Word has a neat feature that lets you create interactive forms using the Developer tab. This gives you access to things like text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdown menus that you can use to make fillable documents.
Enable the Developer tab in Word
First, you’ll need to get the Developer tab showing up in Word.
- Start by opening Microsoft Word on your computer and click on the File option in the ribbon at the top.
- From the menu that appears, scroll down and select Options. It’s usually located at the bottom of the left sidebar.
- This will open the Word Options dialog box. In the list on the left, click on Customize Ribbon.
- On the right side, in the Customize the Ribbon section, find Developer in the list of main tabs. Check the box next to it and click OK. This adds the Developer tab to the ribbon.
Now you’ll see the Developer tab in the main menu, with all its form controls.
How to build a fillable form in Word
Now that you have the Developer tab, you can create a fillable form. For this example, we’ll include:
- A text box for a name.
- A date picker for date of birth.
- Checkboxes for gender.
- A dropdown menu for qualification.
Inserting a text box
- Put the cursor where you want the text box to appear - right next to the Name label, and go to the Developer tab.
- In the Controls group, click on the Plain Text Content Control icon. It looks like a document with the letters “Aa” and it is placed next to bolded “Aa” icon.
A text box is now in your form so users can type their names.
Inserting a date picker
- Place your cursor next to Date of Birth. In the Developer tab, under Controls, click the Date Picker Content Control icon which looks like a calendar.
A date picker field will be inserted that lets users pick a date from a calendar.
Inserting checkboxes
- To add checkboxes for Gender, put your cursor next to the label. From the Developer tab, click the Check Box Content Control icon.
- Click outside the checkbox to place your cursor. Then, add two more checkboxes using the same steps. You should have three in total.
- Now type Male, Female, and Rather Not Say next to each checkbox. Align them to match the checkboxes.
Inserting a dropdown menu
- For the Qualification field, place your cursor next to it and click on the Drop-Down List Content Control icon in the Developer tab. It’s next to the calendar icon.
The dropdown list is now placed next to the Qualification label.
- To add items to the dropdown, select it by clicking on it, then select Properties in the Developer tab.
- In the Content Control Properties dialog box, find the Drop-Down List Properties section and click on the Add button.
- In the Add Choice dialog box, write Post-Graduate in the Display Name field, the Value will auto-fill. Click OK.
- Add other options like Graduate and High School. When done adding options, click OK in the Content Control Properties dialog.
The dropdown menu for Qualification should now show all the options you just added.
Finalizing the form
The form is currently in design mode, which lets you edit controls. To see what it looks like to a user, you need to disable design mode.
- In the Developer tab, click the Design Mode button to toggle it off.
Now that design mode is off, your fillable form is ready for use. Users can now fill in the fields you created.
Creating fillable forms in Word makes it easier to collect data and adds interactivity to your docs.