Adding a chart to a Word Document
You can make a chart in Word or Excel. If you have lots of data
to chart, create your chart in Excel, and then copy it into your
document. This is also the best way if your data changes
regularly and you want your chart to always reflect the latest
numbers. In that case, when you copy the chart, keep it linked
to the original Excel file.
To create a simple chart from scratch in Word, click Insert >
Chart and pick the chart you want.
1. Click Insert > Chart.
2. Click the chart type and then double-click the chart you
want.
Tip: For help deciding which chart is best for your data,
see Available chart types.
3. In the spreadsheet that appears, replace the default data
with your own information.
Tip: When you insert a chart, small buttons appear next to
its upper-right corner. Use the Chart Elements button is
a more advanced option that shows or hides data in your
chart.
4. When you’ve finished, close the spreadsheet.
5. If you want, use the Layout Options button
to arrange
the chart and text in your document.
Copy an Excel 2016 chart to another Office application
To use an Excel chart in a PowerPoint presentation or a Word
document, copy the chart in Excel, and then use the paste
options in the other Office program to insert the chart.
1. In Excel, click the chart to copy, and then press Ctrl+C.
2. Open the other Office app, click where to paste the chart
and then press Ctrl+V.
3. Click Paste Options next to the bottom of the chart, and
then choose how to paste the chart.
4. To keep the chart linked to the original worksheet, pick
one of these options:
o Use Destination Theme & Link Data This updates the
chart formatting to match the destination formatting.
o Keep Source Formatting & Link Data This keeps the
chart formatting exactly as is.
5. To keep the data with the chart but break the link to the
original worksheet, pick one of these options:
o Use Destination Theme & Embed Workbook This
updates the chart formatting to match the
destination formatting.
o Keep Source Formatting & Embed Workbook This
keeps the chart formatting exactly as is.
6. To paste the chart as a picture, click Picture. The chart
can't be edited or updated, but you can replace it with
another picture later and apply picture formatting.
Help me choose between embedding and linking a chart
The main differences between linked charts and embedded
charts are where the data is stored and how you update the
data.
For example, a monthly status report in Word may contain
information that is separately maintained in an Excel worksheet.
If you link the report to the worksheet, the data in the report
can be updated whenever the source file (worksheet) is
updated. If you embed the worksheet in the report, your report
contains a static copy of the data.
1. Embedded object
2. Linked object
3. Source file
Insert Method
Information is
stored in
Linked
Source file
Information
can be
updated?
Yes
Embedding
Destination file
No
Description
Use this
method when
When you link
an Excel chart,
information in
the destination
file can be
updated if you
modify the
source file. The
destination file
stores only the
location of the
source file, and
it displays a
representation
of the linked
data.
When you
embed an
Excel chart,
information in
the destination
file doesn’t
change if you
modify the
source file.
After the chart
has been
inserted into
the destination
file, it is no
longer linked to
the source file.
You want to
include
information
that is
maintained
independently
and when you
need to keep
that
information up
to date in a
document
You don’t want
changes in the
source file to
be reflected in
the destination
file.
Recipients of
the document
are not
interested in
updating the
linked
information