Inserting Excel Data into PowerPoint That You Can Update
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated March 15, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365, (Windows)
You can insert Excel worksheet data into PowerPoint as an object or a table. Objects can be linked or unlinked. If you insert worksheet data as a PowerPoint table, it cannot be linked but can be formatted in the presentation.
Recommended article: How to Group or Ungroup Objects in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)
Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom PowerPoint courses >
Inserting Excel worksheet data as objects (linked or unlinked)
To insert Excel data from a workbook into PowerPoint:
- Open the Excel workbook with the data you want to insert into PowerPoint.
- Select the cells you want to copy.
- Right-click and choose Copy or press Ctrl + C.
- Open the PowerPoint presentation.
- In Normal View, display the slide where you want to insert the Excel data.
- Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
- Click the arrow beside Layouts and select the Title Only layout (or a similar layout) from the drop-down menu. You can also click the edge of a body placeholder and press Delete to delete it.
- Click in a blank area on the slide.
- On the Home tab, click the arrow below Paste and select Paste Special from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
- Select Paste Link if you want to link to the source data.
- Select Microsoft Excel Worksheet object.
- Click OK.
The Paste Special dialog box offers options to link or not link:
When you use this method, a worksheet object will be inserted onto the slide.
If you insert linked worksheet data into a PowerPoint presentation, it's common to want to break, update or change the links at some point.
If you don't want to link to the Excel file, you can simply copy and paste Excel data into a blank area on the slide (Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste). PowerPoint will paste the data as a table and you will be able to format it in PowerPoint.
Updating links
An easy way to update a linked worksheet object is to simply right-click the object and select Update Link from the drop-down menu.
For other ways to update and manage links, check out the article How to Break, Update or Change Links to Excel Charts or Worksheets in PowerPoint.
Subscribe to get more articles like this one
Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, join our email list
More resources
How to Remove the Background of an Image in PowerPoint
How to Insert a Linked Excel Chart or Graph into PowerPoint
10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size
How to Quickly Remove All Speaker Notes in PowerPoint (PC or Mac)
How to Reduce PowerPoint File Size (10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Decks)
Related courses
Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers
Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.
Copyright 2023 Avantix® Learning
You may also like
What is Power Query in Excel?
Power Query in Excel is a powerful data transformation tool that allows you to import data from many different sources and then extract, clean, and transform the data. You will then be able to load the data into Excel or Power BI and perform further data analysis. With Power Query (also known as Get & Transform), you can set up a query once and then refresh it when new data is added. Power Query can import and clean millions of rows of data.
How to Freeze Rows in Excel (One or Multiple Rows)
You can freeze one or more rows in an Excel worksheet using the Freeze Panes command. If you freeze rows containing headings, the headings will appear when you scroll down. You can freeze columns as well so when you scroll to the right columns will be frozen.
How to Show or Hide Gridlines in Excel
You can remove or hide gridlines in Excel worksheets to simplify worksheet design. By default, gridlines are displayed but do not print. Gridlines are applied to entire worksheets or workbooks, not to specific cells. If you hide gridlines on one worksheet, it doesn't affect other sheets in the same workbook.
Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.
Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca
