How to link Excel data in Word

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Written by Romain | Updated

If your Word documents rely on information found in Excel workbooks, you can link your figures to make updating them easier.

How to create links

Linking tables and charts

  1. In Word, select the page on which you want to export your data.
  2. Open your Excel workbook and select the table or chart you want to export.
  3. Within Excel, go to the UpSlide toolbar Word button and select Export to Word from the drop-down.

Once the link has been created, remember to save both the Word and Excel files to ensure the link remains intact.

ExportWord.gif

Tables and charts are exported as dynamic images to limit the weight of the final Word document and to preserve the quality of the source data.

Using Resize and export

When using the link, you can predetermine the position and dimensions of your export, allowing you to ensure that the linked image fits perfectly on the page.

  1. Insert a shape in your document, resize it and place it where you'd like your export to go.
  2. Open your Excel workbook and select the table or chart you want to export.
  3. Within Excel, go to the UpSlide toolbar Word button and select Resize and Export from the drop-down.

ResizeExport.gif

In the case of a table, the Excel column width will be updated so the exported table fits the width of the shape in PowerPoint. Similarly, the aspect of a graph will be updated in Excel to fit the shape in Word. 

Tip

If you update a graph or table in Excel, these changes will be reflected in the Word link when you update the element. The ratio will be preserved so as not to distort the image.

Linking text

If your Word contains blocks of texts and figures that you wish to update regularly or for which the source is an Excel workbook, you can insert the element from Excel as a link. This ensures that both files reflect the same information.

  1. Within Word, put your cursor where you'd like to insert a link as text.
  2. Select a single cell in Excel. Selecting more than one cell will always generate an image as the export.
  3. Select the Export to Word option. A popup will ask you to choose between exporting its content as text or an image. Select Text.

ExportTextWord.gif

Tip
You may want to export a text link using an empty cell that you plan on filling later. In this case, UpSlide will display #Empty Source Cell# instead of a blank export. If you'd prefer not to display the error message, you can type =CHAR(10) in the cell. UpSlide will detect the formula and not show the error.

Hiding Text Links

When data is linked as text using UpSlide, it is highlighted in Word to give a better overview of where your links are. If you need to share or present your Word document and wish to remove this formatting, go to Word and click Hide Text Links.

Click the Unhide Text Links button to restore the highlight. Contrary to the link in PowerPoint, updating your hidden text links will not make them appear again.

How to update linked items

Updating one item

If you're only looking to update one element of your Word document:

  • Select the table or graph you want to update.
  • Place your cursor in the highlighted area of a text link.

Then, click the Update button in the UpSlide ribbon. A pop-up will appear when the element has been updated.

SingleUpdate.gif

Updating multiple items

In Word, click Update All to see the list of all Excel links, text and images exported from Excel to Word. 

  1. Click Update All to open the update pane.
  2. Use Select All to include every link in your document, or tick the ones you want to update.
  3. Click the Update button.

UpdateAll.gif

Gaining time with versioning

Exporting several figures, tables and charts from Excel to Word can take a lot of time. If your documents share a similar structure, you can use versioning to avoid having to reexport the same elements for every new project. Read our article on the matter for more information.