After looking at the search data on my site, the one phrase in the top 10 that kept coming up was "checklist". So, by popular demand, we've created a few different printable checklists along with some checklist templates that you can edit in Excel, Word and Google Sheets.

Update 11/20/23: Good News! Excel is finally adding an in-cell checkbox feature like Google Sheets. This will make to do lists and checklists SO much better and easier.

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Check List Templates


House Cleaning Checklist
House Cleaning Checklist Template

Excel, GS, Word, PDF
Prepare for a visit, spring-clean, or create a cleaning schedule.
A room-by-room checklist for seasonal cleaning.
Packing Checklist
Packing Checklist Template

Excel, GS, Word, PDF
Be prepared for your vacation, business travel, or college.
Camping Checklist
Camping Checklist Template

Excel, GS, PDF
Download a general checklist for your camping trip.
Use this backpacking list to help you remember the essentials. Includes packing tips.
Moving Checklist
Moving Checklist Template

Excel, PDF, ODS, GD
Things to do to get ready and things to do after you've moved.
Baby Items Checklist
Baby Items Checklist Template

Excel, Word, PDF, ODS
A comprehensive list of baby supplies including general care, clothing, diapers, feeding, sleeping, etc.
Grocery List
Grocery List Template

Excel, PDF, ODS
Print a simple blank grocery list or a categorized grocery list.
This annual calendar was designed to be used as a New Year's Resolution Checklist.
Wedding Checklist
Wedding Checklist Template

Excel, GS, PDF, ODS
Stuff to consider when planning a wedding.
Uses fun Excel features like conditional formatting to cross out items when completed.
Grocery List with Meals
Grocery List with Meals

Excel, PDF, GS
List your weekly meals and create a categorized grocery list using this simple template for Excel.
A general-purpose task list for assignments, projects, or whatever.
Grocery Checklist - Print and Fold
Grocery List - Print and Fold

Excel, PDF, GS
Print four separate grocery lists on a single page then fold in half twice to make a list that fits in your pocket.
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To Do and Task Lists


To Do List
To Do List Template

Excel, GS
Great for creating to do lists for projects.
A printable to do list for highlighting primary and secondary tasks.
A very simple 2-column or 3-column to do list for Excel or PDF.
Homework To Do List
Homework To Do List

Excel, GS, PDF
A to do list spreadsheet designed for tracking homework assignments.
Print a to do list for checking off your most important tasks on specific days of the week.
Print separate to do lists for different family members or task categories on one page.
A simple general-purpose Excel task list for simple projects.
A simple task list that demonstrates the use of custom icon sets to display priorities.
Download templates for tracking and ranking action items.
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Other List Templates


Make a list of people to invite to your wedding dinner and reception. Track RSVPs and estimate costs.
SMART Goal Worksheet
SMART Goal Worksheet

Excel, GS, PDF
Create a SMART goal and check off the steps as you complete them.
Contact List
Contact List Template

Excel, GS, ODS
Create a list for gifts, Christmas cards, service company contacts, etc.
Medication List
Medication List Template

Excel, Word, GS
Create and print a list of medications, pills, vitamins, and supplements.
Add a Customer List worksheet to your invoice, work order, or other worksheet. Includes instructions for how to set up a drop-down list and create lookup formulas.
Keep track of your online usernames and passwords with a printable password list. Remember to store your list in a secure location.
Password Log
Password Log

Excel, PDF
Maintain a sortable list of online usernames and passwords using Excel. Remember to store your data securely. Not recommended for websites that store financial or other sensitive data.
Track grocery prices so that you can know when to buy items on sale. Edit and use on the go via mobile Excel.
Feature Comparison Template
Feature Comparison Template

Excel
This template includes many different techniques for creating a feature comparison table with ratings and check marks.
Pros and Cons List
Pros and Cons List

Excel, GS
Create a pros and cons list when you need help making an important decision.
Phone List Template
Phone List Template

Excel
Learn how to create a sortable 2-column phone directory in Excel.
Home Inspection Checklist
Home Inspection Checklist

Excel, Word, PDF, GS
A room-by-room inspection checklist for home buyers and sellers. For personal use, not for official certified inspections.
Eisenhower Matrix
Eisenhower Matrix Template

Excel, GS
An Eisenhower Matrix helps you prioritize your tasks.

Creating Checklists in Excel

The main question people have when creating a checklist in Excel is what method to use to create the check box. I've listed the most common methods below, along with an explanation of the uses and pros/cons.

  • Cell Borders - This is perhaps that simplest and fastest way to create a checklist from scratch. Just size the column containing the check boxes so that they appear square. It is easy to customize by copying and pasting items, inserting new items, etc. I use this approach in the wedding and camping checklists.
  • Special Unicode Characters in Data Validation Lists: ☐, ☑, ✓, ✔ - This may be my favorite approach. You can include special characters like this in a Data Validation drop-down list. This isn't quite as good as clicking once to fill in a checkbox, but it is great for the mobile Excel apps. The only hard part is remembering how to insert a check mark symbol in Excel. For more information, see my article Using Unicode Character Symbols in Excel.
  • Parentheses (  ) or Brackets [  ] - This is a very common simple approach for including a checkbox within a text-based file. You'll see this approach used a lot in legal documents and other types of forms. If that's the look you're going for with your checklist, then by all means, go for it.
  • Autoshapes (Drawing Objects) - I don't recommend this approach unless you are going for something fancy, like using fluffy clouds in your check list. Moving a bunch of autoshapes around in the spreadsheet can get messy and annoying.
  • Checkbox Form Object - Use the checkbox form field only if you are wanting to add interactivity to your checklist. The checkbox form field, found in the Forms toolbar, can link to a cell in the spreadsheet without requiring any Visual Basic programming. The linked cell will be a boolean value TRUE or FALSE. Like the drawing objects, working with a large number of checkboxes can get messy.

Creating a Checklist in Google Sheets

Google Sheets beat Microsoft to the punch and introduced a Checkbox as one of the Data Validation options. You can go to Insert > Checkbox to quickly create one, and you can customize it by going to Data > Data Validation. I've updated most of the Google Sheets versions of my checklists to use that feature. I hope Excel gets smart and introduces a similar feature some day.


Sharing Our Checklists

Our checklists and checklist templates are licensed for personal use only. However, to avoid a bunch of emails, I will also say that I am okay with you doing almost anything with these checklists except posting the checklist (or anything you have created using the checklist template) on the internet or selling it. That includes permission to print and distribute as many paper copies of your checklist as you need. Don't remove the copyright or hyperlinks that I've included in the spreadsheet, though.

Thank you.

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