To put an Excel graph into Word, select the chart in Excel, copy it with Ctrl+C, click where you want it in your Word document, and paste with Ctrl+V. By default, Word keeps the pasted chart linked to the original workbook and gives it your document’s colors and fonts. If you’d rather store the data inside the document or paste a plain image, pick a different choice from the Paste Options button.
These steps are for the desktop versions of Excel and Word. On a Mac, use Command in place of Ctrl.
Copy the chart from Excel and paste it into Word
If you plan to keep the chart linked, save the workbook in its permanent folder first. A linked chart looks for the file in the place it was when you copied it.
- Open the workbook in Excel.
- Click the outer edge of the chart so the whole chart is selected, not just a title or a single bar.
- Press Ctrl+C, or select Home > Copy.
- Switch to Word and click where the chart should go.
- Press Ctrl+V, or select Home > Paste. The chart appears, with a small Paste Options button beside it.
- Select Paste Options if you want to change how the chart is stored. The choices are explained in the next section.
If the data is on the wrong axis, switch the chart axes in Excel before you copy it, so the version in Word is already correct.
Which paste option should you pick?
Word offers five ways to paste a chart. The main question is whether the chart should stay connected to the Excel file.
| Paste option | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Use Destination Theme & Link Data (the default) | Linked to the workbook; uses Word’s theme | Reports you rebuild from the same spreadsheet |
| Keep Source Formatting & Link Data | Linked to the workbook; keeps Excel’s look | Charts that must match the spreadsheet exactly |
| Use Destination Theme & Embed Workbook | A copy of the workbook stored in the Word file; uses Word’s theme | Documents you send to people who don’t have your Excel file |
| Keep Source Formatting & Embed Workbook | A stored workbook copy; keeps Excel’s look | Self-contained files that should look like the original |
| Picture | A static image of the chart | Final versions where nobody should edit the numbers |
Before you embed, think about who will receive the document. The workbook copy travels inside the Word file, so people who get it can open the data behind the chart.
A pasted picture can’t be updated. You can still resize or restyle it from the Picture Format tab, but to change the numbers you’d have to copy the chart again.
Update a linked chart after the numbers change
A linked chart should pick up changes you make in the source workbook. If it still shows old numbers, refresh it:
- Click the chart in Word to select it.
- Select the Chart Design tab.
- In the Data group, select Refresh Data.
To change the numbers from inside Word, select the chart, then choose Chart Design > Edit Data. Pick Edit Data in Excel to work in the full Excel window. Microsoft’s page on inserting a chart from an Excel spreadsheet into Word covers each paste choice in more detail.
Fix a chart that stopped updating
Linked charts usually stop updating because the workbook was moved, renamed, or deleted. On Windows, you can point Word to the file’s new location:
- In Word, select File > Info.
- Under Related Documents, select Edit Links to Files.
- Select the link for the chart.
- Select Change Source, find the workbook, and open it.
- Select OK, then refresh the chart.
In the same dialog, Break Link disconnects the chart from Excel for good. Use it when the numbers are final and you don’t want the chart to change again.
Other ways to get Excel data into Word
- If you don’t have the chart in Excel yet, you can build a graph directly in Word with Insert > Chart.
- To bring over the numbers themselves, see how to insert an Excel table into Word.
- For cells that should stay in sync with a spreadsheet, our guide to linking Excel data to Word walks through Paste Special.
If the data doesn’t exist in Excel yet, you can also make a spreadsheet on Word with a table or an embedded Excel sheet.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com