How to Insert a Checkbox in Google Sheets

To insert a checkbox in Google Sheets, select the cells where you want checkboxes, then click Insert > Checkbox. Each selected cell gets an empty box you can click to check or uncheck. A checked box has the value TRUE and an unchecked box is FALSE, so you can count them, use them in formulas, or trigger conditional formatting.

Below are the steps on a computer and phone, plus how to use custom values, count checked boxes, cross out completed tasks, and remove checkboxes.

How to insert checkboxes in Google Sheets

1. Open your spreadsheet at sheets.google.com.
2. Select the cell or range of cells where you want checkboxes. To fill a whole column, click the column letter.
3. Click Insert in the menu bar.
4. Click Checkbox.

To add checkboxes to more rows later, copy a checkbox cell and paste it, or drag the small blue square in the corner of the cell down the column.

Check boxes with the keyboard

Select one or more checkbox cells and press the Spacebar to check or uncheck them all at once.

How to use custom checkbox values

By default, checkboxes return TRUE and FALSE. You can change that to values like “Yes” and “No.”

1. Select the checkbox cells.
2. Click Data > Data validation.
3. Click the rule for those cells, or Add rule.
4. Under Criteria, choose Checkbox.
5. Check Use custom cell values, then enter a Checked value and an Unchecked value.
6. Click Done.

How to count checked boxes

Use COUNTIF. If your checkboxes are in cells B2 to B20:

• Checked: =COUNTIF(B2:B20, TRUE)
• Unchecked: =COUNTIF(B2:B20, FALSE)
• Percent complete: =COUNTIF(B2:B20, TRUE)/COUNTA(A2:A20), then format the cell as a percent.

If you set custom values, count those instead, like =COUNTIF(B2:B20, "Yes").

How to cross out a row when a box is checked

1. Select the rows you want to format, for example A2:C20.
2. Click Format > Conditional formatting.
3. Under Format cells if, choose Custom formula is.
4. Enter =$B2=TRUE, using the column that holds your checkboxes.
5. Under Formatting style, click the strikethrough button and pick a gray text or fill color.
6. Click Done.

The dollar sign keeps the formula pointed at the checkbox column while it checks each row.

How to add checkboxes on a phone or tablet

• Android: In the Google Sheets app, select the cells, tap the three-dot More menu, and tap Data validation. Under Criteria, choose Checkbox and tap Save.
• iPhone and iPad: You can check and uncheck existing boxes in the app. Adding new checkboxes is easiest on a computer.

How to remove checkboxes

1. Select the checkbox cells.
2. Press Delete or Backspace.
3. If boxes remain, click Data > Data validation, click the checkbox rule, and click the trash icon to remove it.

To uncheck every box without removing them, select the cells and press the Spacebar until they’re all unchecked.

Related: How to uncheck all boxes in Google Sheets.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my checkbox show TRUE instead of a box?

The cell may have been formatted as text or the checkbox rule was removed. Select the cell and choose Insert > Checkbox again.

Can I make a checkbox check automatically?

A checkbox cell can hold a formula that returns TRUE or FALSE, like =C2>=100. The box then checks itself, but you can’t click it without replacing the formula.

Can I change the checkbox color?

Yes. Select the checkbox cells and change the Text color in the toolbar. The box uses that color.

Do checkboxes work in Google Sheets on Excel files?

If you open an Excel file in Google Sheets, you can add checkboxes, but they may not appear as checkboxes in older versions of Excel. They’ll show as TRUE and FALSE instead.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.