ExcelInsider Team
When you are organizing tasks, listing requirements, or creating checklists in Excel, it’s often necessary to add multiple bullet points in a single cell. The problem is, Excel doesn’t provide a built-in bullet feature like Word. Still, with a few simple methods, you can create well-structured, multi-line lists inside one cell. This will be good for lists, notes, or checklists.
To add multiple bullet points in an Excel cell, follow these simple steps:
➤ Type a bullet symbol using Alt + 7 or use the Insert → Symbol option
➤ Press Alt + Enter to create a line break inside the same cell
➤ Repeat for additional bullet points
In this article, you’ll learn 4 effective methods to insert multiple bullet points in an Excel cell. We will talk about keyboard shortcuts, symbols, and formulas.
Applying Bullet Symbol (Alt+7) to Insert Multiple Bullet Points in Excel Cell
This method lets us manually add multiple bullet points within a single Excel cell by using a combination of keyboard shortcuts. It’s good to use when you want to create short lists (like subtasks or notes) in one cell for clarity and compactness.
We have an excel dataset where a HR wants to keep all employee tasks in a single cell using bullet points for better readability.
Steps:
➤ Select the Excel cell where you want to add multiple bullet points (e.g., C2 in this worksheet).
➤ Double-click the cell or press F2 to enter edit mode.
➤ Take the mouse cursor at the beginning and press keyboard shortcut Alt + 7 (use numeric keypad). This inserts a • (dot) symbol.
➤ Take your cursor after the comma “ , ” and then Press Alt + Enter to create a line break inside the same cell.
➤ Repeat the bullet shortcut (Alt + 7) and then use Alt + Enter again.
➤ Continue until all bullet points are added. Press Enter to exit edit mode and see the result in cell C2.
Note:
Ensure Num Lock is on. You can use the Function (Fn) key if there’s no dedicated numeric keypad.
Copy and Paste a Bulleted List from Word to Excel Cell
This method lets us make a bulleted list using Microsoft Word (or similar word processors) and paste it directly into a single Excel cell. It’s highly useful when working with pre-written content, agendas, or instructional data. It saves time and ensures consistent formatting for multiline text cells.
Steps:
➤ Open Microsoft Word and type your bulleted list using the built-in bullet formatting feature. Here I have typed these-
- Introduction
- Safety Do’s and Don’ts
- Location-specific Rules
➤ Highlight the entire bulleted list in Word.
➤ Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected bulleted list.
➤ Open your Excel worksheet and navigate to the cell where you want to paste the content (e.g., cell A2).
➤ Double-click the target cell or press F2 to enter edit mode.
➤ Press Ctrl + V to paste the list into the cell. You will see all bullet points appear with line breaks in one cell.
➤ Press Enter to confirm and adjust row height.
Insert Symbol & Use Keyboard Shortcut to Add Multiple Bullet Points in a Cell
This method uses Excel’s Symbol dialog to insert a bullet character (•) into a cell and then uses Alt + Enter to break lines within the same cell. It’s useful when we are manually entering multiple bullet points directly inside Excel without external tools.
Steps:
➤ Click on the cell where you want to add multiple bullet points (e.g., cell C2).
➤ Double-click the cell or press F2 to enter edit mode.
➤ Take the mouse cursor where you want to add bullets.
➤ Go to the Insert tab in Excel’s ribbon.
➤ Click on Symbol (far-right side).
➤ In the Symbol window, set the font to (normal text) or Arial. Scroll until you find the bullet character • (Character Code 2022). Click Insert and then Close.
➤ Press Alt + Enter to create a new line inside the same cell, then copy/paste the bullet point in new place.
➤ Repeat the insert symbol and Alt + Enter sequence for each new bullet line.
Note:
Use a readable font like Calibri or Arial for best visual appearance of bullets.
CHAR(149) with Line Breaks to Insert Multiple Bullet Points in Excel Cell
This method uses Excel’s CHAR(149) function to insert bullet symbols and combines it with line breaks using CHAR(10). It’s good when you want to dynamically generate multiple bullet points inside a single Excel cell through formulas.
Steps:
➤ Open your Excel sheet and go to the target cell (e.g., C2 in the “Tasks” column).
➤ Type the formula using CHAR(149) for the bullet and CHAR(10) for line breaks.
Example:
=CHAR(149)&” Create email”&CHAR(10)&CHAR(149)&” Assign mentor”&CHAR(10)&CHAR(149)&” Provide ID”
➤ Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter if you are using an older version of Excel (for array formula), else just press Enter in Excel 365 or Excel 2019+.
➤ Copy the formula to other cells (e.g., C3 to C10) and modify the text content as needed.
➤ (Optional): To automate the formula, you can reference other cells like:
=CHAR(149)&” “&A1&CHAR(10)&CHAR(149)&” “&B1
Note:
➥ CHAR(149) represents the bullet point symbol (•).
➥ CHAR(10) is the code for line break (new line) in Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I put multiple bullets in one cell in Excel?
Use Alt + Enter after each bullet to insert a line break. Insert the bullet using Alt + 7 or paste it from Word.
How do I create a list inside a cell in Excel?
Manually add bullets or use a formula like =CHAR(149)&” Item 1″&CHAR(10)&CHAR(149)&” Item 2″ and enable Wrap Text.
Can you do sub bullets in Excel?
Yes. You can use indentation with space characters and different symbols to simulate sub-bullets.
Concluding Words
Adding multiple bullet points in an Excel cell is easy once you know the right techniques. Whatever method you prefer, like Alt + Enter , inserting symbols, copying from Word, or using the CHAR(149) formula, each approach will allow you to create clear and organized bullet points lists within a single cell.
