Populate Word with Checkbox

[Anonymous]

Hello there,

I'm trying to fill a Word template with answers given in a Forms survey.

For text input everything works fine. Flow and Forms are doing what they should but in my template i have 3 checkboxes that arn't displayed in Flow.

I use the checkboxes that were added by activating the dev ribbon and gave every checkbox a name to make them distinguishable.

 (Word Screenshot of the checkbox)

Can someone tell me how to get those boxes activated by flow?

Thanks in advance!

[yashag2255 · Accepted solution]

Hey @Anonymous 

Currently this is not supported in flow. You can take a look at the current supported and current limitations in features here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/wordonlinebusiness/#createfileitem

Hope this Helps!

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[v-bacao-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

As @yashag2255 mentioned, Word Online connector does not support the checkbox currently. If you want similar functionality to be supported by MS Flow, please consider voting for a similar idea:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Ideas/Populate-a-Word-Template-action-should-support-checkox-controls/idi-p/350539

Best Regards,

[jdoss]

You can achieve this by using a plain text control and in the flow use the values of the check box control and paste them into the flow as a variable. See below for the flow and the template after running.

[rbunge]

Hello @jdoss - this is a very clever solution and it works a treat! Exactly what I needed so as to avoid having to edit the template, which client really wasn't thrilled about.

Thanks very much!

[UrklnmeMS]

could Anyone elaborate on how one might get the checkbox image in the value for each variable?

cut and paste, ascii char represetation, ?

Thanks, and no thanks to MS for another thing they missed or ignored that would be of great service to MANY MANY people.

[jdoss]

You can get the checkbox image by creating a checkbox in word and copying it and then do so again with the checked version. I'll add them here also and maybe that will help. You should be able to just copy them here if they display correctly.

☐ - unchecked

☒ - checked

☐ - small

☒ - small

☐ - large

☒ - large

☐ - larger

☒ - larger

[jdoss]

I've added a comment in the main thread of how to get the text content for the checkbox control.

[UrklnmeMS]

Thank you very much OP and jdoss.  I was able to make this work.  

I guess I couldnt imagine pasting an image into a string variable.   Sure works though!!

I initialized one variable (CBUnchecked) of string type with the unchecked image and another variable (checked) with the checked image.

then I used a condition to determine true or false and used Set Variable to put the appropriate variable into a third variable (AgreeCB) that represents my checkbox on the form.

finally, AgreeCB variable is used as the value for a field on the form

Thanks again jdoss!  

[emilyh]

Hi @jdoss ,

I need a checked symbol like this . I tried several times but can't copy it to Power Automate. Do you know how to copy this symbol? Thanks.

[jdoss]

Sorry for the late reply on this, I wasn't notified. The closest I can find using the desktop word app is this:

√

Which you should be able to copy and paste from here.

I'm pretty sure it's the square root symbol but you could use it as the checked value and it should work as it is a native symbol. 

How I got this was using/adding a checkbox control in Word Desktop app, go to the checkbox properties, and change the symbol of the checked value. There are many symbols there that should all work. 

[emilyh]

Thanks @jdoss for your reply! I ended up copying a checkmark symbol from Internet as a string, and added a plain text control in Word, and it works for me.

[lolla70]

Hi

I followed your instruction and created the flow and it is giving me error. What I am planning to do is that I have Share list column with Yes/No field. Then I created Word document with the Item and added the checkbox from Development. In the flow I initial 3 variable Strings.. One for Checked one for Uncheck and the third variable is ALL with value of Checked.

Then I created Condition for when an item created in Sharepoint if Yes I set variable "ALL", then Get file content from sharePoint, Create File, and then Update file content and my flow fail to update the file properties. Any idea? 

[jdoss]

Hi @lolla70 ,

When you make the word document, you can't use the checkbox element, instead you use a text element. And for the value you can copy and paste the what the checkbox shows as stated above. You can copy directly out of the message from 12-06-2021 and paste that into the flow when setting the variable. So if the column = Yes/true then you would populate the text element with the checked symbol, otherwise populate it with the unchecked. If you need more info I would probably have to see your flow and the error it is giving.

[lolla70]

I did the same. 

[rj0435]

Ok, I attempted this and thought I had it but I'm close. Can you take a look and give me your thoughts on why the EmailOnly is still passing through as "checked".   

[jdoss]

In your second condition, you set EmailOnlyAll back to checked after setting it to unchecked and I think you want to be setting EmailOfficeAll in that one.

[rj0435]

Bingo!! Thank you

[acox]

Hey everyone,

This is also doable with the Plumsail Documents tool. There's a checkbox formatter available that is based on JSON input and is quite simple to work with. Have a look at this article:

How to populate Word with checkbox in Power Automate (Microsoft Flow), Azure Logic Apps, and PowerAp...

The solution is paid, but there is a free 30-day trial available.