6 Simple Ways to Insert a Check Mark (Tick ✓) Symbol in Excel

Adding visual elements like symbols and icons to an Excel spreadsheet can make it more engaging and easier to understand. A common symbol that is used in Excel is the check mark (also known as a tick mark) which indicates approval completeness, or correctness.

In this tutorial I’ll show you 6 easy methods to insert a check mark symbol in Excel

• Copy and Paste
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Symbols Dialog Box
• CHAR Formula
• Autocorrect
• Conditional Formatting

I’ll also cover how to format and count check marks in Excel. Let’s get started!

What is the Difference Between Check Mark and Checkbox?

Before diving into the various methods, it’s important to understand the difference between a check mark and a checkbox in Excel.

A check mark (✔) is a symbol that you can insert into a cell, just like any other text or number. When you copy or delete the cell, the check mark goes with it.

A checkbox (☐) is an object that sits above the cells on the worksheet. It is not part of the cell but overlays it. You can move a checkbox around independently of the cell.

• A check mark is a symbol inside a cell
• A checkbox is an object placed over a cell

In this tutorial, we’ll focus on inserting check marks. Let’s go over the different methods now.

Method 1: Copy and Paste the Check Mark Symbol

This is the easiest way to insert a check mark in Excel.

Simply copy the check mark symbol below and paste it into your spreadsheet:

✔

To paste it:

1. Double click the cell where you want to paste the check mark.
2. Press Ctrl + V to paste.

Once pasted, you can copy this check mark and reuse it in other cells.

The copy-paste method is good when you want to manually insert check marks in a few places. It’s not ideal if you have hundreds of cells to mark.

Method 2: Use Keyboard Shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly type check marks and other symbols.

To use shortcuts, first change the cell font to Wingdings 2. Then type the keys below:

• Alt + 0252 – Green check mark
• Alt + 0254 – Red X

Here are some other shortcuts with the Wingdings font:

• Alt + 0251 – Red X
• Alt + 0253 – Blue check mark

This method is best when you only need check marks, without other text in the cell. Since you have to use the Wingdings font, you can’t combine check marks with normal text.

Method 3: Insert from Symbols Dialog Box

The Symbols dialog box contains a huge library of symbols and icons that you can insert into cells.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want the check mark.
2. Go to Insert > Symbols.
3. In the dialog box, select the font as Segoe UI Symbol.
4. Browse the symbols and find the check mark. Double click it to insert.

This method doesn’t require knowing special codes or changing fonts. Once inserted, you can copy-paste the check mark to reuse it.

The symbols dialog is best when you want to occasionally insert symbols without shortcuts.

Method 4: Use the CHAR Formula

The CHAR formula returns the character based on the code you enter.

For example, to insert a check mark, use: =CHAR(252)

Remember to change the cell font to Wingdings, otherwise you’ll just see a special character.

Here are some codes for check marks and X marks:

• Check mark: =CHAR(252)
• X mark: =CHAR(251)

The benefit of CHAR is you can use it in a formula to dynamically generate check marks.

For example, to show check for values above 5000, and X for below 5000: =IF(A2>5000,CHAR(252),CHAR(251))

CHAR formulas work when you need checkmarks based on cell values. As it’s a formula, you can use it to insert bulk check marks.

Method 5: Use Autocorrect

Excel can autocorrect text that you type. We can create an autocorrect entry for check mark.

1. Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options.
2. In the Replace box, enter CMARK.
3. In the With box, paste or enter the check mark symbol ✔.
4. Click Add.

Now, typing CMARK will autocorrect it to a check mark!

Things to note:

• The autocorrect is case-sensitive. cmark won’t work.
• It also applies to other Office apps like Word and PowerPoint.
• If you have text before/after CMARK it won’t autocorrect.

Autocorrect is great when you want a fast way to manually insert check marks.

Method 6: Use Conditional Formatting

With conditional formatting, you can automatically insert check marks or X marks based on cell values.

For example, to show check for values above 5000, and X for below 5000:

1. Select the target cells (where you want symbols).
2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
3. In the dialog, select Format only cells that contain.
4. Enter the formula: =A2>5000
5. Click Format, select green fill and white font.
6. Repeat for X mark with formula =A2<=5000 and red fill.

Now checks and X’s will populate automatically based on the value!

Conditional formatting is best when you need to insert symbols in many cells based on values.

Formatting Check Marks in Excel

To format the check marks, select the cells and use the Font group on the Home tab.

You can change:

• Font style and size
• Font color
• Cell color
• Bold/italic/underline

For conditional check marks, use the Format button in the New Formatting Rule dialog to change the style.

This allows formatting check/X marks differently from other cells.

Counting Check Marks in Excel

To count check marks, use the COUNTIF formula with CHAR: =COUNTIF(range,CHAR(252))

This counts checks in the given range. Make sure to use the correct CHAR code.

You can combine with other formulas like SUM: =SUM(B2:B11)*(COUNTIF(C2:C11,CHAR(252))/COUNTIF(C2:C11,”<>”))

This counts check marks and uses it in further calculations.

That brings us to the end of this guide on inserting, formatting, and counting check marks in Excel.

The 6 methods we covered were:

1. Copy-paste
2. Keyboard shortcuts
3. Symbols dialog
4. CHAR formula
5. Autocorrect
6. Conditional formatting

The best method depends on your specific needs:

• Use copy-paste for quick manual insertion
• Shortcuts to type check marks on the fly
• Symbols dialog for occasional insertion
• CHAR formulas for dynamic checks based on cells
• Autocorrect to quickly insert with a custom keyword
• Conditional formatting for bulk automatic checks

Check marks make your spreadsheets more visual and easier to comprehend. Try using them in your reports and dashboards.