How to Link or Insert Excel Files to Word Documents

James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors.

• Western Governors University

Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.

What to Know

• Link: Copy cells. Right-click Link & Use Destination Styles or Link & Keep Source Formatting in Word.
• Embed: In Word, go to Insert >Object >Object >Create from File >Browse > choose Excel file >OK.
• Embed a spreadsheet table: In Word, go to Insert >Table >Excel Spreadsheet.

This article explains two ways to display Excel data in Word.

Instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel 2010.

How to Link Excel to Word

To insert any part of an Excel worksheet in a Word document:

1. Open the Word document where the worksheet will display.

In Excel, select and copy the range of cells to include. Select the entire worksheet if you plan to insert more columns or rows into the worksheet.

To select the entire worksheet, select the cell in the upper-left corner at the juncture of the row numbers and column letters.

Destination Styles uses the default Word table formatting, which usually results in a better-looking table. Keep Source Formatting uses the formatting from the Excel workbook.

What Happens When You Link Excel to Word

Linking an Excel file to a Word document ensures that the Word document is updated every time the data in the Excel file changes. It is a one-way link feed that brings the updated Excel data into the linked Word document. Linking an Excel worksheet also keeps your Word file small because the data doesn't save to the Word document.

Linking an Excel worksheet to a Word document has a few limitations:

• If the Excel file moves, the link to the Word document needs to be re-established.
• If you plan to transport the Word file or use it on another computer, you must transport the Excel file.
• You must do data editing in the Excel worksheet. It isn't a problem unless you require different spreadsheet formats in the Word document.

How to Embed an Excel Spreadsheet in Word

The process of embedding an Excel worksheet in a Word document is essentially the same as linking to an Excel worksheet. It does require a few extra clicks, but it brings all data from the worksheet into your document, not only the selected range.

There are two ways to embed an Excel worksheet in Word. The first is to embed the worksheet as an object. The second is to insert a table.

When you embed a worksheet, Word uses the formatting from the Excel worksheet. Make sure that the data in the worksheet looks the way you want it to appear in the Word document.

Embed an Excel Worksheet as an Object

To embed an Excel worksheet as an object:

1. Open the Word document.

Go to the Insert tab.

Select Object >Object. In Word 2010, select Insert >Object.

In the Object dialog box, select the Create from File tab.

Select Browse, then choose the Excel worksheet that contains the data you want to embed.

Select OK.

How to Embed an Excel Spreadsheet Table

An alternative is to insert the Excel worksheet as a table. This method inserts the worksheet as if you embedded it as an object. The difference is that it opens a blank Excel worksheet for you to fill out. Choose this method if you haven't created the Excel file yet.

To insert an Excel worksheet as a table in Word:

1. Open a Word document.

Go to the Insert tab, then select Table.

Select Excel Spreadsheet.

When you insert and fill out a new Excel worksheet, you have an Excel file you can update anytime. The data in the Word table automatically updates to match the data in the Excel file.

In Excel: Insert tab > Text > Object > Create from File. Next, select Browse to find the Word file > Insert > OK.

To create labels in Word from an Excel list, open a blank Word document > select Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels > choose the brand and product number for the labels. Then, choose Select Recipients > Use an Existing List > find the Excel address list > OK. Add the merge mail fields to complete the merge.