How to Embed an Excel File in Word

To embed an Excel file in Word on Windows, click where the spreadsheet should go, select Insert > Object (in the Text group), open the Create from File tab, select Browse to pick the workbook, leave Link to file cleared, and select OK. Word stores a full copy of the workbook inside the document, and you can double-click it later to edit it.

Applies to: Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows, plus Word for Mac (separate steps below). Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.

Embedded, linked or pasted: pick the right option first

Word offers three ways to bring Excel data into a document, and they behave very differently once the original workbook changes.

• Embedded object: the workbook becomes part of the Word file. It no longer has any connection to the original, so later changes to the source workbook do not appear in Word. The document can travel on its own, but it gets bigger because it carries the whole file.
• Linked object: the data stays in the original workbook, and Word only stores its name and location and shows a representation of the data. The Word file stays smaller and can be updated when the workbook changes, but the workbook has to remain reachable.
• Pasted cells: copying a range and pasting it gives you a normal Word table (or a picture), which is simplest when you only need a few rows and no Excel features.

A simple rule: embed when you are sending the document to someone who does not have your workbook, or when the numbers should stay frozen as they were on the day you inserted them. Link when the numbers change often and the document stays on your computer or a shared drive alongside the workbook. Microsoft itself suggests linked objects when file size matters.

Before you start

• Save and close the workbook in Excel, and tidy it first: remove scratch sheets and any data you do not want the reader to see, because the embedded copy carries the file’s contents, not just the cells visible on the page.
• You need Excel installed on the computer to edit the object later. Word opens an embedded object in the program that created it.
• Use the desktop version of Word. Microsoft notes that the tools for copying Excel data and charts into other Office apps are not available in the web versions.

How to embed an Excel file in Word on Windows

1. Place the cursor. Open your Word document and click on the blank line where the spreadsheet should appear. Word inserts the object at the cursor.
2. Open the Object dialog box. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, select Object. The Object dialog box opens.
3. Choose the file. Select the Create from File tab, then select Browse and pick the Excel workbook.
4. Keep it embedded. Make sure the Link to file checkbox is cleared. If you select it, Word creates a link to the workbook instead of storing a copy. The Result note at the bottom of the dialog changes to describe what you are about to insert, which is a quick way to double-check.
5. Decide how it should look (optional). Select Display as icon if you want a small clickable icon instead of a preview of the sheet. Use Change Icon to pick a different icon or caption.
6. Insert it. Select OK. The spreadsheet (or its icon) appears in the document. Save the Word file to keep the embedded copy.

Microsoft’s own walkthrough of the Object dialog box is in Insert an object in Word or Outlook.

Create a new embedded spreadsheet instead

If you do not have a workbook yet, you can build one directly inside the document.

1. Click where the spreadsheet should go, then select Insert > Object.
2. Stay on the Create New tab and choose the Excel worksheet entry in the Object type list.
3. Select Display as icon only if you want an icon rather than a visible grid, then select OK.
4. Excel opens for the new object. Type your data and formulas. When you return to the document, the sheet is stored inside the Word file.

Embed or link only part of a sheet

When you only need a range of cells rather than the whole workbook, copy and paste is faster.

1. In Excel, select the cells and press Ctrl+C.
2. In Word, click where the data should go and press Ctrl+V.
3. Select the Paste Options button next to the pasted data and choose one of these:
   • Keep Source Formatting or Use Destination Styles: a regular Word table with no connection to Excel.
   • Link & Keep Source Formatting or Link & Use Destination Styles: the table stays linked to the original worksheet and updates when the worksheet changes.
   • Picture: an image of the cells that cannot be edited or updated.
   • Keep Text Only: plain text, with each row in its own paragraph and tabs between the values.

Microsoft describes each choice in Copy from Excel to another Office program. If a live connection is the main goal, our guide on how to link Excel to Word covers that route.

How to embed an Excel file in Word for Mac

Word for Mac uses menu-bar menus and an Options button rather than separate tabs.

1. Click where the spreadsheet should go.
2. On the Insert menu, select Object, then select From File.
3. Select the workbook, then select Options.
4. Clear the Link to File box so the file is embedded. Select Display as Icon if you want an icon.
5. Select Insert.

On a Mac, an embedded Excel sheet must be the first sheet in the workbook, so move the sheet you want to show to the first position in Excel before inserting it. To edit it later, double-click the object, make your changes, and choose File > Close & Return to followed by your document’s name. Microsoft’s Mac instructions are in Link or embed data in Office for Mac.

How to check that it worked, edit it or remove it

• Confirm it is embedded: an embedded object keeps displaying even if you move or rename the original workbook, because the copy lives inside the document. A linked object needs the original file to show its data.
• Edit the data: double-click the object, change the cells, then return to the document. Changes stay in the Word file and do not touch the original workbook.
• Remove it: click the object once to select it and press Delete, then save the document.
• Switch from linked to embedded: delete the object and insert it again with Link to file cleared.

Troubleshooting

Word for Mac shows the wrong sheet

Microsoft notes that an embedded Excel sheet must be the first sheet in the workbook on a Mac. Open the workbook in Excel, move the sheet you want readers to see to the first position, save, delete the object in Word and insert the file again.

Double-clicking the object does nothing or shows an error

Editing an embedded workbook needs Excel on the same computer, because Word hands the object to the program that created it. Install or repair Excel, or ask the sender for the workbook itself. Word for the web is not suited to this task; open the document in the desktop app.

A linked table shows old numbers

Word stores pasted links as LINK fields. Without the automatic-update switch in its field code, it only refreshes when you tell it to. Right-click the linked table and choose Update Field, or press Ctrl+A and then F9 to update every field in the document. Pressing Alt+F9 shows the field codes, including the file name and location Word expects.

The link broke after the workbook was moved or renamed

A linked object depends on that stored file name and location, and both files must be reachable for the data to show. Put the workbook back where it was, or delete the object and insert it again from the new location. If the document is going to other people, embed the file instead.

The Word file became very large

An embedded object carries the entire workbook. Trim unused sheets and images in Excel before embedding, paste only the cells you need, or use a link if the file can stay alongside the document.

Work or school documents

Your organization may block embedded objects, macros or certain file types in documents. If Word refuses to open or insert the object, check with your IT administrator rather than changing security settings yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Does an embedded Excel file update when I change the original workbook?

No. Once embedded, the object is no longer connected to the source file. Use Link to file or a Link paste option if you need updates.

Can people I send the document to see the whole workbook?

Yes, anyone who can open the document and has Excel can open the embedded object, including data you did not show on the page. Remove anything private from the workbook before you embed it.

Which makes the smaller Word file, embedding or linking?

Linking. The linked data stays in the workbook and Word stores only its location, while embedding adds the whole workbook to the document.

Can I show the spreadsheet as an icon?

Yes. Select Display as icon in the Object dialog box (Display as Icon on a Mac). Readers double-click the icon to open the workbook.

Can I put a Word document inside Excel the same way?

Yes, Excel can hold a Word document as an object too. See our guide on how to embed a Word document in Excel.

Once the spreadsheet is in place, save the document and double-click the object once to confirm it opens before you share the file.

Related: how to insert an Excel table into PowerPoint.