developer tab on excel

Question

I am trying to create a search box on an excel sheet. All the videos, I have watched say to go to the developer tab, click insert, click on text box, and insert a text box on the sheet. Then, goes on to other instructions. However, when I click on the developer tab, I then click insert, but I do not have a text box option to click on within the insert section.

Answer 1

Hi @K

Do you mean the Text Box under ActiveX Controls like the image below?

If so, please make sure this feature is not disabled in the Trust Center, as ActiveX controls (including the TextBox) can be hidden when they are blocked by security settings.

To re‑enable them in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows:

1. Open Excel and go to File > Options
2. Select Trust Center in the left pane
3. Click Trust Center Settings…
4. Select ActiveX Settings
5. Ensure “Disable all controls without notification” is not selected (a safer option is “Prompt me before enabling…”).
6. Click OK, then restart Excel
7. Go back to Developer > Insert and check if the ActiveX Controls section appears

Once enabled, the Text Box option should be available under the ActiveX Controls section.

I hope this helps.

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