However, not everyone is well-versed in spreadsheets and may find it tough to create a checklist in Excel. This post will discuss how to make a checklist in Excel, plus some pointers on integrating it with other spreadsheet features.
How to Create a Checklist in Excel
The first step in creating a checklist is coming up with a list of items or activity that needs to be confirmed. Here’s what you should do on the Excel spreadsheet:
How to Use Checkboxes in Excel
Here’s how to make a checkbox in Excel which you can tick to indicate that the entry is completed: Important tip: When formatting a checkbox on a cell, hold the Ctrl key and press left-click to modify or resize the shape of the checkbox instead of ticking it.
How to Link Cells in an Excel Checklist
- If you want to tally the boxes ticked, link the checkbox to another cell.
- Right-click a checkbox and select Format Control.
- Go to the Control tab. Head over to the Cell Link option, type the Cell name you want to link. You’ll notice that if you tick the checkbox, the linked cell will display TRUE. Unchecking it will produce FALSE.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 to the other cells in the column that must be linked.
- To get a summary of how many boxes were ticked, click a cell where you want the results displayed. Then, type =COUNTIF(C4:C10,TRUE). Replace C4:C10 with the beginning and ending cells of cell range.
- If you want to hide the column where the TRUE/FALSE values are displayed, click on the column (example: column C). Next, press right-click and select Hide at the bottom of the popup menu.
Modify Your Excel Checklist Using Conditional Formatting
Conditional formatting of your spreadsheet can help your data stand out and make it visually appealing.
- Select the cell you want to modify, then click the Home tab. Go to the right side of the toolbar and click Conditional Formatting.
- Select New Rule. It will show several rule types which you can use to edit the selected cell. For now, choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
- In the text box below, Edit the Rule Description type =$C4. Next, select Format and then select Fill. Go to Color and change the font color of the cell (example: Green). Select OK. Note: Don’t forget to modify the cell name. What we used here (C4) is just an example.
- Notice that when you tick the linked checkbox next to the cell, the text will turn green.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for the rest of the entries. Important Tip: Press Ctrl + Shift key and drag the cell to where you want to duplicate the checkbox to produce the same result of copy-pasting. This method will also keep the checkboxes aligned.
How to Make an Interactive Excel Checklist
If you want to track your progress on your recipe to-do checklist, integrate the checklist into a percent of tasks completion. Here’s how you do it:
What’s in Your Checklist?
Creating a checklist in Microsoft Excel can be fun and help you be excited about the activity or items you want to track. Whether you are making a grocery list or creating an inventory for your store, a checklist is one of the best ways to avoid missing any item. Next, create a dropdown list in Excel and make it easier to enter frequently used data in a spreadsheet.
