There are three practical ways to bring Excel data into Word: paste it as a normal Word table, link it to the original workbook, or embed a working spreadsheet object. The best choice depends on whether the numbers need to keep updating.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Word and Excel for Microsoft 365, 2021, and 2019 on Windows or Mac when spreadsheet data belongs inside a report, proposal, or document.
Paste as an editable Word table
This is the most common choice for final or mostly final numbers.
- In Excel, select the cells and copy them.
- Click in Word where the table should appear.
- Open the Paste dropdown on the Home tab.
- Choose Keep Source Formatting to preserve the Excel look, or Use Destination Styles to match the Word document.
- Edit and format the result as a normal Word table.
This method creates no ongoing connection to Excel. Changes in the workbook will not update the Word table automatically.
Insert as a linked object
Use this when the Excel file keeps changing.
- Copy the range in Excel.
- In Word, open Home > Paste > Paste Special.
- Choose Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object.
- Select Paste link.
- Click OK.
- When the Excel file changes, right-click the Word object and choose Update Link if it does not refresh automatically.
The link depends on the source workbook staying in the same location. Moving or renaming the Excel file breaks the link until you reconnect it.
Embed a full spreadsheet in Word
Use this when you need formulas inside the document without a separate file.
- Click where the spreadsheet should appear in Word.
- Open Insert > Table.
- Choose Excel Spreadsheet.
- Enter or paste data into the embedded grid.
- Click outside the object to return to normal Word editing.
- Double-click the object later to edit it again.
More control
Choose based on future edits
Use a normal paste for final data, a linked object for data that must follow an external workbook, and an embedded spreadsheet when formulas need to live inside the Word file.
Fix tables that run off the page
Narrow columns in Excel before pasting, switch Word to landscape, or paste as a picture if the table only needs to be viewed.
Linked objects may need manual refresh
Right-click and choose Update Link, or allow link updates when opening the file.
Mac object behavior can be less reliable
Word for Mac supports paste and Paste Special workflows, but embedded live Excel objects are often less steady than on Windows. Linking to an external workbook is usually cleaner.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Insert a file in .doc or other format (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Link or embed a section from another document (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Insert an Excel worksheet into Word (2024)