Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Checkboxes in a Merged Document.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 21, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Saul has to do a merge where the merge document contains a series of checkboxes. He would like the checkboxes to have checkmarks in them based on a Y or N in the data source being merged.
This is relatively easy to do, if you know how to create the merge field that will do the checkboxes. For example, let's say that the field in the data source that will contain the Y or N designation is called "checkbox". You could create a merge field similar to the following:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
{ IF { MERGEFIELD checkbox }= "Y" "A" "B" }
Remember that the {braces} are field braces, created by pressing Ctrl+F9. To make the field do what you want, you need to replace the A and B characters with, respectively, a checked checkbox and an unchecked checkbox. There are a variety of these that you can use, all accessible by the Insert Symbol dialog box. Just insert the characters in place of A and B in the above, and you should get the desired characters when you perform the actual merge.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10899) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Checkboxes in a Merged Document.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
Word has a great mail merge capability. Inherent in this capability is the option to send your merged documents via ...
Discover MoreWhen you use mail merge to create a document that incorporates all your data source records, you end up with a large ...
Discover MoreWhen you merge data from Excel into a Word document, you may need to do some conditional processing based on the data you ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments