WPS ActiveX Controls on Windows: Introduction

WPS ActiveX Controls are interactive controls in WPS Writer on Windows; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index
Platform scope	Windows PCs	Some ActiveX controls are supported only on Windows PCs

About This Feature

Overview

WPS ActiveX Controls let you insert interactive controls in WPS Writer documents, such as command buttons, text boxes, check boxes, option buttons, list boxes, combo boxes, toggle buttons, and scroll bars.

Core tasks include:

Insert ActiveX controls for interactive document elements.
Review common control types for different input and trigger needs.
Set control properties to adjust names, display, and behavior.
Write code for control events to extend document interaction.

This feature is suitable for document forms, internal registration templates, interactive document layouts, and files that need buttons or selectable options.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	Windows PC
App version	Recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office
Network	No mandatory network connection is required for local control insertion and property editing
Other	For code-related tasks, allow macros in the document and work in Design Mode

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Writer and confirm that the Developer tab shows an ActiveX Controls entry

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	Insert ActiveX controls such as buttons, text boxes, check boxes, and list boxes in WPS Writer, then edit properties and event code.	Word supports adding ActiveX controls on documents, placing them in the text layer or drawing layer, and using event code.	Google Forms supports online forms, question types, sharing, and response analysis, but it does not provide ActiveX controls inside a document page.	Notion Forms builds forms from database properties and supports question setup and response collection, but it does not provide in-document ActiveX controls.	Acrobat supports form fields such as buttons, check boxes, list boxes, and date fields in PDFs, with editable field properties.
WPS Advantages	Distinct: WPS keeps the workflow inside a Writer document, combining control insertion, property editing, and code editing for interactive document design.	Compared with WPS: Microsoft also supports document-based ActiveX controls, while its documentation also highlights design mode, view, and security settings.	Compared with WPS: Google is more suitable for standalone online form collection rather than embedded controls inside a document.	Compared with WPS: Notion is more suitable for database-driven form workflows and does not provide ActiveX control types or event-code entry points.	Compared with WPS: Adobe is more suitable for PDF form field editing, with interaction centered on PDF form fields.
Official Source	—	Using ActiveX Controls on Word Documents	How to use Google Forms	Forms	Work with form fields

Overall Conclusion
If you need to place interactive controls directly inside a word-processing document and continue editing the document itself, WPS ActiveX Controls fit that workflow well. If your main goal is online survey collection, database-based forms, or PDF form processing, the other products are more aligned with those specific scenarios.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main challenge	How WPS helps
1	Approval forms in documents	Admin teams, operations teams	Paper-like forms are hard to fill interactively	Insert check boxes, text boxes, and buttons in a writable document
2	Training sign-in templates	Training organizers	Input items and options need to stay consistent	Use list boxes, combo boxes, and option buttons for structured input
3	Internal information registration	Team members	Document fields are not standardized	Use control properties to standardize names and input methods
4	Interactive demonstration documents	Trainers, consultants	Simple interactions are needed inside a document	Use command buttons with event code for interaction
5	Reusable business templates	Template designers	Rebuilding forms repeatedly takes time	Prepare control types, properties, and code logic in advance

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free users	WPS Premium
ActiveX control insertion and basic setup	✅ Available	✅ Available
Core Office features	✅ Available	✅ Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB
Template downloads	Limited	More advanced templates and additional benefits
AI and some advanced capabilities	Some limits apply	More advanced capabilities and higher usage allowances

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use case	Recommended plan	Why
Occasional use of ActiveX controls in Windows documents	Free	The ActiveX Controls feature itself has no membership restriction
Need more cloud storage, templates, or other advanced capabilities	WPS Premium	Suitable for users who also want broader benefits beyond this feature

WPS membership center: Subscribe now