Option buttons are a common input control in forms. It allows the users to see all available options and ensure that only one option is selected. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to insert an option button in Excel.
Developer Tab and Option Button command
The command for adding option buttons can be found under the Developer tab, which is not active in Excel by default. This tab contains macro tools. along with other advanced controls, such as option buttons.
If the tab is missing in your Excel as well, follow the steps below.
- Open Excel Options under File.
- Select Customize Ribbon.
- Find and mark the checkbox for Developer in the list box on the right.
- Click the OK button to see the tab in the Ribbon.
Inserting an option button
Once the Developer tab is visible, you can find the Option Button command under the Insert button in the Controls section. When you click the Insert button, you will see the same controls under two sections:
- Form Controls
- ActiveX Controls
Clicking the Option Button button changes the cursor into a plus. Click anywhere to insert a default option button, or hold and drag the cursor to define the size of the option.
If you only need this control as a visual element, you can start to use your option button right away. On the other hand, you can bind your option buttons to a cell to retrieve the index value of the selected option.
Binding to a cell
- Right-click on your option button.
- Select Format Control.
- Activate Control tab.
- Enter or select a cell by using Cell link.
- Click OK to apply.
After binding, click on an option button to see the index of selected option button in the cell.
By default, Excel assumes all option buttons in a worksheet are related with each other. To gather option buttons into multiple groups, you need to combine them under Group Boxes. You can bind each option button in different groups to different cells. This is necessary for using multiple option buttons in the same worksheet.
The Group Box command can also be found under the Insert button.
Hold down the mouse button to create big enough group box to fit all option buttons.
Modifying and multiplying option buttons
Now, let's take a look at further configuration options for inserting an option button. First of all, you can change the default "Option Button 1", "Option Button 2", etc. names. You can change the label by right clicking the option button and selecting Edit Text.
You can use Excel's drag and drop feature for copying an option button multiple times. However, you need to fit the option button into a cell first.
- Use the circles around to adjust its size.
- Once the option button is in a cell, select the cell.
- Copy it down to by using tiny square at bottom right like a regular cell copying.
