How To Insert Checkbox in Google Docs With or Without Strikethrough

Learning how to insert a checkbox in Google Docs is one of the most useful formatting skills you can have — whether you’re building a to-do list, a project checklist, or a form inside a document.

Whether you’re a student tracking assignments, a project manager organizing tasks, or simply making a grocery list, checkboxes make it easy to visually track progress. The good news is that Google Docs has multiple built-in ways to add a checkbox — and they’re incredibly easy to use once you know where to look.

In this guide, you’ll learn every method to insert checkboxes in Google Docs — clickable checklists, checkbox symbols, the without strikethrough option, keyboard shortcuts, mobile steps, and more.

Types of Checkboxes in Google Docs

Before jumping in, it helps to know there are two kinds of checkboxes you can add:

1. Interactive Checkboxes — These are clickable. You can check and uncheck them directly in the document without entering edit mode. Best for to-do lists and task trackers.

2. Visual/Static Checkboxes — These look like checkboxes but aren’t clickable. They’re symbols inserted as text. Best for printable checklists, forms, or documents you’ll share as PDFs.

Depending on your goal, one method will work better than the others. Here’s a breakdown of all six.

1: Insert Checkbox in Google Docs Using the Checklist Feature (Easiest)

The fastest and most popular way to insert checkbox in Google Docs is by using the built-in Checklist tool. This creates interactive, clickable checkboxes directly in your document.

1. Open Google Docs – Go to docs.google.com and open your document or create a new one.
2. Click Where You Want the Checkbox – Place your cursor on the line where you want the checklist to begin.
3. Click the Checklist Icon – In the top toolbar, click the Checklist button (a small square with a checkmark). If you don’t see it, go to Format → Bullets & numbering → Checklist menu.
4. Type Your First Task – Start typing your first list item right after the checkbox appears.
5. Press Enter for the Next Checkbox – Hit Enter after each item and a new checkbox will automatically appear on the next line.
6. Press Enter Twice to Exit – When you’re done adding items, press Enter twice to return to normal text.

The selected text will now be preceded by a clickable checkbox. Click any checkbox to add a checkmark and strike through the accompanying text automatically.

Pro Tip: To add a sub-task under a checkbox, press Tab to indent it one level. Press Shift + Tab to move it back out.

2: How to Check a Box in Google Docs Without Strikethrough

By default, when you click a checkbox in Google Docs, it adds a checkmark and strikes through the text. Many users prefer to keep the text readable after checking — here’s how to get a Google Docs checkbox without strikethrough.

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Type the items you want to turn into a checklist.
3. Click Format in the menu bar → hover over Bullets & numbering → click Checklist menu.
4. Select the hollow square option without a line (the second checkbox style in the list). This is the no-strikethrough version.

This inserts a Google Docs checklist without strikethrough — perfect when you want to mark things done without crossing out the text.

3: Keyboard Shortcut to Add a Checkbox in Google Docs

The fastest way to put a checkbox in Google Docs is with a keyboard shortcut — no menus needed.

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Type your list items, then select and highlight them all.
3. Press the Google Docs checkbox shortcut:
   • Windows / Chromebook: Ctrl + Shift + 9
   • Mac: Cmd + Shift + 9
4. Checkboxes will instantly appear in front of all selected items.

This is the quickest way to convert an existing list into a checklist in seconds. If the shortcut isn’t working, check that no browser extension is overriding it — especially on Chrome.

4: Insert a Checkbox Symbol in Google Docs Using Special Characters

Want to insert a standalone checkbox symbol — not a checklist — anywhere in your document? Use the Special Characters tool. This inserts a static Google Docs checkbox symbol as a text character, which is great for printable forms or mid-sentence use.

1. Click in your document where you want to place the checkbox.
2. Go to Insert → Special characters.
3. In the search box, type “checkbox” or “ballot box”.
4. Choose from the available symbols:

5. Click the symbol to insert it at your cursor.
6. Copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) it wherever else you need it.

Draw Checkbox

How your checkbox looks like

This method is ideal when you need a tick mark in Google Docs or a check mark symbol in Google Docs without the checklist formatting.

5: Use a Table as a Checkbox (Best for Printable Forms)

For a clean, professional printable form — like an inspection sheet, survey, or intake form — a two-column table works brilliantly as a checkbox layout.

1. Click Insert → Table and choose a 2-column table with as many rows as you need.
2. In the first (narrow) column, insert a checkbox symbol (☐) using the Special Characters method above.
3. In the second (wider) column, type your list item description.
4. Optional: Right-click the table → Table properties → set border width to 0pt to make it look like a clean form with no visible grid lines.
5. Adjust column widths by dragging the border — make the checkbox column narrow and the text column wide.

This gives you a professional, printable checklist that looks great on paper or as a PDF — without any clickable behavior getting in the way.

6: Insert Checkbox in Google Docs Mobile App (iPhone & Android)

The process is slightly different on the Google Docs mobile app. Here’s how to put a checkbox in Google Docs on iPhone or Android:

1. Open the Google Docs app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap the pencil icon to enter Edit mode.
3. Tap where you want to add checkboxes.
4. Tap the Format icon (the letter “A” with lines) in the top toolbar.
5. Tap Paragraph → select Checklist.
6. Type your first task, then tap Return to add more checkboxes.

Note: The Special Characters menu is not available on the mobile app. If you need a static checkbox symbol on mobile, copy one from here — ☐ ☑ ✅ — and paste it directly into your document.

How to Check (Tick) a Box in Google Docs

Once you’ve added checkboxes using the Checklist tool, here’s how to check a box in Google Docs:

• In View mode: Simply click the checkbox. It will tick and either show a strikethrough or not — depending on which checklist style you chose.
• In Edit mode: Clicking places your cursor inside the list item instead of checking it. Switch to View → View mode (or share as view-only) to check boxes by clicking.

Click a checked box again to uncheck it and remove the tick.

How to Customize and Format Your Checkboxes

Make Checkboxes Bigger

Highlight the checklist text and increase the font size in the toolbar. The checkbox icon scales along with the text size automatically.

Change Checkbox Color

Select the checklist text and use the Text color button in the toolbar to change the color of both the text and the checkbox.

Add Sub-Tasks (Nested Checkboxes)

Press Tab on a checklist line to indent it and create a nested sub-task. Press Shift + Tab to un-indent it back to the parent level.

Assign a Checklist Item to Someone

In Google Workspace (business or education accounts), you can assign checklist items to team members. Right-click a checklist item → select Assign to → choose a person. The task will appear in their Google Tasks and trigger an email notification.

Remove Checkbox Formatting

Select all checklist items → go to Format → Bullets & numbering → None, or click the Checklist icon in the toolbar to toggle it off. Your text remains but the checkboxes are removed.

How to Insert a Check Mark or Tick in Google Docs

Looking for just a tick mark in Google Docs or a check mark symbol — not a checkbox? Here are your options:

• Special Characters: Go to Insert → Special characters → search “check mark” → insert ✓ or ✔.
• Emoji keyboard: Press Windows + . (Windows) or Ctrl + Cmd + Space (Mac) to open the emoji picker and search “check.”
• Copy and paste: Copy directly from here → ✓ ✔ ✅ — and paste into your document.
• AutoCorrect: Go to Tools → Preferences → Substitutions and set a shortcut like (tick) to auto-replace with ✓.

How to Add a Checkbox in Google Sheets

If you’re working in Google Sheets instead of Google Docs, adding checkboxes is even easier:

1. Select the cell or cells where you want checkboxes.
2. Go to Insert → Checkbox.
3. A fully interactive checkbox appears in each selected cell.
4. Click any checkbox to toggle it between TRUE (checked) and FALSE (unchecked) — which you can use in formulas.

Google Sheets checkboxes are more powerful than Google Docs ones because they integrate with formulas, conditional formatting, and data validation.

FAQ on Google Docs Checkbox

Final Thoughts

Now you know every way to insert checkbox in Google Docs — whether you need a clickable checklist, a no-strikethrough version, a static checkbox symbol, a printable table form, or just a quick tick mark.

Here’s a quick recap of which method to use:

Try the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + 9 right now — it’s the fastest way to get started!

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