How to Insert a Symbol in Excel (Check Marks Included)

The Symbol button in Excel hides on the far right of the Insert tab, and the symbol you want is often in a font you'd never think to look in. Once you know where to go, adding a tick, an arrow or a degree sign takes a few seconds. The bigger decision is whether you want a symbol at all, or a real check box people can click.

How to insert a symbol in Excel

1. Click the cell where you want the symbol.
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. Click Symbols on the far right, then Symbol.
4. Choose a font and, if offered, a subset to narrow the list.
5. Click the symbol you want, then Insert.
6. Click Close.

Symbols you've used recently appear in a row at the bottom of the dialog, so the second time is even quicker.

How to insert a check mark in Excel

1. Click the cell and open Insert, Symbols, Symbol.
2. Change the Font to Wingdings.
3. In the Character code box at the bottom, type 252 for a plain check mark, or 254 for a check mark in a box.
4. Click Insert, then Close.

The Segoe UI Symbol font has more styles of check mark if you want a different look.

The catch: the cell's font decides what shows

A Wingdings check mark only looks like a check mark while the cell is set to Wingdings. Copy it into a cell with a normal font, paste it into an email, or change the cell's font, and it turns into a letter, often a lowercase u or u with an accent. If your ticks suddenly become letters, the font has changed. Format the whole column as Wingdings, or use a symbol from a standard font like Segoe UI Symbol, which travels better.

Symbol or check box?

	Symbol	Check box
What you get	A character typed into the cell	A box people click to tick or untick
Clickable	No	Yes
Works in formulas	Only by matching the character	Yes, it gives TRUE or FALSE
Best for	Printed lists, labels, reports	To-do lists and trackers

If you're building a task list, a check box is usually the better choice, because you can count the ticked items with a formula. If you just want a tick to show on a printed report, a symbol is simpler.

Set up a shortcut with AutoCorrect

1. Insert the symbol once in a cell, then copy it from the formula bar.
2. Go to File, Options, Proofing, then AutoCorrect Options.
3. In Replace, type a short code you'd never type by accident, like /tick.
4. In With, paste the symbol.
5. Click Add, then OK.

Now typing /tick and pressing Enter swaps in your symbol. AutoCorrect settings are shared with other Office apps, so the shortcut often works in Word too.

Useful symbols for spreadsheets

• Arrows to show whether a number went up or down.
• Check marks and crosses for done and not done.
• Degree sign for temperatures.
• Bullets for lists inside a cell.
• Stars for ratings.

For arrows that change on their own as numbers rise or fall, use icon sets in Conditional Formatting rather than typing symbols. They update automatically, which typed symbols never do.

Typing symbols with Alt codes

On a Windows keyboard with a number pad, you can type many symbols without opening the dialog: hold Alt and type a code on the number pad, then let go. It's quick once you know a code, but it doesn't work with the number keys along the top of the keyboard, and many laptops don't have a number pad at all. For most people the Symbol dialog plus an AutoCorrect shortcut is the more reliable route.

Symbols on a Mac and in Excel on the web

On a Mac, the Symbol button sits in the same place on the Insert tab, and you can also open the Mac's own Character Viewer with Control, Command and Space to add emoji and symbols to a cell. In Excel on the web, Insert has a Symbol option with a smaller set of common characters. If you need something it doesn't have, copy the symbol from the desktop app or another document and paste it in.

Keeping symbols readable for everyone

Screen readers read symbols in different ways, and some read decorative ones out as odd words or skip them. If a tick or arrow carries meaning, such as done or not done, put a short word in a nearby column too. It also helps anyone who prints the sheet in black and white, where coloured symbols can look the same.

If you're building trackers in Excel, my guide to tracking social media results without an analytics tool suggests what to put in them.

My verdict

Insert, Symbols, Symbol is all you need for a one-off: for a check mark, choose Wingdings and type 252. Remember that Wingdings ticks only stay ticks in a Wingdings cell, so format the column to match or choose a standard font. For anything you'll tick off repeatedly, use a real check box, and for symbols you type often, set up an AutoCorrect shortcut. For more ways to present spreadsheet data, see dashboards for marketers.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Symbol button in Excel?

On the Insert tab, under Symbols on the far right of the ribbon.

What's the code for a check mark in Excel?

In the Wingdings font, character code 252 gives a check mark and 254 a boxed one.

Why did my check mark turn into a letter?

The cell is no longer in the Wingdings font. Change it back, or use a symbol from a standard font.

How do I add a clickable check box in Excel?

Use Excel's check box feature rather than a symbol.

Can I make a keyboard shortcut for a symbol in Excel?

Yes. Set up an AutoCorrect entry that replaces a short code with the symbol.

How do I insert a symbol in Excel on a Mac?

Use the Symbol button on the Insert tab, or the Mac Character Viewer.