[Instructions] Google Docs: Create checkboxes in the text

Today I had to share a document with which I was supposed to work on a project for a customer. I was with Dropbox Paper once, but the customer wanted us to use Google Drive or Google Docs.

I am not that familiar with this cooperation tool and had the first problem with creating a checklist that I wanted to use to create a to-do list.

If you want to create checklists in Google Docs, you can help yourself with a click of a button or a keyboard shortcut.

Solution: Keyboard shortcut CMD + SHIFT + 9 or Button

After a short googling, I came across two - surprisingly simple - solutions. For both solutions, move the cursor to the line in which the first text with the checkbox should appear. And now it goes on:

Keyboard shortcuts CMD + SHIFT + 9

To convert a line with a keyboard shortcut into a checkbox, press the buttons CMD+SHIFT+9.

Checkbox list button

The second way, which I can remember much better, is via a button in the toolbar that I steadfastly overlooked for a quarter of an hour. If you click on this, the current line is converted into a checkbox line.

With a click on the right button you can also insert checkboxes.

More tips:

• Google Docs Guide and Google Drive Guide
• (Updated) Alternatives to Etherpad and TitanPad: Apple Pages, Google Docs, Dropbox Paper and Co
• YouTube Shortcuts: practical keyboard shortcuts for the YT player
• Add multiple new rows or columns to Apple Numbers

Check off the to-do list and checkboxes in Google Docs

By the way, you can easily tick these boxes with the mouse pointer. This line will then be dark gray and crossed out so that you can see that this point has already been dealt with.

The indent function can also be used to create to-do lists with several levels.

Update 23.06.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX: Nested checklists

A reader asked me how to include different levels in the checklists. It's pretty easy and works with indentations. To indent a line one level further, press the tabulator key in the corresponding line. To get it back to the higher level, you have to find the button (on the Mac) to indent to the left.

With these buttons you can find the indent function in Google Docs.

The manual for the Google Tools

Anyone who travels a lot in Google Services may want to increase their productivity. This is very easy to do with the small manual "Work efficiently with Google Tools" from John Hegele.

You can get it as a Kindle edition for just 4 euros and even advanced users should get to know one or the other trick in this book that can make life easier for yourself.

Work efficiently with Google Tools: Increase productivity and improve communication with Gmail, ...

• Hegele, Jochen (Author)

3,99 EUR

Buy it at Amazon Price includes VAT, plus shipping costs (updated: 16.07.2022 at 06: 06 clock)

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.

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