Applies To
Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac Excel 2024 Excel 2024 for Mac Excel 2021 for Mac

You can create a form in Excel by adding content controls, such as buttons, check boxes, list boxes, and combo boxes to a workbook. Other people can use Excel to fill out the form and then print it if they choose to.

Step 1: Show the Developer tab

  1. On the Excel menu, select Preferences.

  2. Under Authoring, select View.

  3. Under In Ribbon, Show, select Developer tab.

Step 2: Add and format content controls

  1. On the Developer tab, select the control that you want to add.

  2. In the worksheet, select where you want to insert the control.

  3. To set specific properties for the control, hold down CONTROL and select the control, and then select Format Control.

  4. In the Format Control box, set the properties that you want, such as font, alignment, and color.

  5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for each control that you want to add.

Step 3: Protect the sheet that contains the form

  1. On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then select Protect Sheet.

  2. Select the protection options that you want.

  3. Save and close the workbook.

    Tip: To continue editing after you have protected the form, on the Tools menu, point to Protect Sheet, and then select​​​​​​​ Unprotect Sheet.

Step 4: Test the form (optional)

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

  1. Protect the form as described in step 3.

  2. Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

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