To link an Excel chart to PowerPoint, copy the chart in Excel, then in PowerPoint click the arrow under Home > Paste and choose Use Destination Theme & Link Data or Keep Source Formatting & Link Data. The chart on your slide stays connected to the spreadsheet, so when the numbers change in Excel you can refresh the slide instead of pasting it again. Below are the steps, how updating works, and how to fix broken links. Before linking, it helps to finish the titles, labels and colors in Excel, and this guide to editing an Excel graph covers each one.
Linked, embedded, or picture?
- Linked: the chart reads its data from the Excel file. Update the spreadsheet and the chart can be refreshed. The PowerPoint file stays small, but the Excel file must stay where it is.
- Embedded: a full copy of the data is stored inside the presentation. It won’t change when the original workbook does. The file is larger but self-contained.
- Picture: a static image. It can’t be edited as a chart.
Link when the numbers change regularly, such as a monthly sales report. Embed or paste as a picture when you’ll email the deck to someone who doesn’t have the Excel file. Before you attach the deck, compress all the pictures in PowerPoint at once to keep it under email limits. A chart pasted as a picture no longer updates, but you can crop it like any other image if you cut out part of a picture in PowerPoint to show only one region of the chart.
How to link an Excel chart to PowerPoint
- Save the Excel workbook first. Links point to a saved file location.
- Click the edge of the chart so the whole chart is selected, not just a part of it, and press Ctrl + C.
- Open PowerPoint and go to the slide where the chart should go.
- On the Home tab, click the arrow under Paste. Or right-click the slide and look under Paste Options.
- Choose one of the link options:
- Use Destination Theme & Link Data matches the presentation’s fonts and colors.
- Keep Source Formatting & Link Data keeps the chart exactly as it looks in Excel.
- Resize and position the chart on the slide.
Alternative: Paste Special as a linked object
Click the arrow under Paste, choose Paste Special, select Paste link, choose Microsoft Excel Chart Object, and click OK. This inserts the chart as an object. Double-clicking it opens the source workbook in Excel. It’s less flexible to format inside PowerPoint but very reliable for updates. Finish emphasis effects in Excel before linking, for example when you pull one slice out of a pie chart, so the slide shows the chart the way you designed it.
Update the chart when the Excel data changes
- Refresh manually: click the chart in PowerPoint and choose Chart Design > Refresh Data. If that’s greyed out, click Edit Data first so PowerPoint can find the workbook.
- When opening the deck: PowerPoint may show a security notice asking whether to update links. Click Update Links to pull in the latest numbers.
- Update all links at once: go to File > Info and, under Related Documents at the bottom right, click Edit Links to Files. Select the links and click Update Now. Tick Automatic Update to update them every time the file opens.
Fix a broken link
A link breaks when the Excel file is moved, renamed, or deleted. To fix it:
- Go to File > Info > Edit Links to Files.
- Select the broken link and click Change Source.
- Browse to the workbook’s new location and click Open.
To stop a chart from ever updating again, for example before sending the deck out, select it in the same window and click Break Link. The chart stays on the slide with its current data.
Tips for reliable links
- Keep the Excel and PowerPoint files in the same folder, or in a shared OneDrive or SharePoint folder everyone uses.
- Don’t rename the workbook or the sheet that holds the chart’s data after linking.
- Close the Excel file, or at least save it, before refreshing in PowerPoint.
- Give your chart a clear title in Excel, which carries over to the slide.
Troubleshooting
Paste options don’t include Link Data
You copied a cell range or part of the chart instead of the whole chart. Go back to Excel, click the chart’s outer border, and copy again.
The chart doesn’t update
Check that you saved the Excel file, then use Refresh Data or Update Now. If PowerPoint can’t find the file, use Change Source.
Others see old numbers
Their copy of PowerPoint can’t reach your Excel file, for example because it’s on your local drive. Store the workbook in a shared location, or break the links before sending.
Frequently asked questions
Does linking work in PowerPoint for the web?
Linked charts display in PowerPoint for the web, but managing and updating links needs the desktop app.
Can I link a table instead of a chart?
Yes. Copy the cells, then use Paste Special > Paste link in PowerPoint. Other options are explained in inserting an Excel table into PowerPoint.
Does this work with Word too?
Yes, the same paste options exist in Word, whether you link Excel to Word or copy a graph from Excel to Word.
Summary
Copy the chart in Excel, paste it in PowerPoint with a Link Data option, and use Chart Design > Refresh Data or File > Info > Edit Links to Files to update it. Use Change Source to fix a moved file, and Break Link before sharing the deck.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.