How to Insert Excel Into Word: Step-by-Step Guide

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Pull data from Excel to Word

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Linking an Excel File
|
• Copy and Paste a Chart
|
• Embedding a Blank Excel Table
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Need to reference an Excel chart, table, or data set in your Word document? You can easily add a quick link to any Excel file in a Word document, or even embed the file within the document to avoid the possibility of broken links. This wikiHow article will teach you how to link an Excel file to a Word document using your Windows or Mac computer.

Quick Steps

1. Click Insert.
2. Click Object > Object.
3. Click Create from File.
4. Click Browse and select your file.
5. Check Link to file.
6. Click OK.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

How to Link an Excel File

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1. 
   1
   Open your Microsoft Word document. You can either open it from Word by going to File > Open or you can double-click the file.

   • Use this method if you want to create a clickable link or icon that redirects the reader to a full Microsoft Excel file. If you'd rather just insert specific data from Excel, use the below methods to copy and paste an Excel chart or embed a blank Excel table.
2. 
   2
   Click the Insert tab. It's in the editing ribbon above your document.

   • On Mac, this tab is along the top of your screen instead.
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3. 
   3
   Click Object and then Object again. It's in the Text grouping and will open an Object Dialog Box.
4. 
   4
   Click the Create from File tab. It's at the top of the window.
5. 
   5
   Click Browse. Your file manager (File Explorer for Windows and Finder for Mac) will open so you can look for your Excel file.
6. 
   6
   Double-click to select your Excel file. Alternatively, you can single-click the file to select it, then click Open, OK, or Insert to choose it.
7. 
   7
   Check the box next to "Link to file" and click OK. This will create a link to your file that others can click to view the Excel data. Clicking the link will open the Excel data at its original location.

   • If you'd rather embed the Excel file within your Word document, check the box next to "Display as an icon" and click OK.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

How to Copy and Paste an Excel Chart

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1. 
   1
   Open a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. If you want to embed an Excel chart into Microsoft Word, you can copy and paste it into your Word document.
2. 
   2
   Select the chart you want to insert. Click and drag one corner of the chart to the other corner to highlight it.
3. 
   3
   Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+C (Mac) to copy. Alternatively, right-click or control-click the chart and select Copy.
4. 
   4
   Open your Microsoft Word document. You can either open it from Word by going to File > Open or you can double-click the file.
5. 
   5
   Click where you want the chart. This will place the cursor at that location.
6. 
   6
   Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+V (Mac) to paste. Alternatively, right-click or control-click where you want the chart and select Paste.

   • For more paste options, click the Home tab and click the arrow underneath the Paste icon. You can select: Keep Source Formatting, Use Destination Styles, Link & Keep Source Formatting, Link & Use Destination Styles, Picture, or Keep Text Only.
7. 
   7
   Update the chart data. If you change the data in Excel, you'll just need to refresh the chart in Word to see the new changes. Do the following:

   • Select the chart.
   • Click the Chart Design or Chart Tools Design tab.
   • Click Data.
   • Click Refresh Data.
8. 
   8
   Edit the chart (optional). If you want to edit the data or change its layout elements, styles, and filters, do the following:

   • Select the chart.
   • Click the Chart Design or Chart Tools Design tab.
   • Click Data.
   • Click Edit Data.
   • Select a modification option.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Embedding a Blank Excel Table

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1. 
   1
   Open a Microsoft Word document. If you don't want to link or copy/paste Excel data, you can embed a blank Excel table that can be filled and updated at any time. The data within Microsoft Word will be updated in the created Excel file.
2. 
   2
   Click where you want the chart. This will place the cursor at that location.
3. 
   3
   Click the Insert tab. It's in the editing ribbon above your document.
4. 
   4
   Click Table. This is in the Tables section. A drop-down menu will open.
5. 
   5
   Click Excel Spreadsheet. This is towards the bottom of the menu.

   • A new table will be added to your document.
6. 
   6
   Fill in the table. The table works the same as any other Excel document. You can add rows, columns, and more.

   • To resize the table, click and drag a corner of the table.
   • When you're finished editing your table, click anywhere outside the table to close the Excel view.
   • To return to editing mode, double-click the table.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How do I dynamically embed an XLSX table in a DOCX file?

  

  Darlene Antonelli

  Community Answer

  You can copy your chart in Excel then paste it in Word. To update it in Word, select your chart, then go to "Chart Design" or "Chart Tools Design" and click Data > Refresh.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
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