Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Checkboxes in a Merged Document.

Checkboxes in a Merged Document

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 9, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


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 check boxes. 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:

{ IF { MERGEFIELD checkbox }= "Y" "A" "B" }

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 (511) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Checkboxes in a Merged Document.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Creating a Boilerplate Document

If you have several boilerplate documents you need to routinely use in Word, then you should learn how to use templates. ...

Discover More

Library Not Registered Error

There are lots of error messages that can pop up in Excel from time to time. One of the most confusing may be the ...

Discover More

Table Rows Truncated in Printout

If you have problems getting the printout of a table to look correct, it can be frustrating. This tip provides a few ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Grouping Records in a Mail Merge

Need to group records in some manner when they are used in a mail merge? It can be frustrating when your records are not ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Spaces in Merged Data

When you merge information with a Word document, you may not be completely satisfied with the appearance of some of the ...

Discover More

Merging with Two Data Sources

Setting up a Word mail merge to combine a data source with a merge document is easy. But what if you want to use two data ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 8 - 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.