Choose the checklist you need: use a check box content control for boxes people can click in desktop Word, or use a box-shaped bullet for a checklist you will print and mark by hand. A bullet that looks like a checkbox does not become clickable.
Make a clickable checklist in desktop Word
- Open your document and type each checklist item on its own line.
- If the Developer tab is hidden in Word for Windows, choose File > Options > Customize Ribbon, check Developer, and select OK. On a Mac, open Word > Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar and enable Developer.
- Place the cursor before the first item. On Developer, select Check Box Content Control.
- Insert a separate check box content control before each remaining item. Save the document, then click a box to check or clear it.
To change the mark shown when a box is checked, select the control, choose Developer > Properties, and change the checked symbol. These controls are for an interactive form in supported desktop versions of Word.
Make a checklist for printing
- Type the items, one per paragraph, and select them.
- Go to Home > Bullets and open the arrow beside Bullets.
- Choose Define New Bullet > Symbol, pick an empty square, and select OK.
- Print the document. The squares are visual bullets to mark on paper; clicking them in Word will not toggle a check mark.
Use Word for the web
In Word for the web, place the cursor where the list should start and choose Home > Checklist. Type an item and press Enter for the next. The web checklist can be checked on screen. Microsoft’s current instructions distinguish this feature from desktop check box content controls and from printable bullet lists.
Common questions
Why can’t I click the squares I made with Bullets?
They are symbols used as bullets. For a desktop document people will fill out, insert Check Box Content Control from Developer instead.
Why is the Developer tab missing?
It is hidden by default in some desktop installations. Enable it in ribbon settings as described above. If you are using Word for the web, use its Home > Checklist feature.
For Microsoft’s version-specific steps, see Make a checklist in Word and change the checked-box symbol.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com