How to Add a Cross or Tick in Microsoft Word and Excel

If you’ve ever stared at your screen wondering how to insert a tick ✔ or a cross ✖ in Microsoft Word or Excel, you’re not alone. It sounds simple, yet it’s one of those tiny tasks that can quietly waste an embarrassing amount of time. Microsoft gives you several reliable ways to do it, and once you learn them, you’ll never have to search for them again.

Why Tick and Cross Symbols Matter

Tick and cross symbols do more than look neat. They help you create clear checklists, track task completion, highlight approvals or rejections, and improve overall readability in professional reports. In business documents, a simple ✔ can communicate status faster than a full sentence.

• Create clear checklists
• Track project milestones
• Highlight approvals or rejections
• Improve scannability in spreadsheets

Top Methods for Word & Excel

Method 1: The Symbol Menu

This is the most reliable method for both applications. Click Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Choose a font like Segoe UI Symbol or Wingdings to find the tick (✔) or cross (✖) and click Insert.

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcuts (Fast)

If you have Num Lock ON, use these Windows Alt Codes. Note: You may need to switch the font to Wingdings for these to appear correctly.

• ✔ Tick: Alt + 0252
• ✖ Cross: Alt + 0251

Conditional Formatting in Excel

This method shines when you want your symbols to respond automatically to data changes. For example, you can show a ✔ when a task is marked 100% and a ✖ when it isn’t.

1. Select your target cells.
2. Click Home → Conditional Formatting.
3. Choose Icon Sets.
4. Select the check and cross icons to automate your tracking.

Common Issues and Fixes

Symbols not displaying? Switch to a Unicode-friendly font like Segoe UI Symbol. Sharing issues? Avoid Wingdings for documents being opened on mobile or web browsers; use standard Unicode symbols instead to ensure they don’t break.

Polishing Your Work

Small details shape professional documents. Knowing how to insert tick and cross symbols in Microsoft Word and Excel saves time, improves clarity, and makes your work look polished. Once you master these shortcuts, you’ll wonder why it ever felt complicated.