Insert Tick and Cross Marks in Excel: Fast and Easy Methods

When building checklists, tracking task status, marking approval results, or highlighting right and wrong answers in Excel, tick (✓) and cross (✗) marks are often much clearer than using plain text like “Yes/No” or “Done/Not Done”. They make worksheets easier to read and give your data a cleaner, more professional look.

In this guide, you will learn the best ways to quickly insert tick and cross marks into Excel cells, along with step-by-step instructions and tips for choosing the right method.

Why use tick and cross marks in Excel?

Insert Tick and Cross Marks into Cells

• Method 1: Use the Symbol feature
• Method 2: Use shortcuts with special fonts
• Method 3: Use Kutools for Excel
• Method 4: Use VBA code
• Method 5: Use drop-down list

Advanced solution: Display tick and cross marks automatically with formulas

Tips for using tick and cross marks more effectively

Conclusion

Why use tick and cross marks in Excel?

Tick and cross marks are widely used in Excel because they help present information more visually and compactly. They are especially useful when you want to show completion status, approval results, pass/fail outcomes, or correct/incorrect answers.

Main benefits of using tick and cross marks:

• Make data easier to scan quickly
• Save space compared with longer text labels
• Improve worksheet readability
• Create cleaner and more professional reports
• Help highlight status information more clearly

For example, in a project checklist, a tick can represent completed tasks, while a cross can show pending or failed items. In a grading sheet, a tick can indicate correct answers and a cross can show incorrect ones.

Insert Tick and Cross Marks into Cells

In this section, you will learn several practical ways to insert tick and cross marks into Excel cells. Whether you prefer built-in Excel tools, keyboard tricks, formulas, Kutools for Excel, or even VBA automation, there is a method to match your needs.

Method 1: Insert tick and cross marks by the Symbol feature

The Symbol feature in Excel allows you to insert special characters directly into cells. This is one of the most straightforward methods, especially if you only need to insert a few tick or cross marks manually.

1. Select the cell where you want to insert the symbol. Click the Insert > Symbol.
2. In the Symbol dialog box:
   • Select Wingdings or Wingdings 2 from the Font drop-down list.
   • Scroll through the available symbols and choose the tick mark or cross mark you want to insert.
   • Click Insert to add the selected symbol to the cell.
     
3. Repeat the above steps to insert the tick or cross mark one by one to other cells.

Method 2: Insert tick and cross marks by shortcuts with special fonts

If you frequently insert tick and cross marks, using keyboard shortcuts together with symbol fonts can be much faster than opening the Symbol dialog every time. In Excel, some characters can display as tick or cross symbols when the cell font is changed to Wingdings 2.

1. Select the column cells where you want to insert the tick and cross marks, and then choose the Wingdings 2 font under the Home tab, see screenshot:
   
2. After changing the font of the selected cell to Wingdings 2, now, typing “P” in a cell displays a tick mark, while typing “O” displays a cross mark, as shown in the screenshot below.
   

Method 3: Insert tick and cross marks by Kutools for Excel

If you want a quicker and more user-friendly solution, Kutools provides a range of preset tick and cross symbols to help you insert them into Excel cells more quickly, without having to search for them manually.

1. Click a cell where you want to insert tick or cross marks. Then, click Kutools > Insert > Batch Insert Check Symbols, see screenshot:
   
2. In the dialog box, click the tick or cross mark you want to insert, and the selected symbol will be inserted immediately.
   
   Tip: Check Automatically move to next row after insertion if you want the cursor to move down automatically after each insertion.
3. Then click the selected cells one by one to insert the chosen symbol quickly.
4. When you finish, click Close to exit the dialog box.

Method 4: Insert tick and cross marks by VBA code

If you need to insert tick and cross marks into many cells automatically, VBA can be a powerful solution. It is especially useful for repetitive or large-scale tasks.

1. Right click the sheet tab that you want to insert tick and cross marks, and then choose View Code from the context menu.
   
2. In the opened Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, copy and paste the following code into the blank Module:

   Private Sub Worksheet_BeforeDoubleClick(ByVal Target As Range, Cancel As Boolean)
   'Updateby Extendoffice
       If Target.Cells.Count = 1 Then
           If Not Intersect(Target, Range("B2:B12")) Is Nothing Then
               With Target
                   .Font.Name = "Wingdings"
                   .Font.Size = 12
                   If .FormulaR1C1 = " û " Then
                       .FormulaR1C1 = "ü"
                   Else
                       .FormulaR1C1 = " û "
                   End If
               End With
           End If
           Cancel = True
       End If
   End Sub

   Note: In the above code, B2:B12 is the cells where you want to insert the tick and cross marks, you can change the cell reference to your need.
3. After saving the code and closing the VBA editor, double-click a cell once to insert a cross mark, and double-click it again to switch to a tick mark, as shown in the screenshot below.
   

Method 5: Insert tick and cross marks by drop down list

A drop-down list is a great option if you want users to choose between a tick mark and a cross mark from a predefined list. This is especially useful for forms, task trackers, and shared worksheets.

1. Select the cells where you want the drop-down list. Click Data > Data Validation.
2. In the Data Validation dialog box:
   • Choose List from the Allow drop-down
   • In the Source box, copy and paste these two symbols: ✓,✗
   • Click OK.
     
3. Now each selected cell will have a drop-down arrow, allowing you to choose a tick or cross instantly.
   

Advanced solution: Display tick and cross marks automatically with formulas

If you want tick and cross marks to appear automatically based on a condition, formulas are the best solution. For example, you can display a tick mark if a task is completed, and a cross mark if it is not.

1. Enter or copy the following formula into a blank cell:

   =IF(B2="Completed","✓","✗")

   
2. Then drag the fill handle down to fill the formula to other cells, see screenshot:

For example, if a score in A2 is 60 or higher, show a tick mark; otherwise, show a cross mark:

Enter or copy the following formula into a blank cell:

=IF(B2>=60,"✓","✗")

Tips for using tick and cross marks more effectively

To make tick and cross marks more useful and professional in Excel, keep the following tips in mind:

Conclusion

There are several effective ways to insert tick and cross marks in Excel, and the best method depends on how you plan to use them.

If you only need to insert a few symbols occasionally, the Symbol feature is simple and built into Excel. If you want a faster manual method, using shortcut keys with symbol fonts can save time. For users who prefer a more visual and convenient solution, Kutools for Excel makes inserting tick and cross marks much quicker and easier. If you need automation or want to apply symbols in bulk, VBA code is a powerful choice. Meanwhile, drop-down lists are ideal for creating interactive forms or standardized worksheets, and formulas work best when you want tick and cross marks to appear automatically based on cell values or conditions.

In short, each method has its own strengths. You can choose the one that best matches your Excel skill level, the size of your worksheet, and whether you need manual input, controlled selection, or automatic results.