Using word to build forms

You can use Word to create interactive digital forms that other people can fill out on their computers before printing or sending them back to you. It takes a little preparation but keeps you from having to decipher messy handwriting! Some of the tools you will use when creating a form include:

• Templates: Forms are normally saved as templates so that they can be used again and again.
• Content controls: The areas where users input information in a form.
• Tables: Tables are often used in forms to align text and form fields, and to create borders and boxes.
• Protection: Users can complete the form fields without being able to change the form’s text and/or design.

Show the Developer Tab

Before you can create a form, you’ll need to turn on the Developer tab to get access to the advanced tools.

1. Click the File tab.

   
2. Select Options.

   

   The Word Options window opens.

3. Click the Customize Ribbon tab on the left.

   The column on the right controls which ribbon tabs are enabled.

4. Check the Developer check box.
5. Click OK.

   

The Developer tab now appears on the ribbon. In addition to advanced tools for macro recording, add-ins, and document protection, we now have access to form controls.

Create a Form

Once you’ve enabled the Developer tab, and created the layout and structure of the form, you can start adding form fields to your document with Content Controls.

1. Place the text cursor where you want to insert the form field.
2. Click the Developer tab on the ribbon.

   The Controls group contains the different kinds of content controls you can add to a form, as well as the toggle button for Design Mode.

3. Click the Design Mode button in the controls group.

   While Design Mode is active, controls you insert won’t be active, so clicking a check box to move it around won’t also check it. You can also customize placeholder text for some controls.

   

4. Click a Content Control buttons to insert the selected type of control.

   The content control is inserted.

   Select a form field and click the Properties button on the ribbon to edit a control’s options. Depending on the type of control you’ve inserted, you can change its appearance, set up the options in a list, or lock the control once edited.

5. When you’re done, click the Design Mode button again to exit Design Mode.

   

You leave Design Mode, and the content controls that you’ve inserted can now be used.

Types of Form Controls

There are many different types of form controls you can add to a form that will allow people to add different types of responses.

Finalize a Form

When you’re ready to distribute a form so others can fill it out, you can restrict the form so that content controls cannot be removed or changed by those filling it out.

1. Click the Restrict Editing button on the Developer tab.

   The Restrict Editing pane appears on the right.

2. Check the Editing restrictions check box.
3. Click the Editing restriction list arrow.
4. Select Filling in forms.

   When this option is enabled, the only change that anyone else can make to this document is the filling in of form fields. They won’t be able to move, delete, or edit the fields themselves until protection is turned off.

   

5. Click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button.

   A password is not required to start enforcing protection, but you can add one if you’d like to prevent just anyone from turning this protection off.

6. Enter a password (optional), then click OK.

   

The document is now restricted, and anyone you send it to will only be able to fill in the forms.

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Although Word is most commonly used for creating documents, it can also be used for capturing data like a form. Word Forms do not require any programming knowledge. These are easy to create and will work across ALL versions of Word.

The Need for Word Forms

This is very useful for conducting quick surveys or quizzes where you want to control the responses. Of course, there are more sophisticated methods and tools available for bother these scenarios, Word is familiar to everyone and almost guaranteed to be available on every desktop. Hence it is a compelling option even today (2017).

How to create Word Forms?

Two steps. Create the survey by inserting editable items (form fields) and then lock the document so that only the form can be filled.

Adding fields to Word Forms

There are three types of fields.

1. The new type of fields which are better looking and more interactive.
   These do not work with older versions of Word.
2. The solution is to use the built-in form fields.
   These are available with any version of Word. So compatibility is never an issue.
3. ActiveX controls
   These are more sophisticated but not guaranteed to be available on every PC. ActiveX controls are being phased out globally. These are used by programmers who  want to extend Word and add business functionality to it.

In short, we will use the built-in Word Forms and related fields. To use these, we have to enable the developer tab.

Enable developer tab in Office 2007

File – Word Options – Popular – activate the Show developer tab option.

Enable developer tab in Office 2010 onwards

Open Word. File – Options. Click Customize Ribbon. In the list on the right side, scroll and identify the Developer item. This item is not selected by default. Select it and close the dialog.

Using Form Fields

Open the briefcase icon dropdown under Developer Tab – Controls group.

We will use only the upper part called Legacy forms. We have various types of fields available. Simple text, checkbox and box.

Create a document and choose a field. Let us add a text field for capturing the name.

The word Name is typed manually. Now select Text form field from the legacy tools area. Notice that the field is added with gray background. The width of this field looks small but it expands automatically.

Let us add another textbox for duration. To keep things simple, we will use another text field.

Let us add the leave type. Choose the Drop-down form field. Once added, double click inside the field to add various leave options.

Now let us add a Check box form field.  We will ask whether it is Paid or unpaid leave. Double click on the field to change the default to Checked (means Paid leave).

Now the form looks like this.

Restricting form filling in Word Forms

Right now the form is in edit mode. The captions and structure can be changed. We cannot type inside the fields properly. Checkbox cannot be unchecked and the dropdown does not appear.

Here is how you can make it a fillable form. With Office 2007, Choose Protect Document from the Review tab. Choose Restrict Formatting and Editing option. For newer versions of Office, the Restrict editing option is directly available in the Review tab.

Now a new window (pane) opens. Choose the Allow only this type of editing checkbox and choose the Filling in Forms option from the dropdown.

Now click the Yes, Start enforcing protection button. Specify a password and type it again to confirm it.

Now it is a real form.

How to fill Word Forms?

Click on any field to fill it. You cannot click and edit any other area in the Word file.

Dropdowns can be selected and checkboxes can be enabled or disabled.

How to save the data from filled Word Forms?

You will send this form as attachment to multiple people. They will fill it and then send it back to you. Unfortunately, you cannot extract data from multiple filled forms. You have to do it one-by-one. Here is a filled form.

In order to save only the data from the form, follow these steps:

1. Go to File – Options – Advanced
2. Scroll down and choose the checkbox as shown below. Left side is Office 2007 and right side is newer versions of Word.

Now the saved file will be just a TXT file containing the comma delimited data.  A preview is also shown before saving.

Practical Usage

This method works ever since Word was created. Although newer methods are available now, this method may still come in handy for quick and easy data capture.

***

If you use forms at work, you’ll love the convenience of interactive or fillable forms in Microsoft Word. Forms that you can fill out make gathering information easy.

 With a fillable form, all you’ve got to do is create a form in Word. Then you can use it over and over again. There’s nothing to print, so interactive forms are good for both your budget and the environment.

If you want a fillable form that also looks good, then begin with a template in Word. Form templates for Microsoft Word are available in Envato Elements and GraphicRiver.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a fillable form in Word, so you can reap all the benefits of an interactive form.

Find Great Form Templates on Elements

Fillable forms in Word have a variety of uses. Human resources use forms to capture employee and consultant information. Organizations use forms to register members, students, or clients. You also use forms to take orders for your products and services. Those are only a few examples of how useful fillable forms are.

Ideally, you want your Microsoft Word forms to be consistent with your branding. Well-designed forms reflect your credibility and professionalism. That’s why you want to avoid generic-looking forms. Want to know how to make a fillable form in Word that’s aligned with your visual brand?

The easiest way is by using templates for Word with pre-built tables or forms. One awesome source for Word templates is Envato Elements. Elements has an irresistible offer: for one low monthly fee, you get unlimited downloads of the millions of creative assets in its library. These include:

• Word templates
• fonts
• graphics
• photos
• and more

Whatever you need to make your forms look as good as possible, you can find in Elements.

If you need to create only one form, then a better source for Word templates is GraphicRiver. It’s got the same massive library of creative assets but on a pay-per-use basis. For the one-off project in Word, GraphicRiver is a terrific and budget-friendly option.

How to Create Fillable Forms in Word

You may be wondering, «How do I make a fillable form in Word?» Let me take you step-by-step through how to create a fillable form in Word.

Note: In the following tutorial, I’m using Microsoft Word for Mac version 16.48. If you’re using a different version, then the steps and interface may be different. But these steps should still be helpful for you.

1. Show the Developer Tab

As a first step, make sure that the Developer tab is showing up for you. This may be hidden by default. If you don’t see the Developer tab, follow these steps:

Go to Word > Preferences. 

The Word Preferences menu opens. Click on the Ribbon & Toolbar button. 

The Ribbon & Toolbar menu pops up. Under Main Tabs, scroll down and check Developer. Click Save.

The Developer tab should now be visible.

2. Determine the Layout and Structure of the Form

The next step is to determine the layout and structure of the fillable form. This will depend on what information you want to capture. You may want to sketch this on a sheet of paper first. 

When you know what the form will look like, create a table in Word. By creating your form as a table in Word, it’ll be easier for you to keep things aligned and organized. The cells of the table are the form fields. Keep this in mind as you create your interactive form. This tutorial shows you the steps for how to make a table in Word:

Another option is to use a Word template with a pre-built table as a form. This way, the form has already been professionally designed. All you’ve got to do is to customize the form in Word according to your needs. Remember that the form template must have been built as a table so that you can make the form interactive in Word.

In the steps that follow, I’m going to create a form from scratch by first creating a table in Word:

Now, it’s time to make this a fillable form in Word.

3. Add Form Fields With Content Controls

You create a fillable form in Word by adding form fields. There are different types of form fields with content controls, depending on the types of responses you’re looking for.

Under the Developer tab, you’ll see buttons for creating a Text Box, Check Box, and Combo Box (or drop-down form field).

Let me show you how to create each type of form field:

How to Add a Word Fillable Form Text Box

Place the cursor where you would like to create a text field. Click on the Developer tab, then the Text Box button. 

A text box is created. To change the text box settings, click on Options. The Text Form Field Options menu opens.

Here, choose various settings. For example, you’ve got several Text Types to choose from:

• Regular Text
• Number
• Date
• Current Date
• Current Time
• Calculation

Add a Default Text for the form field to guide respondents in filling out the form. You can also specify the Maximum Length and Text or Number Format. 

When you’re happy with the settings, click OK. Repeat for each text box you want to create.

How to Add a Check Box to a Fillable Form in Word

Next, let’s make check boxes. First type the text for the check box items. Then, place your cursor in front of the first item. Go to Developer > Check Box. 

A check box appears where your cursor was. Again, change the check box settings by clicking on the Options button.

The Check Box Form Field Options menu opens. Here you can determine whether the Default Value for the check box is Not Checked or Checked. Specify the Check Box Size and other options. When you’re done setting up the check box options, click OK.

Repeat these steps for the other check boxes.

How to Create a Drop-down Field in a Fillable Form in Word

Finally, let’s add a drop-down field in our form. Place the cursor where you want the drop-down menu to be, then go to Developer > Combo Box. 

To add the drop-down menu items, click on the Options button. The Drop-Down Form Field Options menu opens.

Type a drop-down item, then click the + sign. 

Repeat for each drop-down item you want to include in your fillable form. When you’re done, click OK.

Only the first drop-down item will appear. You’ll see the rest when you test the form.

4. Finalize the Form

Before using the fillable form in Word, it’s a good idea to first test it. To do this, click the Protect Form button on the Developer ribbon.

Now that the form is protected, fill the form fields like your respondents would. You’ll notice that the drop-down menu items appear when you click on the field or the arrow beside it.

When you’re happy with how the fillable form works, finalize the document by formatting the page. Click Protect Form again to un-protect it, so you can edit the document. Now’s the time to change fonts, colors, add logos, and format the form as you wish.

This is what my final fillable form looks like:

You may also decide to remove the shading for each form field. To do so, go to Developer > Shading.

I’m going to keep the Shading on, to make it clear to my respondents where they’re supposed to type in their answers. That’s because I deleted the borders of my table to give my form a cleaner appearance. If you keep the table borders, then it makes sense to switch off the form field Shading.

5. Use and Distribute Fillable Forms in Word

Once the fillable form in Word is completed, share it with your users or respondents. Do this by sharing the fillable form as an email attachment.

First, make sure that the form is protected. This ensures that other users won’t be able to edit the form when you share it with them.

Next, click on Share > Share a Copy.

In the menu that opens, click Email as Attachment.

This launches your default email application with the fillable form attached.

3 Top Form Templates for Word (Unlimited Downloads from Elements)

If you want a form with an impressive design, it’s best to start with a form template for Word. Templates with built-in forms are designed by professional graphic designers. This means the biggest—and hardest—design decisions have already been made for you. By customizing the colors and fonts and adding your logo, you can make the template truly your own.

Below are a few form templates for Word that look great: 

1. Clean Business Registration Form Template

The Clean Business Registration Form template for Word allows you to gather basic personal information and contact details. It’s useful for registering employees, clients, members, vendors, and more. This form template comes in A4 size. You’ve got the option of customizing it with your branding colors. The template comes in Microsoft Word files, as well as files for InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.

2. Order Form

Receive orders for your products or services with this Order Form for Word. This A4-sized template uses paragraph styles, making it easy to edit in Microsoft Word. It also comes in Adobe InDesign files, if you’re more comfortable editing in that application. A file guide is included to help you customize this template.

3. Client Questionnaire

Impress your clients with this Client Questionnaire template that looks anything but generic. Editable in both Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign, this form template comes in A4 size. A 34-page guide walks you through how to edit and use the template files.

More of the Best Word Templates for Your Business or Organization

Now you know how to create a fillable Word document. But aside from fillable forms, your business or organization needs other types of documents. Using templates for MS Word helps you create professional-looking documents quickly. Premium Word templates are designed to be easy to customize, so you end up with materials that are coherent with your brand.

Here are more Word templates you can customize to easily create impressive documents for your business or organization:

Learn More About Using Microsoft Word for Your Business and Personal Needs

Whether for personal or business use, MS Word lets you create various kinds of documents. But with power comes complexity, so it can take time to learn how to use its robust features.

The best place to start is with our ultimate guide, Learn How to Use Microsoft Word (Beginner Tutorial Guide). It takes you from the basics of opening and creating Word files, to more advanced skills like comparing and merging two Word documents.

These Word tutorials will also help:

Enhance Your Workflow With Fillable Forms in Word

You’ve seen how convenient it is to use an interactive, fillable form. And now, you know how to create your own fillable form in Word.

Take it up a notch by starting with a Word template, such as those from Elements or GraphicRiver. These professionally-designed templates for Word are sure to impress your clients, employees, or members.

For unlimited downloads of Word templates, take your pick of the vast options in Envato Elements. For one small monthly subscription, you get unlimited downloads of anything you want in its massive library. These include photos, fonts, graphics, as well as sound effects, music, and stock video. If you create many marketing and communication materials, Elements gives you massive value.

For one-off projects, GraphicRiver is another massive library of Word templates and other creative elements. But with GraphicRiver, you pay only for each single use of each item. It’s an affordable way of getting the same professional results.

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How to Create a Fillable Form In Word for Windows

Use Word to make custom interactive forms

Updated on January 3, 2021

What to Know

• To add a fillable object, place the cursor where you want it and go to Developer tab > control type > click on page.
• To add the Developer tab, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Main Tab > Developer > OK.

This article explains how to create a fillable form document in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010.

How to Add the Developer Tab in Microsoft Word

The form data you create can include the option to choose a date, mark a checkbox, select Yes or No, and more. Before you can configure these controls, you must add the Developer tab to Microsoft Word as they are called. You can create and configure any form data using this tab.

1. Select File from the top menu.

2. Then, choose Options.

3. Select Customize Ribbon.

4. In the right pane of the dialog of Customize Ribbon part, choose Main Tabs.

5. Check the box for Developer.

6. Press OK.

How to Create a Fillable Form in Word with a Checkbox

There are several types of fillable form options in Word. These are called “Controls”. The options are in the Controls group on the Ribbon. You can include a checkbox, date selection box, a combo box with choices you create, drop-down lists, and more. These controls are on the Developer tab.

To create a basic fillable form in Word by providing a checkbox:

1. Type the text to apply the checkbox. Examples include:

   • “Opt into promotional emails”.
   • “I agree to the terms stated in this document”.
   • “I have completed all tasks”.

2. Select the Developer tab.

3. Place your cursor at the beginning of the sentence you’ve written.

4. Select the Check Box Content Control that adds a check mark. (It has a blue checkmark on it.)

5. Choose somewhere else in the document to apply it.

To remove any fillable entry, right-click it and choose Remove Content Control. Then use the Delete key on the keyboard to delete anything remains. In some instances simply clicking Delete will suffice.

How to Make a Form in Word with a Date Control

You add a Date Control from the Developer tab to enable users to select a date from a pop-up calendar that appears when they click the control.

To add a Date Control fillable form entry:

1. Place your cursor in the document where you’d like to add the Date Control.

2. Select the Developer tab.

3. Choose the Date Picker Content Control entry for inserting a date control.

4. Select somewhere outside the new entry to apply it.

How to Make a Form in Word for a Combo Box

If you want to have users choose something from a list that you provide, you use a Combo Box. After you create the box using the Developer tab options, you then access the Properties options for it to enter the available choices. In this example you will create a drop-down list for a party invitation, with options including Yes, No, Maybe.

To create a Combo Box to Make a Form in Word:

1. Write a sentence that will precede the options you’ll provide. Examples include:

   • “Will you attend the party?”
   • “Will you be bringing a dish to the party”

2. Select the Developer tab.

3. Place the cursor in the document where you want the options to appear.

4. Select the Combo Box Content Control icon. (It’s generally located to the right of the blue checkbox icon.)

5. On the Developer tab, in the Controls section, choose Properties.

6. Press Add.

7. Type Yes, and press OK.

8. Press Add.

9. Type No, and press OK.

10. Press Add again.

11. Type Maybe, and press OK.

12. Make any other changes (if desired).

13. Press OK.

14. Select somewhere outside the box to apply it; select inside the box to see how it works.

There are other types of form options you can create in Word. When experimenting with these, you’ll generally work in this order:

1. Type an introductory sentence or paragraph.

2. Place the cursor where you want the new control to go.

3. Choose the control from the Controls group on the Developer tab (hover your mouse over any control to see its name).

4. If applicable, select Properties.

5. Configure properties as necessary for the control you’ve selected.

6. Press OK.

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How to create forms in Word

If you’ve ever used Microsoft Word, you’ve probably spent a lot of time customizing different options to get your document to look exactly the way you want. But have you ever created a document for other people to use?

For example, let’s say you’re organizing a field trip and want everyone to send in their permission forms electronically. To simplify the process, you could create a form in Microsoft Word. A form allows you to create placeholders for different types of information, such as text, dates, yes-no questions, and so on. This makes it easier for everyone to know what type of information to include, and it also helps ensure all of the information is formatted the same way.

You can also download our example file if you’d like to follow along.

Step 1: Turn on the Developer tab

Before you create form elements in a document, you’ll need to activate the Developer tab on the Ribbon. To do this, click File > Options to access the Word Options dialog box. Select Customize Ribbon, then click the check box for the Developer tab.

The Developer tab will appear on the Ribbon.

Step 2: Add content controls

Now you’re ready to add the different parts of the form, which Word calls content control fields. To add a content control field, place your cursor in the desired location, then choose a field from the Controls group on the Developer tab. You can hover your mouse over the fields to see the different options. In this example, we’re adding a text field so users can type their first names.

The content control field will appear in the document.

You can add several types of fields. For example, you can add check boxes for a yes-no question:

Or even a date selection field:

Once you’ve added all of your fields to the document, you’re ready to send out the form for others to use!

Step 3: Customize as needed

If you want even more control over the way your form looks, you can turn on Design Mode from the Controls group on the Developer tab.

Then you can modify the properties for each content control field, including the text that will appear in each field. If you’re willing to spend a little more time customizing each field, you can build a pretty robust form. For example, you could create your own custom drop-down list, as in the example below:

Those are the basics of creating your own custom form in Microsoft Word. If you want to learn more, check out this article from Microsoft on how to Create a Fillable Form.

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Creating custom fillable forms in Microsoft Office Word is not much of a task. It will work great for people who do not want to write code or do not want to spend time working on online solutions for creating a fillable form. We will be covering 6 steps that are to be followed in the given sequence in order to build and use the best possible form. So, without any further delay, let us just jump right in.

1. Show the Developer Tab

First of all, start by clicking on the File tab. Now, click on Options. Then, click on Customize Ribbon.

Under that section to customize the ribbon, select Main Tabs and then select Developer checkbox and finally click on OK.

2. Select a template for the form

For this, you will have to start from a template.

To select a template, you will have to click on the File tab. Then click on New.

Inside the Search online templates box, select the type of form that you want and then hit the ENTER key. Select your desired form and click on Create.

For the sake of this tutorial, I would recommend selecting the Blank Template as of now.

3. Add content to the form

Now, it is the time when we will be adding fields to the form.

For that, click on the Developer tab that we just made visible in step 1.

Then click on Design Mode. Now you can start designing the form.

3.1 Enter a text field

For the sake of getting a name, address and other things as an input, you might have to make use of the text field.

Start by selecting the place where you need to add this field.

In the Developer tab, click on Rich Text Content Control or Plain Text Content Control.

3.2 Inserting a date picker

In the same section as we used in Step 3.1, click on Date Picker Content Control to add a Date Picker.

3.3 Inserting a checkbox

Now, in the same manner, you can also insert a checkbox by clicking on Check Box Content Control.

4. Define or modify properties for Content Controls

Now, just select and open the content control that you have just inserted inside of your form.

Then click on Properties in order to change the properties as per your wish.

5. Add instructional text

Inside the same Developer menu and the same Design Mode click on content control where you want to have the instructional text.

Edit the placeholder now.

Then turn off the design feature to save the instructional text.

6. Add protection to a form

Now, in order to lock or protect forms, you need not do anything fancy.

Click on Home. Then click on Select > Select All or just hit the CTRL + A combinations.

Click on Developer > Restrict Editing and then select all the protections that you need and then finally click on Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

That is all there is to it!

Read next: How to create a fillable form in Google Docs.

On a Macintosh computer circa 1997, Kevan J. Atteberry created the first Microsoft-branded office assistant: Clippy.

No matter how many times I tried to get it right, Clippy was there to tell me I still wasn’t good enough. Popping out of nowhere to offer “help” because my work was sub-par. 😵‍💫

Fast-forward to today, and the vast library of knowledge via technology and the Internet is at our beck and call. And thankfully, for me, Clippy has retired.

According to some sources, Office 365 is used by over a million companies worldwide, so it’s safe to say knowing how to use Microsoft Office is a resume must-have.

Fillable forms are a resource almost everyone in their career has either created or completed—and they’re not going away! Forms collect data, provide communication paths, and save time in workflows. ✨

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to:

• Use the Microsoft Word Developer Tab controls like a pro
• Create a fillable Word document
• Customize a fillable Word document
• Protect, save, and share a fillable form in Word

Ready when you are!

What Is a Fillable Form?

A fillable form is a digital form for users to fill out and send back. Of course, you can also print a form, but we’re not in 1997 anymore—let’s go paperless! 👩‍💻

Organizations create forms to collect meaningful data from employees and customers. Along with the sustainable and environmental benefits, it improves accuracy and productivity. (Not to mention a user-friendly experience for users!)

The level of customization depends on how simple or complex you want your fillable form to be.

You might have used a few basic controls to write cover letters to reports. However, when using Microsoft Word to create fillable forms, there are quite a few more controls to learn, so hike up those sleeves.

Developer Tab Controls in Microsoft Word

Before diving into a step-by-step tutorial, let’s unpack this intimidating term—the Developer tab.

OK, it’s not that intimidating once you get the hang of it. To achieve the type of form you want to build, getting acquainted with the controls section will help save time while creating your form.

These form controls (when used correctly) provide an interactive form for users to quickly understand what’s expected of them.

🔶The Developer Tab

1. Visual Basic: record, create, and edit macros that can automate tasks in Office applications
2. Macros: a series of actions grouped as a single command to accomplish a task automatically
3. Record Macros: small programs that record your keystrokes as you perform a task
4. Pause Recording: pauses the macro recording
5. Add-ins: custom commands or features for extra functionality
6. Word Add-ins: a program that can be attached to Word to give it additional functionality
7. Text Box: an object to place and type text anywhere in the document
8. Check Box: an object to place and click to check anywhere in the document
9. Combo Box: a text box with a list box attached
10. Options: editing Text Box, Check Box, and Combo Box customization
11. Frame: acontainer for text and objects
12. Shading: a background colorthat updates when switching to a different document theme
13. Protect Form: prevents others from modifying the form

🔷Form Field Options

🖋 Plain Text Content Control

Text Boxes are most useful for a wide range of possible responses. These fields can be used to capture names, email addresses—just about anything! If you need a date field, use the date picker content control and customize it.

1. Type: Regular Text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, Calculation options
2. Default Text: instructions for users
3. Maximum length: total character count allotted
4. Text format: Uppercase, Lowercase, First capital, Title case options

✔️ Check Box Content Control

Check Boxes are suitable for yes-no questions or to select one or more options from a set of choices.

1. Default Value: boxes can be pre-checked if desired
2. Check Box Size: increase or decrease options

📦 Combo Box Content Control

With the Combo Box, users can only select one option from a set of choices.

1. Drop-down item: type the list and click the + to add or – to delete
2. Items in drop-down list: add, delete, and re-order list items

Looking for more information on form building tools? Check out our Jotform alternatives guide! ⭐️

How to Create a Fillable Form in Word

In this tutorial, I am using Microsoft Word for Mac Version 16.54. The steps and features may look different if you’re on a different platform or version. However, the end game is the same, so these tips can be applied with what you have!

Step 1: Building the Fillable Form

1️⃣ Create a new document

1. Launch Microsoft Word
2. Select Blank Document > Create

2️⃣ Add the Developer Tab to the Ribbon

On the Word menu, select Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar > check Developer > click Save.

3️⃣ Organize the content into sections

If you take only one thing away from here, it should be this: organize your content before you start formatting.

You’ll save time and frustration if all your content is written and organized. I am so humbled today because of the hours I wasted starting over again because I didn’t know what I needed.

Let’s put this into practice. I want to create a museum volunteer form. Here’s my content planned out:

• Title: Museum Volunteer Form
• Section 1: Contact Information
• Section 2: Availability (Days and times)
• Section 3: Survey (How did you hear about us?)

Not a bad start, but we can do better:

Version 2:

Section	Content	Fill Type
Contact Information	Full Name Email address Phone Number Date	Text Box
Availability	Saturday morning Saturday afternoon Saturday night Sunday morning Sunday afternoon Sunday night	Check Box
Survey	How did you hear about us? Word of mouth Social media Company website Search engine	Combo Box

Can you spot the difference?

In version 2, I know exactly:

• The number of fields I need for each section (Full Name, Email address, Phone Number, and Date equals four)
• The fill type to help visualize the form as I build

The hard part is over. Now let’s format!

4️⃣ Add tables

Section 1: Contact Information

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Insert tab, select Table
3. Hover over a 2×2 table and click to populate
4. Enter text

Section 2: Availability

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Insert tab, select Table
3. Hover over a 2×6 table and click to populate
4. Enter text

Sections 3: Survey

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Insert tab, select Table
3. Hover over a 2×1 table and click to populate
4. Enter text (we will add the options later when we add Content Controls!)

5️⃣ Set Content Controls: Text Box

Text Box with Regular Text

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Developer Tab, select Text Box
3. Double click the Text Box to review format > click OK

Tip: copy the Text Box and paste it into other text fields for a faster build

Text Box with Current Date

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Developer Tab, select Text Box
3. Double click the Text Box
4. Change Type to Current date
5. Change Date format to M/d/yy > click OK

6️⃣ Set Content Controls: Check Box

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Developer Tab, select Check Box
3. Double click the Check Box to review format > click OK

Tip: copy the Check Box and paste it into other checkbox fields for a faster build

7️⃣ Set Content Controls: Combo Box

1. Place your cursor at the desired location
2. On the Developer Tab, select Combo Box
3. Double click the Combo Box
4. Add text to Drop-down item > click OK

Here’s a preview of the Combo Boxes after your form is protected. ⬇️

Step 2: Customizing the Fillable Form

Have fun with this section! Change the font, add page borders, apply MS Word themes—whatever your heart desires!

Here are recommendations to make your form user-friendly:

1️⃣ Change the line height

1. Highlight the entire table
2. On the Layout tab, click the up arrow to increase line-height

2️⃣ Align text inside the table

1. Highlight the entire table
2. On the Layout tab, select the left-center option

3️⃣ Format tables

1. Click and drag the column line left to move the checkboxes
2. Highlight the entire table
3. Under Table Design tab, select No border

Step 3: Protecting the Fillable Form

1. Under the Developer tab, select Protect Form
2. From the Review tab, select Protect > Protect Document
3. Select Protect document for > Forms > click OK

Step 4: Saving the Fillable Form as a Form Template

1. Under File menu, select Save as Template
2. Name your form template > click Save

Step 5: Sharing the Fillable Form

Now that you have a saved template sending a form to users will prompt them to save their completed form under a new name and as a .docx.

Success! You now know how to create a fillable form in Word! Great job! 🥳

Limitations of Fillable Forms in MS Word

While you can now add Microsoft Word fillable forms to your resume, it’s not the best software to create and send forms and you might need an MS Word alternative. Here are a few reasons:

• There’s a necessary learning curve if you’re not familiar with Microsoft Word
• It takes up a lot of time manually creating and formatting all sections
• It’s not user-friendly to people inexperienced with Word (there’s also a time commitment on their end if the document is formatted poorly)
• Many features of Word forms don’t translate to other apps causing your formatting to break
• You must use MS Office tools or workarounds to extract the data
• Recipient forms are sent back via email, which is unreliable and also a time commitment to sift through

The form responses start coming in. What do you do? 🤔

It’s a complicated process that includes Microsoft Excel to extract the data from MS Word form responses. You built this form to save time, so let’s not work backward!

Related Resources:

• How To Create A Project Timeline In Excel (2022 Guide)
• How to Make a Timeline in Word
• How to Make A Calendar in Word
• How to Make a Timeline in Google Docs
• How to Make a Mind Map in Word
• How to Create a Gantt Chart in Word
• How to Make a Flowchart in Word
• How to Make a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint

The Best Fillable Form in Word Alternative

ClickUp Forms are the future. The good news? You can start using them today!

And because ClickUp works across devices, users can easily complete and return a form all from a link—and on the go! 📲🌐

While various online form building software exists, only ClickUp Forms allow you to turn collected responses into actionable tasks.

ClickUp Forms are easy to build, customize, protect, and share in ClickUp. Additionally, there’s more than one way you can share a link:

• Expire links: set a time for the link to deactivate (available on the Enterprise Plan)
• Share links: allow this link to be indexed by search engines
• Embed code: embed in any website by pasting the code (into your website builder or CMS)