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To add an existing Excel workbook to a desktop Word document, choose Insert > Object > Create from File, browse to the workbook, and select either Link to file or embed a copy. Link it when Word should refer to the separately maintained workbook; embed it when the document should carry a self-contained copy. For a chart alone, copy the chart from Excel and choose a linked chart, an embedded chart, or a picture when pasting.

Choose what you want to put in Word

Before inserting anything, decide whether you need the whole workbook, a chart, or just a visual snapshot. The choice determines whether Word can reflect later changes, whether recipients need access to the Excel file, and whether chart data remains editable.

What you need Use How it behaves
A workbook maintained separately, with Word connected to its source Link to file Word references the workbook’s location. Linked content can update when the source changes, but the source must remain available there. Linking can also help keep the Word file smaller. Microsoft Support
A copy carried inside the Word document Embed the workbook The copy is part of the Word file and does not update when the original workbook changes. Recipients do not need the original file just to receive the embedded copy. Microsoft Support
A chart whose data should stay connected to Excel Paste the chart with a link option The chart can refresh from its source workbook, which must remain available. Microsoft Support
A chart to keep with its data, but not linked to the original Paste with an embedded-workbook option The chart includes an embedded copy; changes to the original workbook do not flow through. Microsoft Support
A chart that only needs to look right Paste as a picture It is an image, not an editable chart with underlying chart data. Microsoft Support

Insert an existing Excel workbook in desktop Word

Microsoft documents this route for desktop Word, including Microsoft 365 and Word 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024. Ribbon grouping can vary by release, but the documented path is Insert > Object. Microsoft Support

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  1. Click in the document where you want the workbook object to appear.
  2. Choose Insert > Object.
  3. Select Create from File, then Browse, and choose the Excel workbook.
  4. To keep Word connected to the source workbook, select Link to file. To put a copy in Word instead, leave it unselected.
  5. To show a clickable icon rather than the workbook’s first-page representation, select Display as icon.
  6. Select OK.

The same embedded-versus-linked choice applies whether the workbook is displayed as content or as an icon: the icon changes how the object appears, not whether it is linked.

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Linking versus embedding: what changes later

Link the workbook when it remains a separate source

A linked object points to the workbook’s location instead of carrying the source content as an independent copy. This suits documents that need to reflect changes to a separately maintained workbook. Keep the workbook in a stable, accessible location; if it is moved or unavailable, Word may no longer reach the source. Microsoft Support

Embed the workbook when the document needs its own copy

An embedded object is stored in the Word document. It is a snapshot relative to the original: editing the Excel source later does not update the embedded copy. This makes the document less dependent on a separate workbook when it is shared, but changes to the source will need to be reflected by replacing or updating the embedded content.

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Put an Excel chart in Word

Copy and paste a chart from Excel

Select and copy the chart in Excel, then paste it into Word. Use the paste choices to decide whether the chart should retain a source link, carry an embedded workbook copy, or become a picture. Microsoft describes these options as Keep Source Formatting & Embed Workbook, Use Destination Theme & Link Data, Keep Source Formatting & Link Data, and Picture. The linked choices retain a connection that can be refreshed from the source workbook; the embedded option is a copy, and the picture has no editable chart data. Microsoft Support

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Create a chart inside Word

Choose Insert > Chart in Word and enter data in the Excel-style grid that opens. The chart’s data is stored in the Word document; it does not update from a separate original workbook. Use this approach when you want to build a chart in the document rather than bring in an existing Excel chart. Microsoft Support

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Does this work in Word for the web?

Do not assume the desktop Insert > Object workflow is available in the browser. Microsoft’s support video says the embed/link feature it demonstrates is unavailable in Office Online apps. Use desktop Word for the documented workbook insertion steps. Microsoft Support

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