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Excel > Forms

Add a button or command button to a worksheet

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You can use a button (a Form control) or a command button (an ActiveX control) to run a macro that performs
an action when a user clicks it.

What do you want to do?

Learn about the button and the command button

Add a button (Form control)

Add a command button (ActiveX control)

Learn about the button and the command button

Both a Form control button and an ActiveX control command button are also referred to as a push button. You
might use a button or a command button to automate the printing of a worksheet, the filtering of data, or the
calculation of numbers. In general, a Form control button and an ActiveX control command button are similar
in appearance and function. However, they do have a few differences, which are explained in the following
sections.

Button (Form control) Command button (ActiveX control)

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Add a button (Form control)

1. If the Developer tab is not available, display it.

Display the Developer tab

2. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Insert, and then under Form Controls, click

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Button .

3. Click the worksheet location where you want the upper-left corner of the button to appear.

4. Assign a macro to the button.

For more information about how to create and edit macros, see the Help section, Macros.

5. To specify the control properties of the button, right-click the button, and then click Format
Control.

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Add a command button (ActiveX control)

1. If the Developer tab is not available, display it.

Display the Developer tab

2. On the Developer tab, in the Controls group, click Insert, and then under ActiveX Controls, click

Command Button .

3. Click the worksheet location where you want the upper-left corner of the command button to
appear.

4. To edit the ActiveX control, make sure that you are in design mode. On the Developer tab, in the

Controls group, turn on Design Mode .

5. To specify the control properties of the command button, on the Developer tab, in the Controls

group, click Properties .

TIP You can also right-click the command button, and then click Properties.

NOTE Before you click Properties, make sure that the object for which you want to examine or
change properties is already selected.

The Properties box appears. For detailed information about each property, select the property,
and then press F1 to display a Visual Basic Help topic. You can also type the property name in the

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Visual Basic Help Search box. The following table summarizes the properties that are available.

If you want to specify Use this property

General:

Whether the control is loaded when the workbook is AutoLoad (Excel)

opened. (Ignored for ActiveX controls.)

Whether the control can receive focus and respond to user- Enabled (Form)
generated events.

Whether the control can be edited. Locked (Form)

The name of the control. Name (Form)

The way the control is attached to the cells below it (free Placement (Excel)
floating, move but do not size, or move and size).

Whether the control can be printed. PrintObject (Excel)

Whether the control is visible or hidden. Visible (Form)

Text:

Font attributes (bold, italic, size, strikethrough, underline, Bold, Italic, Size, StrikeThrough,
and weight). Underline, Weight (Form)

Descriptive text on the control that identifies or describes it. Caption (Form)

Whether the contents of the control automatically wrap at WordWrap (Form)

the end of a line.

Size and Position:

Whether the size of the control automatically adjusts to AutoSize (Form)

display all the contents.

The height or width in points. Height, Width (Form)

The distance between the control and the left or top edge Left, Top (Form)
of the worksheet.

Formatting:

The background color. BackColor (Form)

The background style (transparent or opaque). BackStyle (Form)

The foreground color. ForeColor (Form)

Whether the control has a shadow. Shadow (Excel)

Image:

The bitmap to display in the control. Picture (Form)

The location of the picture relative to its caption (left, top, PicturePosition (Form)
right, and so on).

Keyboard and Mouse:

The shortcut key for the control. Accelerator (Form)

A custom mouse icon. MouseIcon (Form)

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The type of pointer that is displayed when the user MousePointer (Form)
positions the mouse over a particular object (standard,
arrow, I-beam, and so on).

Whether the control takes the focus when clicked. TakeFocusOnClick (Form)

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See Also

Add an image control to a worksheet

Add or edit a macro for a control on a worksheet
Add or register an ActiveX control
Edit text in a control on a worksheet
Overview of forms, Form controls, and ActiveX controls on a worksheet
Resize or format a control on a worksheet
What can I do if I can't see or edit a cell because a control or object covers it?
Why can't I select form and ActiveX controls?

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