Are you looking for a quick way to insert an Excel spreadsheet into a Word document?
Combining the powerful data analysis capabilities of Excel with the polished presentation power of Word sounds fantastic. But it comes with a few challenges such as formatting errors and lost data during import.
These are the common challenges many people face specifically while displaying a table or chart from Excel to Microsoft Word.
This is a quick guide about how to insert Excel into Word document. It contains many valuable tips, so make sure to read the article till the end.
Download the Example Excel Sheet
Here’s an Excel file including the chart and table to be inserted into the Word document.
Before we dive deep into the steps to insert them into Word, please consider downloading Excel and following me through the article.
If you have your own Excel sheet ready with the required dataset, skip downloading the above file.
How to Insert an Excel Sheet into a Word Document
Microsoft Word is one of the most preferred tools for creating professional reports and presentations. At the same time, Excel is the top spreadsheet application for organizing large datasets, performing complex calculations, and generating reports.
Each program has its strengths when it comes to managing and presenting data.
But what if you could combine the capabilities of both?
Imagine creating a detailed report in Word that also includes dynamic tables and charts from Excel, all in one seamless document.
This powerful combination can help you create visually engaging reports that not only present your data clearly but also make a strong impression on your audience.
Here’s how you can do it.
SCENARIO #1 – Inserting an Excel table in a Word Document
Let us start with the most common scenario where people wish to insert a table from an Excel spreadsheet into a Word document.
Inserting a table from Excel into a Word document can be done in three different methods. Let’s discuss each of them.
METHOD #1 – Using Copy/Paste
In this method, we will be using the traditional copy-and-paste tool to insert an Excel table into a Word document.
The steps are as follows,
- Open the Excel spreadsheet, including the table you wish to import to Word
- Select the table range as shown below
- Now, press “CTRL + C” on your keyboard or go to the main menu and click on the “Home” tab followed by the “Copy” icon as shown in the image below
- Now, open a new Word document
- Use the keyboard shortcut “CTRL + V” or go to the main menu and click on the “Home” tab followed by “Paste“
Here’s what our table in Word document looks like,
The entire process hardly takes 2-3 minutes to complete. However, this method does not create a dynamic table or allow dynamic data import compared to the second method discussed below.
Note that if you want the table to be pasted without any formatting, you can click on the “paste” dropdown and choose the “Keep Text Only” icon shown below.
METHOD #2 – Using the Insert Object feature
This method uses the “Insert Object” feature in the Word document to insert the Excel table. It allows you to create a dynamic table that automatically updates whenever the source data is changed.
Here are the steps,
- Open a new Word Document
- Go to the “Insert” tab in the main menu
- Click on the “Object” dropdown menu in the “Text” group
- Select the “Object” option from the list
- An Object dialog box will appear on the screen. Click on the “Create from File” tab
- Click on “Browse” to browse the Excel file that you want to insert
- Once you select the file, click on “OK“
This will insert the table present in your Excel spreadsheet within seconds. Similarly, you can insert any table or image into a Word document within no time.
METHOD #3 – Using the Table Option
In this method, we will first insert a table and then copy the contents into it.
Let’s see how to do it,
- Open a new Word document
- Place the cursor in the document where you wish to insert an Excel table
- Go to the “Insert” tab in the main menu
- Click on the “Table” icon
- An Insert table box will appear on the screen. Now, click on the “Excel Spreadsheet” option as shown below
- An Excel table will be inserted in the Word document, as shown below
- Now, you can enter your data or paste the contents from an existing Excel file into this table
The inserted table functions like an Excel sheet, allowing you to use formulas, format cells, and create charts.
To resize the Excel table, you can click on it and drag the edges to your desired size. To format the cells, you can use the formatting options like adjusting cell color, font style, or adding borders available in the “Home” tab.
To exit the Excel mode, click anywhere outside the Excel table. By doing this, you can return to your Word document, and the table will appear as a part of the document.
If you wish to edit the table later, then just double-click on it. This will re-open the Excel interface within Word, allowing you to make the required changes.
SCENARIO #2 – Inserting an Excel Chart in a Word Document
Excel is a powerful tool that can be used to create informative graphs such as monthly sales, orders, and more. Whenever you put values for a month, the graphs are auto-updated.
Now, you can use those dynamic charts and graphs within Microsoft Word as well. You can insert almost everything from flowcharts to candlestick charts in Word from Excel.
It is a pretty straightforward process that doesn’t require expert knowledge.
There are multiple methods to do so; let’s discuss each of them in detail.
METHOD #1 – Using the Paste Special Option
This is the quickest method to get the job done. You can insert the chart using the built-in Paste Special tool in Excel.
Here are the steps,
- Once you have created a chart, make sure to name your Excel Sheet properly
- Click on the chart and copy it using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + C“
- Open a new Word document
- Hover to the main menu and click on the “Home” tab
- Click on the “Paste” dropdown
- Select the “Paste Special” option
- A Paste Special dialog box will appear on the screen in which select “Microsoft Office Graphic Object” as shown below
- Once done, click the “OK” button
This will instantly paste the copied Excel chart into the Word document. You can double-click on the chart to make any changes if required.
METHOD #2 – By Linking the Excel file to a Word Document
We have seen how to copy and paste the Excel chart into a Word document. But if you make any changes in the Excel chart, the changes won’t get reflected in the copied chart pasted in Word.
For this to work out, you just need to link the Excel file to the Word document using the following steps,
- Open a new Word document
- Hover over to the main menu and click on the “Insert” tab
- Select the “Object” dropdown in the “Text” group
- Click on the “Object” option from the list
- In the newly opened Object dialog box, select the “Create from File” tab
- Select the Excel file containing the chart you want to insert by clicking on the “Browse” button
- Now, check the “Link to File” box as shown below
- Click on “OK” to apply the changes
After doing this, you will see that the chart has been inserted into the Word document. Now, whatever changes you make in the Excel file will be reflected in the Word document as well.
The Word document will automatically update when the Excel file is modified.
Note that if you change the location of the Excel file, then the link will be lost, and the dynamic update will not work.
How to Automatically update all Objects in a Word Document?
When multiple things from the Excel spreadsheet, such as tables and charts, are inserted into Word, it becomes a tedious task to update each one of them manually.
Yes, it is okay to manually update them if the count of inserted objects is 2 or 3. But in the case of tens of tables and charts, it is better to use some trick to update them manually.
Here are the steps,
- Open a new Word document
- Link it to the Excel sheet as discussed in the section above
- Go to the “File” menu located at the top left corner of the screen
- Select “Options“
- A new dialog box will appear on your screen
- In the Word Options dialog box, select “Advanced” from the left-hand menu
- Scroll down to the “General” section
- Check the box labeled “Update automatic links at open“
- Click on “OK” to apply the changes
That’s it! Now, whenever you make any changes in Excel, the Word document will automatically update, and all the linked objects will appear with the latest changes from the source.
If you wish to update the Word file manually, you can select the entire document by using the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl + A” and then pressing the “F9” button on your keyboard.
FAQs
Q. How do you unlink Excel Sheets data from Word documents?
If you no longer need any links between Excel and Word documents, follow the steps below.
- Open the desired Word document that you want to unlink
- Locate the linked Excel chart or table
- Right-click on the object
- In the menu, click on “Linked Object > Links“
- In the newly opened “Edit Links” dialog box, select the link you want to break
- Click on “Break Link“
- Now, click on “OK” to apply the changes
Now, you won’t be able to automatically update the chart or table when the original data is changed.
Q. Can you integrate Excel Sheets and Word Documents?
Yes, of course. You can use one of the methods discussed in this article to integrate Excel sheets and Word documents.
There are also a few third-party plugins with advanced features or additional automation options to get the job done.
Q. Can you insert multiple Excel worksheets in Word Documents?
Yes, you can insert multiple Excel worksheets into a Word document. To do this, repeat the process of inserting each Excel worksheet separately by linking them for easy updation.
You can also copy and paste the content from each worksheet into the Word document.
Q. How can I share Excel spreadsheets or Word documents with my colleagues?
To share the Excel spreadsheets or Word documents with your colleagues, all you need is their email address.
Below are the steps,
- Open the desired Word document you wish to share
- Click on the “Share” button present in the upper right-most corner of the screen
- A new dialog box will appear, as shown below
- Enter the email address of your colleague
- Assign the role by clicking the “Pencil” icon as shown in the following image
- Press the “Send” button once done
Make sure to add a message, including a brief introduction to the file.
All of your colleagues will be instantly notified about your invitation to collaborate on a Word document created by you.
If your document is saved in OneDrive or SharePoint, you can generate a link that your colleagues can access, or you can also send a copy of the document via email.
To Summarize: How To Insert Excel Into Word
Inserting Excel spreadsheet data into a Word document is pretty straightforward. Anyone can do it without any prior experience.
Additionally, you can update all graphs and tables inserted in Word within a few seconds.
Feel free to comment below if you are stuck somewhere while following the steps discussed in this article.
For more such tips and tricks to use Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets like a pro, make sure to explore our blog.