Insert Tick Mark or Cross Mark in Excel

In this blog, we would learn multiple ways to insert a checkmark (tick mark) and cross mark symbol in excel.

However, before learning it, it is important to note that the checkmark should never be confused with a checkbox.

Check Mark: Checkmark is nothing but a symbol that you insert in an excel cell (similar to the way you insert any other text in excel).That means, like text, you can format the checkmark, or copy and paste it to other cells, etc.

Checkbox: A checkbox is an object that sits on the workbook. It is not specific to any cell in excel. It does not belong to any cell. So any change in the formatting of the cell below checkbox would not change the format of the checkbox.

Check Mark and Check Box

In this blog, we would learn only about checkmarks and cross marks.

There are multiple standard ways in which you achieve the same.

  1. Using Symbol Dialog Box
  2. Keyboard Shortcuts
  3. Using CHAR formula
  4. Using Copy and Paste the Check Mark

Let us now understand each of the above methods in detail.

Insert Tick and Cross Mark Symbol in Excel

Insert Tick and Cross Mark Using Symbol Dialog Box

There are thousands of different symbols that you can add in your excel cell, using excel “Symbol Dialog Box”.

This is a standard excel tool provided by Microsoft.

Follow the below procedure to insert checkmark/tick mark symbol using the standard “Symbol Dialog Box”.

Select the cell and under the ribbon options, click on the tab “Insert” as shown in the screenshot below: 

Insert Tab

Now under the “Symbols” group, click on the option “Symbol”.

Symbol Options

The “Symbol” dialog box will open as shown in the screenshot below :

Symbol Dialog Box

Now go to the “Symbols” tab, and select the font as “Segoe UI Symbol”.

Now, scroll down to search for the symbol (tick mark). Double click on the tick mark symbol or just click once and press the “Insert” button.

Refer to the screenshot below :

Selecting Font As Segoe UI Symbol

You can see that the checkmark (tick mark) symbol got inserted into the selected cell.

Result of Check Mark

If you want more than one check mark in that excel cell, again click on the “Insert” symbol. This would add more check marks in the same cell.

This method is a bit longer method as it requires multiple clicks and scrolls to find the tick mark symbol in the dialog box.

Let us now understand a shortcut method to simplify the same.

Insert Tick and Cross Mark Keyboard Shortcuts

In order to use a keyboard shortcut to add the tick mark or check mark symbol, you need to change the font of the cell where the check mark symbol is to be added.

There are two fonts : ‘Wingdings’ and ‘Wingdings 2’ which can be used for the same based on the shortcut that you are using to insert the symbol.

To use the below shortcuts you need to keep the font of the cell as ‘Wingdings’.

Keyboard Shortcut - Font Wingdings

To use the below shortcuts use the cell font as ‘Wingdings 2’.

Keyboard Shortcut - Font Wingdings 2

Using Formula Method [CHAR]

The CHAR formula would also help you to insert the checkmark symbol in a cell in Excel

Firstly enter the following formula in the cell to insert a checkmark (or tick mark) symbol :

=CHAR(252)

As soon as you enter the above formula, as a result, you would get a character like this ü.

Now change the font to ‘Wingdings’ so that the ü symbol converts into a tick mark symbol

You can see that the excel changed this ü symbol to a checkmark.

How does this work: The above formula gives the ANSII character (ü) and then based on the font settings, the ANSII character “ü” converts to the check mark.

Similarly to insert the cross mark symbol, you need to enter the following formula :

=CHAR(251)

CHAR Formula Insert Tick Mark

Using Copy and Paste Option

If you do not want to perform any of the above methods to insert the checkmark and cross mark symbol, then you can simply copy and paste the symbol from below :

✔ , X

Steps: Copy the symbols and then double click on the cell (or you can even press F2 on your keyboard) and paste it by pressing Ctrl + V on your keyboard.

This method does not require any change in cell font settings.

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