How to add a checkmark to a PDF

The fastest way: type a check character as text

Most checkboxes on a PDF are just printed squares with no interactivity. The simplest way to mark one is to drop a check character on top of it as text.

Click the text tool, click on the box, and enter a checkmark glyph. On Mac, press Control + Command + Space to open the emoji and symbol picker and search for "check mark." On Windows, the easiest route is to copy a ✓ or ✔ and paste it in. Then drag it so it sits centered in the box and nudge the size until it fills the square cleanly.

• ✓ — a light check, good for small boxes
• ✔ — a heavier check that reads well at a glance
• ✗ or × — when you need to mark a box as "no" instead
• x or X — a plain letter works if the symbol isn't handy

Draw the checkmark by hand instead

If you'd rather a checkmark look handwritten — or you're ticking several boxes quickly — use the freehand draw tool. Pick the pen, set a color and thickness, and draw a tick straight onto the box with your mouse or trackpad.

Hand-drawn checks are forgiving: they don't need to be perfectly aligned, and a slightly rough mark often looks more natural on a printed-and-scanned checklist. If a stroke comes out wrong, undo it and try again, or clear it with the eraser.

Place it exactly on the box

• Zoom in before you mark so you can land the check precisely inside the square.
• For typed checks, click once to drop the text, then drag it to center it on the box.
• Keep the check sized so it fills the box without spilling over the borders.
• Use undo/redo freely while you line things up — nothing is committed until you download.
• Repeat down the list, then do a final scan to confirm every intended box is ticked and no stray boxes were marked.

What this does — and what it doesn't

This approach adds a visible mark on top of the page. It works on flat checklists, paper forms you've scanned, printed agreements with tick boxes, and any PDF where the checkbox is just a drawn square.

Real interactive checkboxes (the clickable kind built with AcroForm form fields) work differently: click one in the editor to tick it, and the tick is saved in the PDF you download. Those need no typed or drawn mark — keep that for boxes that are only printed on the page.

Do it privately in your browser

The whole process runs locally. Your PDF is opened and edited on your own device, and the marked file is saved straight back to your computer when you download — it's never sent to a server. That matters for HR forms, intake sheets, consent documents, and anything with personal details.

There's no signup and no watermark, and editing is free. Open the file, add your checks, and download the finished PDF for a one-time $1.97.