Comments on: How to insert checkbox in Excel: interactive checklist, to-do list and report

This tutorial will guide you on how to insert a checkbox in Excel and use the check box results in formulas to make an interactive checklist, to-do list, chart or report. Continue reading →

Comments page 3. Total comments: 101

  1. How do I add multiple developer checkboxes in one cell

  2. Excellent article! Exactly what I needed to know, clearly explained and illustrated! Thank you SO much!
    ~ Gwen

  3. If I have checklist of 300 points, will i have to repeat step of 'Format Control'--> 'Cell Link 300 times' ??? If yes than aaahhhhh

  4. Hello,
    I hope you are well!

    Thank you very much for this tutorial, very very helpful.
    I do have a quick question for you.
    For the step: How to link a checkbox to a cell, any way to apply that to all check boxes ? I'm asking because I have a few thousand rows & check boxes, you can imagine how long that would take me to format each check boxes to link them to the associated cell.
    Spasibo Svetlana, greatly appreciated!

  5. Is it possible to excel in a dropdown list by making multiple selections with check box?

  6. Hi,
    I have inserted a check box in column 'A' via the 'developer' tab and it works ok.
    Only problem is that when column 'B' - (which has the 'wrapped text'setting applied) -has text entered and it wraps the text, the column 'A' with the check box suddenly makes a extra check box within the same cell.
    Any ideas why this may be please?
    Thank you

  7. I found your tutorial very helpful! It's very easy to generate the checkbox and customize filtering based on results. In my spreadsheet, I am anticipating data entry into another cell after the checkbox formatting. It looks like when new data is entered and if that data increases the size of the row, the checkbox does not move with the cell. It would be awesome if cell formatting could be accepted by the checkbox. Have you found this to be an issue or do you have a solution?

  8. Thank you for the tutorial, very informative.
    OI also need a similar solution as "Diana C" To have a series of checkboxes, but only 1 box can be selected per each row, eg: either "Male" or "Female", or also a multiple range such as "Married", "Single" "Divorced" or "Widowed" but only 1 box can be checked

  9. If I have to add another line item within my list, is there a way to reorder them (A-Z for example) and keep my checkboxes with the line item, not the line row? When I sort, I lose my true/false data to the original row.

  10. Is there a formula to make the check box check automatically if a cell is filled out. For example check box in a4, I want it to check if I put info in cell a3 otherwise leave blank if that cell is blank.

    1. Might be easier NOT to use a Checkbox. Just use COUNTBLANK which also counts zero-length strings (e.g. "") sometimes left as a result from a formula as blanks so this is a valid alternative depending on the data layout

      Example:
      In A4 type (or paste): A3 Has Data
      In B4 type (or paste): =COUNTBLANK(A3:A3)=0
      B3 Will now show 'FALSE'
      In A3 type some data (or paste): 123ABC
      B3 Will now show 'TRUE'

      Use Cell 'Conditional Formatting' on B4, select Red = 'FALSE' and Green = 'TRUE'

      or you could put the formatting instead on A4 BUT linked to B4 being either FALSE or TRUE as above... and then hide B column.

      Have left =COUNTBLANK(A3:A3)=0 range as A3:A3 a 'range of 1' but could be changed to any range, but obviously this means that all cells in the range would have to have data present.

      If you need the reverse, change =0 to =1 to get FALSE = Data Present.

      No check boxes to tick, no having to remember, its automatic, its reminding you all the time! until you enter some data!

      Hope this helps

  11. Hi Svetlana. Thanks for this info. Just wanted you to know your tutorial is still getting mileage!

  12. I am attempting to place a check box on my spread sheet that when it is checked, it will ignore or delete the contents of another box in a formula. I am not having much luck. Any suggestions?

  13. Very helpful article, I learned many new things, thank you!

    I have an additional question though. I'm trying to build something like a form, where people would tick, let's say the "Male" or the "Female" box. Is there a way to add a restriction so that people would be unable to check both boxes? So when they click on one box, it gets checked, but if after that they click on the second box, the second gets checked while at the same time the first gets unchecked.

    Thank you in advance!

  14. Hi

    I have a task to do.

    I've got list of parts in excel - number, name and symbol.
    I wish that i mark checkbox in the line with one of part number -> part number will be copied to another place with name and symbol - how it is possible to make ?? -> I'm an enginier and sometimes I have to order parts for my machines. It would be nice if someone will share knowledge with me - or give me solution.

    Thanks.

    1. Hello,

      I'm afraid there's no easy way to solve your task with a formula. Using a VBA macro would be the best option here.

      However, since we do not cover the programming area (VBA-related questions), I can advice you to try and look for the solution in VBA sections on mrexcel.com or excelforum.com.

      Sorry I can't assist you better.

  15. Hi,

    The checkboxes are a great tool, but I have a problem. I have like 1000 checkboxes in my file, do I need to link them to a cell one by one? Its a to do list that the employees must fill in for every job. So its the same list always repeating itself. But when I copy/paste it, and I click on the checkbox of the first job, the checkbox of the second job is also selected..

    1. Hi Anthony,
      Unfortunately, it is not possible to link checkboxes to cells in bulk. You can only do this individually for each checkbox.

  16. I have a template to utilize each month and I would like to clear the checkbox each month and utilize the list again.
    is this possible?

  17. Thank u so much

  18. Awesome! Thank you so much. Great tutorial!

  19. how to create drop down list to open different different data or sheet in excel 2016.

  20. how to hyperlink in a cell by using if function to open the different data.

  21. Hi,

    Can you help me??

    how to insert tick mark in Excel 2007.

    Regards,
    Netrapal Yadav

  22. hi Svetlana

    how i can control checkbox size and position

    thanks

    1. Hi Hussam,

      The easiest way to resize a checkbox is drag the sizing handles using the mouse. Or, you can right-click the checkbox, and then click Format Control... > Size.

      To fix the position of a checkbox in the sheet independently from the cells, right-click the checkbox, click Format Control > Properties, and select the "Don't move or size with cells" option.

  23. I noticed your checkboxes are larger than what actually occurs when adding the Checkbox form control in my version of excel (checkbox is extremely small in my version. How are you able to resize the box itself? What version of Excel are you using, maybe that is the difference. Kindly, Mia

    1. Hi Mia,

      I used Excel 2013, and these are the default checkboxes, I did not resize them.

      To resize a check box, right-click it, click Format Control, switch to the Size tab, and set the desired size.

    2. Hello, Mia,
      if the problem with your checkboxes isn't gone and you still need our assistance, please, email us at support@ablebits.com with a screenshot of your checkboxes and the info about your Excel and Windows versions that you're currently using. Don't forget to link this article and your commentary number in your email letter. We will get back in touch.

  24. In the example above, is there a way to combine 2 criteria? For example, what is the total of avocados sold in East region? Or any other similar combination?
    Thank you for this very useful information!

  25. Svetlana;
    This is close to what I'm trying to do. I want to create a list of instructions depending on the outcome of a check box. So clicking one check box in say C1 would display a long list of To Do's in another column.
    The list is built from numerous rows on another sheet of ideally from a "library" of text boxes for different tasks.

    I have a list of say 10 questions with Yes/No check boxes. If an answer is yes, I want to display a predefined list of "To Do's" from a given textbox or table.
    Can you help me find the answer??
    THANK YOU!

    1. I'm trying to do this as well. Any insight will be greatly appreciated!

      1. Hello!

        I think you can use the following approach:

        - Link check boxes to some cells (say, link a checkbox in C1 to cell D1), the column of linked cell can be hidden later.

        - Use the IF function to pull a list of To-Do's or other entries depending on the value in the linked cell (please mind the use of absolute and relative cell references in the formula):
        =IF(AND($D$1=TRUE,H1<>""), H1, "")

        Where D1 is a linked cell and H1 is the first entry of the list to be pulled.

        The screenshot below shows a "prototype":
        List of instructions depending on the outcome of a check box

  26. Thank you!!!! This is VERY helpful!

  27. how to delete excell cell or row with check box in excel 2013

  28. I need some help: I have multiple check boxes in multiple rows. I have 6 check boxes going across the spreadsheet. I'm having difficulty with: If all check boxes are checked then TRUE. If a check box is NOT checked, then FALSE. Any suggestions are greatly appreciative.

    Ideally, I want to track which person has which items. If a person has all items, then it's good. If a person does not have all the items then I know I need to do some follow up.

    Thanks,
    Steve

  29. very good tips. I am using the above tips. I will be grateful, if, I will guided how the "to be done lists" will be automatically forwarded to my email as a reminder.

    Regards.
    Rajanikanta

  30. Hi Svetlana,

    Yes, I found the way... I would like to put the number above the speedometer chart but I could not put the box above the chart (with the value link to the cell). Instead of that I used the chart title which links to the cell. Therefore once the value of the cell changes, the value inside the chart title also changes.
    Thank's

  31. Hi Svetlana,

    I tried to make a box which shows the value from another cell. Therefore the value links to the cell.
    Could you please to tell me how to link the value in the box to the cell?

    Thank you

    1. Hello Widojo,

      In the Checkbox control, you can only put a tick mark and nothing else. Please consider creating a drop-down list instead based on the desired cells.

  32. Hi,

    Is there a way to make a check box cycle through a tick, a cross and blank through clicking the check box?

  33. Thank you for this extremely interesting and useful tutorial. One observation I have is that it is quite laborious linking the Format Control dialog box to cell references - they have to be done individually - if you have a long list this could take a while! Is there an easy way round this?

    Thanks

    Bill

      1. I just did the VBA method and it was very easy and useful!

  34. IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania, then AE = 1350
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF F33 less than April 2016 then AE = 1300
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF F33 greater than April 2016 then AE = 1350
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF I33 less than April-24- 2016 then AE = 1300
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF I33 greater than Oct- 2014 then AE = 1300
    IF D33= Rwanda & I33=June-2015 then AE=700

  35. Can you help me to set below formula.
    Formula criteria

    Set Formula in cell AE33
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania, then AE = 1350
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF F33 April 2016 then AE = 1350
    IF D33= Rwanda,Kenya,(FREE),Tanzania,Uganda,Kenya,CPS,Tanzania & IF I33 Oct- 2014 then AE = 1300
    IF D33= Rwanda & I33=June-2015 then AE=700

  36. The checkboxes for the interactive report & the dynamic charts are the equivalent of slicers, provided your data are in an Excel Table. Isn't it easier to use slicers?

    1. Dear Klaas,

      Thank you for your comment. Sure, slicers are very easy to use if your data is organized in a table or PivotTable. But this tutorial targets check boxes and I wanted to demonstrate a few uses other than conventional check lists and to-do lists.

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