How to Link and Embed Excel Charts in Word 2016

When preparing monthly or quarterly reports, it is often useful to know how to share the data among the different applications in the Office 2016 suite.  In this tutorial, you will learn how to place the data and chart objects created in an Excel file into a Word document.   There are basically two ways that you can accomplish this.  The first way is to simply embed the Excel table or chart into Word and you will get a snapshot of the data at the time you embedded the chart.  The second way is to link the data and chart to its original Excel file.  By doing this, your Word document will be updated whenever the Excel file is modified and stay current with any changes.

Embed an Excel Chart in a Word Document

1. Start Word and create a new document using the blank document template.
   
2. Type the following title then Tap the ENTER key on your keyboard and then select both lines
   Bayshore Travel Dance Cruises
   Fourth Quarter 2015 Revenue Report
3. Click the Home tab > Styles Group > More down arrow on the Quick Styles Gallery and choose the Title style
4. Click the Home tab > Paragraph Group and Center the headings
   
5. Position the insertion in the blank line below the title lines and type the following
   This report is generated by the Bayshore Travel agency and documents the quarterly revenue from sales of dance cruises for the fourth quarter 2015.  Below you will find a snapshot of the revenue generated from sales of dance cruises to Alaska, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and Hawaii.
6. Tap the ENTER key once

Embed an Excel Object

1. Click the Insert tab > Text Group > Object menu and choose Object
2. From the popup window, click the Create from File tab
3. Click the Browse button and navigate to the folder where your Excel spreadsheet and chart are located
4. Double click the Excel file to open it and click OK.

A snapshot of the Excel file containing the spreadsheet and chart will be embedded in your document and it should now look like the following:

Insert a Linked Object

If you want the Excel spreadsheet and chart to update in your Word document whenever a change is made to the Excel file, you can insert the Excel file using linking and embedding.  One way to do this is to insert a linked object using the Ribbon commands as follows:

1. 1. Click the Insert tab > Text Group > Object menu arrow and choose Object
   2. Click the Create from File tab
   3. Click the Browse button and navigate to the folder where your Excel spreadsheet and chart are located
   4. Check the Link to File checkbox and then click the OK button.  The Excel file should be inserted into your Word document.
      

Link an Object using Paste Special

Another way to use an Excel chart or spreadsheet in a Word document is to copy the spreadsheet and chart in Excel and then use the Paste Special option in Word as follows:

1. Open the Excel workbook you want to embed and select and the spreadsheet and chart to be linked
2. Click the Home tab > Clipboard Group > Copy command to copy the spreadsheet and chart
   
3. Switch to the Word document and then Click the Home tab > Clipboard Group > Paste menu down arrow  and choose Paste Special
4. From the popup window, make sure you choose the Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object
5. Choose Paste Link option and then click OK.  The spreadsheet and chart should now be embedded in your Word document.
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