users to mark off the checklist. With a clickable form, you share copies of the Word document. Each user then checks or unchecks the items on the checklist right in within Word.

You’ve also learned how to make a good checklist. By keeping it specific, short, organized, and updated, you can ensure that’ll be useful and not cause confusion.

You can further simplify your workflow by using a checklist template for Word. For unlimited downloads of templates and other creative assets, get your checklist template for Word from Envato Elements. You get unlimited downloads of everything in its creative library, all for one monthly subscription fee.

You can also get premium Word templates and other creative elements on an à la carte basis from GraphicRiver. Here you only pay for each use of each item.

While free editable checklist templates for Word are available, if you’re going to use it for business or commercial purposes, you’ll probably need a premium template. Check out the offerings from Elements or GraphicRiver.

Checklists and lists have become the staple of everything from grocery shopping to NASA launches. But they are boring.

Still, lists and checklists are also the simplest tools to reduce the complexity of information that assaults us every day. They are also the perfect antidote against forgetfulness. So, even as we swear to make perfect lists for productivity, let’s also get down to the basics with Microsoft Word and check off one daily office function—how to make those visually appealing lists and manage them.

1. Create Your First List

Most of the list-making tricks and tips lie within the Ribbon’s Paragraph group on the Home tab.

Select the text to which you want to add the numbered list and click the down arrows next to the Bullet Lists icon or the Numbered List icon to access the libraries for both. Preview each list format by hovering over the selections available.

Microsoft Word also automatically creates a list for you when you start a paragraph with an asterisk or a number 1, period, and space followed by a press on the Enter key. With an asterisk, Word creates a bulleted list. Word senses that you are trying to create a numbered list with a number.

If you don’t want your text turned into a list, you can click the AutoCorrect options button image that appears. To disable or enable this option, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type.

To quickly change the style of a bulleted or numbered list, just click the style you want in the list that appears when you click the arrow next to Bullets or Numbering.

General Tip: You can change the format of just one or some of the bullet or number styles in a list. Place the cursor at the start of the line that you want to change before opening the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. Your changes will apply only to the selected lines.

2. Use Just the Keyboard to Create a List

Use a handy Microsoft Word shortcut to create numbered lists quickly with the keyboard alone.

The keyboard shortcut for a bulleted list: Press Ctrl + Shift + L to apply the default bullets to a list. Press Ctrl + Shift + N to remove the bullets.

To customize a keyboard shortcut for a numbered list, right-click anywhere on the Ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon from the popup menu. You can also open Word Options from File > Options > Customize Ribbon.

Click on the Customize button for Keyboard shortcuts.

Select All Commands in the Categories list. Scroll down the list on the left, and select FormatNumberDefault.

Place the cursor in the Press new shortcut key box and press the shortcut key combination you want to use to create a numbered list. For example, you could use Alt + N because it’s not assigned to anything else in Word. Click Assign.

The new keyboard shortcut is added to the Current keys list.

Click OK to exit the dialog box and test the new shortcut. Pressing «Alt + N» creates a numbered list. Pressing it again reverts it back to paragraph text.

General Tip: Do you want to skip numbering for a list item and convert it into a paragraph in the middle of a list? Select the specific list item and use the Alt + N shortcut to turn off the numbering.

3. Change the Default Numbered List Format

You can change, edit, or create a new numbered list. You have four Numbered List formats to choose from. But what if you want to use your own format other than the letters or Roman numerals, and it’s not available?

Go to Home > Paragraph group > Numbering. Click the down arrow. Choose Define New Number Format.

Choose any chronological format. To change the font size, style, and color, click Font and choose a setting on the Font or Advanced tab.

When you want to add a dash, parentheses, or another value like a pound sign to the number, enter it in the Number format field. The little preview displays the changes. You can see the square brackets for a list you can tick off in the screenshot below.

Choose Left, Centered, or Right under Alignment to change the number alignment. The default is Left-Aligned.

Click OK.

The new number format is applied to any selected text on your document.

General Tip: You can even prefix the numbered lists with descriptive text, e.g., Attendee 1, Attendee 2, Attendee 3…and so on.

4. Change the Default Bullet List Format

Just like the numbered list, you can also change the default look of any bulleted list. Again, visually appealing bullets (other than the boring black solid dots) help your documents stand out from the mundane.

Select the text you want the bulleted list for and follow these steps.

Go to Home > Paragraph group. Click the arrow next to Bullets.

When the bullet you want isn’t in the library, click Define New Bullet.

The Define New Bullet dialog box opens. Under Bullet Character, choose Symbol.

Another dialog opens, which lets you choose appropriate symbols from your installed fonts.

The Wingdings fonts have the best variety that makes for stylized bullet lists. Like any other font, you can change the color, size, style, and other characteristics of your chosen bullet font. Click the Font button in the Bullet character section to enter the Font dialog box.

General Tip: Use an open box (Open box) or a three-dimensional box (3D box) from the Wingdings character palette to create a Word document with neat checkboxes.

5. Use a Picture Instead of a Bullet

Sometimes all the mystic symbols in Webdings might not be enough. You can also use your own reusable graphics for bullet points. Though picture and SmartArt bullets look better on a PowerPoint slide, they work just as well in Word.

Select the bulleted list for which you want to change the bullets to pictures. Next, go to the Home tab > Paragraph group, click on the Bullets button, and select Define New Bullet from the dropdown menu. On the Define New Bullet dialog box, click Picture.

The Insert Pictures dialog box is displayed with different choices for your source file. You can insert a picture From a file on your PC or local network, from a Bing Image Search, or your OneDrive account.

Navigate to the location of your source file and click on Insert. The Preview window shows the selection.

General Tip: You can choose a graphic that matches the «theme» of your list. For instance, display a banana as a picture bullet for a list of fruits. Make sure images are transparent and have a good background. In my experience, simple graphics work best.

6. Line Up the Numbers in a List

Sometimes, the smallest of tweaks can make a big visual difference. For example, note the screenshot below, which shows a numbered list with Word’s default Left alignment. As soon as the list reaches double digits, the default left alignment seems skewed as the decimal points do not line up neatly. Microsoft Word allows you to control this alignment and flush the double-digit numbers to the right.

Create your numbered list. Select the list items. Word can also control the alignment of a few selected items.

Go to Home > Paragraph. Then, click the dropdown arrow on Numbered list button.

Click on Define New Number Format. Choose Right alignment from the dropdown. Click OK.

General Tip: Even if there is no decimal, it is preferable to have them aligned on the right edge of the number. Try it with brackets.

7. Adjust Microsoft Word’s Automatic List Indent

Every Word list comes with an automatic indent. Depending on the visual look you want, you may want to adjust the space.

Double-click any number in the list to select all of the numbers in the list.

Right-click the selection and choose Adjust List Indents from the context menu.

Change the distance of the bullet indent from the margin with the Number position box. Change the distance between the bullet and the text with the Text indent box.

Click OK.

8. Apply Formatting to a Single Number or Bullet on a List

You may want to format (changing the bullet style, color, or the size) a single bullet or number on a list without affecting any text on the list or any other succeeding bullets or numbers. Here’s an easy way.

Show formatting marks by clicking Home > Show/Hide.

Select just the paragraph marker (pilcrow) at the end for the list item whose bullet or number you want to change. Apply any formatting. The formatting affects only the bullet or number; the text in the list item retains its original format.

New bulleted or numbered items on the list coming after this will reflect this too. The text in the new list item will have the same font characteristics as the previous text, and the new bullet/number will have the same font characteristics as the previous bullet/number.

9. Create a Multilevel Numbered List

A multilevel list can be a mix of numbers, alphabets, and bullets arranged on different levels, as shown below. You can use multilevel lists to break down a list into its hierarchies or sub-points. Such an alignment is also used to create outlines. Word 2016 gives us a dedicated button on the Ribbon to create a multilevel list.

Click the Multilevel List button and type the list.

Press the Tab key to indent and create a sublevel. Press Shift + Tab to unindent and promote an item to a higher level.

General Tip: You can also write the entire list in advance. Select it, and click the Multilevel List button to align it using the Tab and Shift + Tab keys to organize the topics. You can also use the Increase or Decrease Indent commands on the Ribbon.

10. Create Reusable Styles for Multilevel Lists

You can change the bullets, letters, or numbers’ style, color, and alignment like any other list type. Save these changes as a new style and use it again and again.

Go to Ribbon > Home > click the arrow next to Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List.

Click on More to expand the options.

For customizing any of the levels, click the level number you want to modify. 1 is the default.

Use the options provided to change the appearance of the list. For example:

• In Number style for this level, type (1) if you want to style the numbers with parentheses or (A) to style the letters with parentheses.
• In Start at, choose the number, letter, or bullet where you want to start the list.

When you’ve finished the customizations, give the list a name under the ListNum field list name. This name will appear wherever you see the ListNum field.

Choose a style under Link level to style. This lets you use an existing style in Word for each level in the list.

Choose where you would like to apply your changes by clicking on Apply changes to and selecting from Selected text, Whole list, or This point forward.

11. Convert a List to a Table

First, select the list. Next, go to Home > Insert. Click the Table option in the Tables group.

Choose Convert Text to Table from the dropdown list.

Microsoft Word estimates the table structure based on the list’s contents. Word creates the columns based on the separators between the items on the list.

When Word doesn’t get it right, you have to modify the settings and make it easier for Word to convert the list. Once the table has been created, you can use the Table design tools to format the appearance.

General Tip: In most cases, the results aren’t perfect. The best way is to remove the numbering or the bullets and then create the table from the list of items. The serial numbers can easily be added to the table later.

12. Continue Your Numbering When a Paragraph Cuts It Short

Sometimes, a paragraph of text needs to interrupt the sequence of the list. Follow these steps to continue the list after the paragraph with the same number format.

Enter the rest of your numbered list after the paragraph and format it. The list begins with 1 again. Right-click on the list that comes after the paragraph. Choose Continue Numbering from the Context menu. The list is modified instantly.

The list numbering continues from where the paragraph broke it off.

The Importance of Lists as Timesavers

Lists are time savers when a document has to be an exercise in economy. They instantly become a little less boring than blocks of text. Use them as the organizational backbone of a document and see your document better organized.

Replace bullets or numbers with check marks or check boxes

1. Select the entire list; the bullets or numbers won’t look selected.

2. Choose Home, and then choose the Bullets list.

   

3. Do one of the following:

   • If you see the check mark or check box you want in the Bullet Library, select it.

   • If you don’t see the check mark or check box you want, go to the next step.

4. Choose Define New Bullet, and the Define New Bullet dialog box opens.

5. Choose Symbol, and then choose a symbol from the table of symbols.

   Tip: For more choices, in the Font box, choose a symbol font, such as Wingdings.

6. Scroll through the list of symbols and choose the symbol—such as an open box ( ) or a three-dimensional box ( )—you want to use.

7. Choose OK, and then choose OK again in the Define New Bullet dialog box.

The symbol you chose will be added to the Bullet Library so it’ll be handy if you want to use it again.

Make a checklist you can check off in Word

There are four steps involved in creating a list with check boxes that you can check off in Word. This type of list requires a Check Box Content Control, found in the Developer tab.

Step 1: Show the Developer tab

1. On the File tab, choose Options > Customize Ribbon.

2. In the Customize the Ribbon list, choose Main Tabs.

3. In the Main Tabs list, select the Developer check box, and then choose OK.

   

Step 2: Make your list

1. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group,. choose the Check Box Content Control button to insert a check box ( ) in front of an item in an existing list or to create a new list.

2. Press the Right Arrow key twice, type the first item in your list, and then press Enter.

3. Select the check box control that you just created, and press Ctrl+C to make a copy of the control.

4. On the new line, press Ctrl+V to paste the item, and then rename the item.

5. Repeat steps 6 and 7 as needed until your list is complete.

6. If you want to put an X in the check box, click inside the box.

More about the Check Box Content Control

You can use something other than the default check box and X.

1. Select a Check Box Content Control, and in the Controls group, choose Properties.

2. In the Content Control Properties dialog box, under Check Box Properties, choose Change next to Checked symbol and/or Unchecked symbol.

3. In the Symbol dialog box, choose a new symbol, and then choose OK to save your choice.

Step 3: Refine the layout

If some items in your list are more than one line long, you can use hanging indents to align them.

1. Select the list.

   Note: Bullets or numbers won’t look selected.

2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.

   

3. Under Indentation, in the Left box, type 0.25.

4. Under Special, choose Hanging.

5. Click OK when finished.

Step 4: Lock the text and controls

When you’re satisfied with the list, group it to lock the controls and listed items in place. That way, people can check off items on the list without changing the items themselves.

1. Select the list (the check box controls and the listed items).

2. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, choose Group > Group.

   Note: If you need to change something later, select the list again and choose Group > Ungroup.

See Also

Make changes to check boxes
Create a fillable form
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Word 2016 for Windows

Make a checklist to print

If you just need a checklist that you can print, you can make a list where each item has a check box that you can check off on paper. You can also create a list of check boxes and check off items electronically by opening the document in Word.

Note: If you can’t check off an item electronically, it might be formatted for printing only or the document might be locked.

The way that you create the list depends on whether your document already contains bulleted lists with different kinds of bullets.

• If your document does not already contain several different kinds of bullets, you can make a bulleted list by using a custom bullet format.

• If your document already contains several bullet formats, you can prevent altering the existing bullets by placing the new list in a table.

Create a bulleted list with custom bullets

1. Type your list of items.

2. Select the list.

3. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the arrow next to Bullets.

   

4. Click Define New Bullet.

5. Click Symbol.

6. In the Font box, click a symbol font that is installed on your computer, such as Wingdings.

7. Scroll through the list of available symbols, and then double-click the box symbol that you want to use, such as an open box ( ) or a three-dimensional box ( ).

Create a table to prevent altering the existing bullets

Step 1: Create a table

1. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table.

   

2. Click Insert Table.

3. In the Number of columns box, enter 2.

4. In the Number of rows box, enter the number of rows that you want. You need one row for each item in your list.

5. Click OK.

Step 2: Insert the check boxes and text

1. Click the top left cell.

2. On the Insert tab, in the Symbols group, click Symbol, and then click More Symbols.

   

3. Click the Symbols tab.

4. In the Font box, click a symbol font that is installed on your computer, such as Wingdings.

5. Scroll through the list of available symbols, and then double-click the box symbol that you want to use, such as an open box ( ) or a three-dimensional box ( ).

6. Click Close.

7. Click the next cell where you want to insert a box, and then press CTRL+Y to insert another box.

8. After you insert a box for each item that you want, click the top-right cell and type the text for the first item. Repeat this step for each item in the list.

Step 3: Refine the layout

Although you are using the table to lay out the list, you probably want to adjust the spacing so that the column that contains the check boxes isn’t too wide, and the text is lined up close to the check boxes. You probably don’t want the border lines that Word usually includes with the table. To make these adjustments, do the following:

1. Right-click the table, point to AutoFit, and then click AutoFit to Contents.

2. Right-click the table, click Table Properties, and then click the Table tab.

3. Click Options, and in the Left and Right boxes, enter a number that will provide a little bit of space between the check box and the text, such as .02 inches, and then click OK.

4. On the Table tab, click Borders and Shading, and then click the Borders tab.

5. Under Setting, click None, and then click OK.

   Note: After you remove the border lines, you may still see gray border lines. These are the table gridlines, and they do not show when the document is printed. If you don’t want to see them at all, you can hide them by clicking View Gridlines in the Table group on the Layout tab under Table Tools.

   

Make a checklist that you can check off in Word

To use check boxes that you can check off in Word, you insert the check box form field into your document. This looks best if you use a table to align the check boxes with the text, so your first step is to create a table. After you create the table, you can insert the check boxes in one column and the text in the other column, and then you can refine the layout. To check off the items, you lock the form.

The result looks like the following illustration.

Step 1: Create a table

1. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table.

   

2. In the Number of columns box, enter 2.

3. In the Number of rows box, enter the number of rows that you want. You need one row for each item in your list.

Don’t worry about the size of the columns or the border lines in the table. You will fix those later.

Step 2: Insert the check boxes and text

To add the boxes that you will be able to check, you need to use the Developer tab.

Show Developer tab

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options.

2. Click Popular.

3. Select the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box.

   Note: The Ribbon is a component of the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface.

Add check boxes

1. Click the top left cell in the table that you inserted.

2. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Legacy Tools.

3. Under Legacy Forms, click Check Box Form Field .

   Note: If the check box has a gray background, click Legacy Tools in the Controls group, and then click Form Field Shading to remove the gray shading.

4. Click the next cell where you want to insert a check box, and then press Ctrl+Y to insert another check box.

5. After you insert a check box for each item that you want, click the top right cell and type the text for the first item. Repeat this step for each item in the list.

Step 3: Refine the layout

Although you’re using the table to lay out the list, you probably want to adjust the spacing so that the column that contains the check boxes isn’t too wide, and the text is lined up close to the check boxes. You probably don’t want the border lines that Word usually includes with the table. To make these adjustments, do the following:

1. Right-click the table, point to AutoFit, and then click AutoFit to Contents.

2. Right-click the table, click Table Properties, and then click the Table tab.

3. Click Options, and in the Left and Right boxes, enter a number that will provide a little bit of space between the check box and the text, such as .02 inches, and then click OK.

4. On the Table tab, click Borders and Shading, and then click the Borders tab.

5. Under Setting, click None, and then click OK.

   Note: After you remove the border lines, you may still see gray lines. These are the table gridlines, and they do not show when the document is printed. To hide the table gridlines on the screen, click the Layout tab under Table Tools, and in the Table group, click View Gridlines.

Step 4: Lock the form

To check off the items by clicking in the check boxes, you need to lock the form. However, when the form is locked, you will not be able to make changes to the text or layout, so be sure to do this step last.

Note: If you want to check the spelling in your list, you must run spell check on the document before you lock the form.

When you want to edit the document, you can easily unlock the form. Just remember to lock it again so that you will be able to click the check boxes.

Lock the form

1. Make sure that you are not in design mode by clicking Design Mode in the Controls group on the Developer tab.

   

2. On the Developer tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict Formatting and Editing.

3. In the Protect Document task pane, under Editing restrictions, select the Allow only this type of editing in the document check box.

4. In the list of editing restrictions, select Filling in forms.

5. Under Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

6. To assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the password can remove the protection, type a password in the Enter new password (optional) box, and then confirm the password.

   Important: If you choose not to use a password, all reviewers can change your editing restrictions.

Unlock the form

1. On the Developer tab, in the Protect group, click Protect Document, and then click Restrict Formatting and Editing.

2. In the Protect Document task pane, click Stop Protection.

Note: If you used a password to add protection to the document, you need to type the password before you can stop the protection.

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Introduction

Bulleted and numbered lists can be used in your documents to outline, arrange, and emphasize text. In this lesson, you will learn how to modify existing bullets, insert new bulleted and numbered lists, select symbols as bullets, and format multilevel lists.

Optional: Download our practice document.

Watch the video below to learn more about lists in Word.

To create a bulleted list:

1. Select the text you want to format as a list.

   

2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. A menu of bullet styles will appear.

   

3. Move the mouse over the various bullet styles. A live preview of the bullet style will appear in the document. Select the bullet style you want to use.

   

4. The text will be formatted as a bulleted list.

   

Options for working with lists

• To remove numbers or bullets from a list, select the list and click the Bulleted or Numbered list command.
• When you’re editing a list you can press Enter to start a new line, and the new line will automatically have a bullet or number. When you’ve reached the end of your list, press Enter twice to return to normal formatting.
• By dragging the indent markers on the Ruler, you can customize the indenting of your list and the distance between the text and the bullet or number.

  

To create a numbered list:

When you need to organize text into a numbered list, Word offers several numbering options. You can format your list with numbers, letters, or Roman numerals.

1. Select the text you want to format as a list.

   

2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Numbering command. A menu of numbering styles will appear.

   

3. Move the mouse over the various numbering styles. A live preview of the numbering style will appear in the document. Select the numbering style you want to use.

   

4. The text will format as a numbered list.

   

To restart a numbered list:

If you want to restart the numbering of a list, Word has a Restart at 1 option. It can be applied to numeric and alphabetical lists.

1. Right-click the list item you want to restart the numbering for, then select Restart at 1 from the menu that appears.

   

2. The list numbering will restart.

   

You can also set a list to continue numbering from the previous list. To do this, right-click and select Continue Numbering.

Customizing bullets

Customizing the look of the bullets in your list can help you emphasize certain list items and personalize the design of your list. Word allows you to format bullets in a variety of ways. You can use symbols and different colors, or even upload a picture as a bullet.

To use a symbol as a bullet:

1. Select an existing list you want to format.

   

2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. Select Define New Bullet from the drop-down menu.

   

3. The Define New Bullet dialog box will appear. Click the Symbol button.

   

4. The Symbol dialog box will appear.
5. Click the Font drop-down box and select a font. The Wingdings and Symbol fonts are good choices because they have many useful symbols.
6. Select the desired symbol, then click OK.

   

7. The symbol will appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box. Click OK.

   

8. The symbol will appear in the list.

   

To change the bullet color:

1. Select an existing list you want to format.

   

2. On the Home tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Bullets command. Select Define New Bullet from the drop-down menu.

   

3. The Define New Bullet dialog box will appear. Click the Font button.

   

4. The Font dialog box will appear. Click the Font Color drop-down box. A menu of font colors will appear.
5. Select the desired color, then click OK.

   

6. The bullet color will appear in the Preview section of the Define New Bullet dialog box. Click OK.

   

7. The bullet color will change in the list.

   

Multilevel lists

Multilevel lists allow you to create an outline with multiple levels. Any bulleted or numbered list can be turned into a multilevel list by using the Tab key.

To create a multilevel list:

1. Place the insertion point at the beginning of the line you want to move.

   

2. Press the Tab key to increase the indent level of the line. The line will move to the right.

   

To increase or decrease an indent level:

You can make adjustments to the organization of a multilevel list by increasing or decreasing the indent levels. There are several ways to change the indent level.

• To increase the indent by more than one level, place the insertion point at the beginning of the line, then press the Tab key until the desired level is reached.

  

• To decrease the indent level, place the insertion point at the beginning of the line, then hold the Shift key and press the Tab key.

  

• You can also increase or decrease the levels of text by placing the insertion point anywhere in the line and clicking the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent commands.

  

When formatting a multilevel list, Word will use the default bullet style. To change the style of a multilevel list, select the list, then click the Multilevel list command on the Home tab.

Challenge!

1. Open our practice document.
2. Scroll to page 3.
3. Select the text under New Members starting with Carolyn and ending with Co-Treasurer, and format it as a bulleted list.
4. With the text still selected, use the Define New Bullet dialog box to change the bullets to a green star. Hint: You can find a star in the Wingdings font.
5. Increase the indent level by 1 for the lines Social Media Marketing, Fundraising, and Co-Treasurer.
6. Increase the indent level by 2 for the line Primarily Europe.
7. In the Treasurer’s Report list, decrease the indent level by 1 for the line Amount available this month.
8. In the Communications Report list, restart the numbering at 1.
9. When you’re finished, your page should look something like this:

   

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