How to Create a Word Cloud in Excel

Excel doesn’t have a built-in word cloud chart. To create a word cloud from Excel data, count how often each word appears (with a PivotTable or formulas), then either insert a word cloud add-in from Home > Add-ins or paste the word list into a word cloud generator. If you want to stay inside Excel, a Treemap chart sized by word count gives a similar at-a-glance view.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024 and Excel 2021 on Windows and Mac. Some formulas below need Microsoft 365. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 9, 2026.

Step 1: Put each word in its own cell

Word clouds are built from word counts, so first split your text, such as survey answers in column A, into single words.

With a formula (Microsoft 365)

In an empty column, enter:

=TOCOL(TEXTSPLIT(LOWER(TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:A200))," "),3)

This joins all the responses, makes them lowercase so “Price” and “price” count as one word, splits them at each space, and lists every word in one column. TEXTJOIN can combine up to 32,767 characters, so split very large data sets into parts.

Without new functions (any version)

1. Copy the text column to a new sheet.
2. Select it and go to Data > Text to Columns > Delimited, tick Space, and select Finish. Each word moves into its own cell across the row.
3. Copy the whole block and stack the columns into one long column.

Step 2: Clean up the words

• Remove punctuation: use Ctrl + H to replace commas, periods and question marks with nothing, or wrap the text in SUBSTITUTE before splitting.
• Drop common words such as “the,” “and,” “a” and “to.” Filter them out, or keep a list of these stop words and use FILTER with ISNA(MATCH(...)) to exclude them.
• Combine variations that mean the same thing, such as “delivery” and “deliveries,” if that suits your analysis.

Step 3: Count how often each word appears

With a PivotTable

1. Add a header, such as Word, above the word column.
2. Select the column and choose Insert > PivotTable.
3. Drag Word to Rows and drag Word again to Values, where it becomes Count of Word.
4. Sort the count from largest to smallest.

New to PivotTables? See how to make a pivot table in Excel.

With formulas (Microsoft 365)

If your word list is in D2:D500, put =UNIQUE(D2:D500) in F2 and =COUNTIF(D2:D500,F2#) in G2. For other ways to count, see how to count the number of occurrences in Excel.

Step 4: Make the word cloud

Option A: Use an add-in

1. Go to Home > Add-ins (or Insert > Get Add-ins in some versions) and search for word cloud.
2. Read the description and permissions, then select Add. Some add-ins are free; others need a subscription, and some only work in Word or PowerPoint.
3. Select your words or your word-and-count table and follow the add-in’s steps to generate the cloud.

On a work PC, your IT team may block add-ins.

Option B: Use an online generator

1. Copy the word and count columns.
2. Paste them into a word cloud website that accepts word lists with frequencies.
3. Choose fonts, colors and a shape, then download the image as PNG.
4. Back in Excel, choose Insert > Pictures to place the image next to your data.

Avoid pasting confidential survey responses or customer data into online tools. Use a desktop add-in or your company’s approved tools instead.

Option C: Show it with a Treemap chart

1. Select the top 20 to 30 words and their counts.
2. Choose Insert > Insert Hierarchy Chart > Treemap.
3. Each word gets a box sized by how often it appears, with the label inside.

A Treemap isn’t a true word cloud, but it updates automatically when your data changes and is easier to read accurately.

If your word cloud looks wrong

• “The” and “and” are the biggest words: remove stop words before counting.
• The same word appears twice: capitals or punctuation make Excel treat them as different. Use LOWER and remove punctuation first.
• TEXTSPLIT returns #NAME?: your version of Excel doesn’t have it. Use Text to Columns instead.
• #VALUE! from TEXTJOIN: the joined text is over 32,767 characters. Split the range into smaller parts.

Frequently asked questions

Can Excel make a word cloud without add-ins?

Not as a chart type. You can prepare the counts in Excel and use a Treemap as an in-Excel alternative.

What data works best for a word cloud?

Open-ended survey answers, product reviews, support tickets or meeting notes, where many people describe the same topic in their own words.

Can I make a word cloud in Power BI instead?

Yes. Power BI has a Word Cloud visual in its visuals marketplace, and it can connect directly to your Excel file.

How many words should a word cloud show?

About 30 to 100. More than that becomes hard to read, so limit the cloud to the most frequent words.