Word 2013

Embedding an Excel Chart

Embedding an Excel chart

If you have already created a chart in Excel, you can embed and link it to your Word document. When you embed an Excel chart in Word, any updates you make to the original Excel chart will automatically update in your Word document, as long as the files remain in the same location. This helps the data stay in sync , so you won't have incorrect or out-of-date information in your chart.

To embed a chart from Excel:

  1. In Word, select the Insert tab.


    Screenshot of Word 2013 The Insert tab
  2. Click the Object command in the Text group.


    Screenshot of Word 2013 Clicking the Object command
  3. A dialog box will appear. Select the Create from File tab, then click Browse .


    Screenshot of Word 2013 Clicking Browse
  4. Locate and select the desired Excel chart , then click Insert .


    Screenshot of Word 2013 Selecting the desired file
  5. Check the box next to Link to file if you would like to link the data to the Excel chart. This will enable your Word chart to update itself when changes are made to the Excel chart.
  6. Click OK .


    Screenshot of Word 2013 Linking the chart to the original Excel file
  7. The chart will now appear in your Word document.


    Screenshot of Word 2013 The embedded chart

To edit an embedded chart, double-click the chart. An Excel spreadsheet containing the chart's source data will appear. After you have finished editing, be sure to save the chart in Excel.

Once you have embedded a chart, be careful not to delete or move the original Excel file. If the location of either the Word document or the Excel file changes, you may have to embed the chart again in order for it to display correctly.