Do you know that you can create fillable forms in Microsoft Word? There are features that let you create a fillable interactive form in Word. All you have to do is enable ‘Developer’ tab and use the superb features it provides.

Developer tab is similar to File, Home, or layout tabs in the ribbon or main menu. It is not visible in the main menu by default. You have to enable it from the settings. After enabling or adding ‘Developer’ tab to the ribbon, you can create fillable forms.

Add Developer Tab to Microsoft Word

Open Microsoft Word on your PC and click on the ‘File’ tab in the ribbon.

The ‘File’ menu will appear. Click on ‘Option’ at the bottom of the ‘File’ menu.

You will now see a ‘Word Options’ window. Click on ‘Customize Ribbon’ under the ‘Advanced’ section.

Customize Ribbon option will present a lot of options to customize the main menu and keyboard shortcuts. Scroll down in the right-side panel under ‘Customize Ribbon’ and check the box beside ‘Developer’ in the list. Then click on ‘OK’ to add.

You will now find Developer tab in the main menu or ribbon.

How to Create a Fillable Form in Word

Now that you have added the ‘Developer’ tab, use it to create a fillable for in Microsoft Word.

For example, let’s create a small fillable form with the following details:

  • The Name will require a ‘Text Box’
  • Date of Birth will require a ‘Date Picker’
  • Gender will require ‘Checkboxes’
  • The Qualification will require a ‘Drop-down button’

Inserting a Text Box in Form

Now, to insert a text box for Name, place the text cursor beside it and click on the ‘Developer’ tab in the menu.

In the options of ‘Developer’ tab, click on the ‘Plain Text Content Control’ icon in the ‘Controls’ section. The icon has ‘Aa’ mentioned but is not the boldened one, rather the one next to it.

It will insert a textbox beside ‘Name’ where the relevant response can be entered in the form.

Inserting a Date Picker in Form

You have to insert a ‘Date Picker’ for ‘Date of Birth’. Place the text cursor where you want to add the option, and then click on the ‘Date Picker Content Control’ icon in the ‘Controls’ section in the ‘Developer’ tab.

You will now see a ‘Date Picker’ field beside ‘Date of Birth’.

Inserting A Checkbox in Form

For Gender, we can use checkboxes as well as radio buttons. To insert checkboxes, place the cursor beside ‘Gender’ and click on the ‘Checkbox Icon’ in the Developer tab.

We need three checkboxes. After clicking on the ‘Checkbox Icon’ click anywhere in the document and then place cursor beside the checkbox. Now, click again on the ‘Checkbox Icon’ to add the second checkbox. Again click anywhere in the document, place cursor beside the two checkboxes and click on ‘Checkbox Icon’ to add the third.

Now, we have to enter ‘Male’, ‘Female’, and ‘Rather Not Say’ text beside checkboxes. To do that, click between the checkboxes and enter the values.

After entering the values beside checkboxes, organise them accordingly.

Inserting a Drop-Down Menu

For qualification, we need to create a drop-down menu with values like Post-graduate, graduate, High-school. Place the cursor beside qualification and click on the ‘Drop-Down List Content Control’ icon beside the Calendar icon.

A drop-down list will appear beside ‘Qualification’.

We have to add values to the drop-down menu. To do that, select the drop-down menu by clicking on it and then click on ‘Properties’ in the ‘Developer’ tab.

A ‘Content Control Properties’ dialog box will appear. Click on ‘Add’ button in the dialog box.

It will open an ‘Add Choice’ dialog box. Enter ‘Post-Graduate’ in the ‘Display Name’ text box. It will automatically appear in the ‘Value’ text box as well. Once you are done entering the option for the drop-down menu, click on ‘OK’.

Similarly, add other options to the drop-down menu as well. After entering the other two values, click on ‘OK’.

The drop-down menu for qualification will now be ready for use.

What we see now is something like a backend version of a fillable form since the ‘Design Mode’ is enabled. To see it as a real fillable form and use it to fill in the details disable the design mode by clicking on the ‘Design Mode’ icon.

After we disable ‘Design Mode’, we can see the fillable form we have created.

This is how you can create a fillable form in Microsoft Word. There are a lot of other options available to make your fillable form as you like. At first, it may be confusing. With regular usage, you will get used to it.