How to Make a Checklist in Word (Step-by-Step Guide)

A checklist is a great way to stay organized, whether you're managing a task list, a to-do list, a shopping list, or a project plan. Microsoft Word provides multiple ways to create a checklist, including:

• A Clickable checklist for digital use
• A print-only checklist for physical copies

This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating different types of checklists in Word, including the new checklist feature available in Word for the Web.

1. Add a clickable checkbox to your list
   • Using the Developer tab
   • Using Kutools for Word (one click)
2. Customize the checkbox style
3. Copy and paste the checkboxes
4. Add hanging indentation (For multi-line list items)
5. Group the checkbox and its corresponding item

1. Add print-only checkboxes to your list
   • By defining and inserting a checkbox bullet
   • Using Kutools for Word (one click)
2. Adjust the indentation

Create a Clickable Checklist in Word

If you need an interactive checklist where you can click to check or uncheck items, follow these steps:

Step 1: Add a clickable checkbox to your list

There are two main ways to add a clickable checkbox as shown below:

• Add a clickable checkbox using the Developer tab

  1. Open Microsoft Word and enable the Developer tab:
     1. Click File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
     2. Under the Main Tabs, check the Developer box and click OK.

        

  2. Place the cursor where you wish to add a checkbox.
  3. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click the checkbox icon to insert it into your document.

     

• Add a clickable checkbox using Kutools for Word (One Click)

  1. Place the cursor where you wish to insert a checkbox.
  2. On the Kutools tab, click Check Box > Check Box Content Control.

     

Step 2: Customize the checkbox style

By default, an "X" will appear in the checkbox once it is selected: . To change the "X" to a check mark ("√") for instance, please follow the steps below:

1. Select the inserted checkbox.
2. On the Developer tab, select Properties.

   

3. In the Content Control Properties dialog box that appears:
   1. Click on the "Change" button next to the "Checked symbol".
   2. In the "Font" box, select "Wingdings 2".
   3. Choose the symbol you wish to use as the checked indicator (for example, a check mark within a box).
   4. Click "OK" in the Symbol dialog.
   5. Click "OK" in the Content Control Properties dialog.

      

Result

Now, when you check the checkbox, a check mark will appear within the box.

Step 3: Copy and paste the checkboxes

After creating your desired checkbox, you can easily duplicate it by copying and pasting:

1. Select the checkbox and press Ctrl + C to copy it.
2. Place the cursor where you want to add the checkbox and press Ctrl + V to paste it.
3. Repeat the step 2 to insert checkboxes throughout your list.

Step 4: Add hanging indentation (For multi-line list items)

If some list items, such as the first one in the screenshot below, are more than one line long, use a hanging indent to keep them aligned properly.

1. Select the entire list.
2. Go to the Home tab and click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.

   

3. Under Special, choose Hanging and set the By value to 0.2 (adjust as needed to suit your formatting preference).

   

4. Click OK to apply the changes. And you will see that the first list item is now properly aligned.

   

Step 5: Group the checkbox and its corresponding item

To ensure the checkboxes stay fixed with their corresponding text, use the grouping feature:

1. Select the checkbox and its corresponding text.
2. On the Developer tab, click Group > Group.

   

Create a Print-only Checklist in Word

If you only need a printable checklist (without clickable checkboxes), follow these steps:

Step 1: Add print-only checkboxes to your list

• By defining and inserting a checkbox bullet

  1. Select the list items to which you want to prepend checkboxes.
  2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the dropdown arrow beside the Bullets button, and select Define New Bullet.

     

  3. In the Define New Bullet dialog that appears:
     1. Click on the "Symbol" button.
     2. Select "Wingdings 2" from the "Font" box.
     3. Choose the checkbox symbol. You can enter the code 163 in the Character code box to quickly select the symbol.
     4. Click "OK" in the Symbol dialog.
     5. Click "OK" in the Define New Bullet dialog.

        

• Using Kutools for Word (One Click)

  With Kutools for Word, you can quickly insert a checkbox list into your document with just one click, eliminating the need to manually define bullets. This feature streamlines the process, making it faster and more convenient.

  1. Highlight the list items where you want to add checkboxes.
  2. Go to Kutools > Check Box > Check Box List.

     

Step 2: Adjust the indentation

The checklist made by the above methods has indent created automatically. If you want to remove it and make all checkboxes align to the left, follow these steps:

1. Select the entire list.
2. Go to the Home tab and click the Paragraph dialog box launcher.

   

3. Under Indentation, set the Left value to 0.

   

4. Click OK to apply the changes.

   

Create a Clickable Checklist in Word for the Web

Microsoft introduced an easier way to add checklists in Word for the Web in 2024. Unlike the desktop version, this method does not require enabling the Developer tab, making it super convenient with just one click.

1. Open Word for the Web: https://word.cloud.microsoft/.
2. Type and select your checklist items.
3. Select the "Checklist" option on the ribbon. Alternatively, press the shortcut key Ctrl + ,.

   

The checkboxes are interactive by default - just click to check or uncheck!

Above is all the relevant content related to making a checklist in Microsoft Word. I hope you find the tutorial helpful. If you're looking to explore more Word tips and tricks, please click here to access our extensive collection of tutorials.

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