Microsoft Word offers an easy way to insert tables on your documents. However, it is a difficult task to edit and manage tables within a Word document. For example, you can easily apply formatting and apply formula in Excel tables compared to Word tables. Therefore, the easy way to have a complex table on your Word document is first create a table with Excel and then insert the Excel table in Word document. If you have a lengthy document, it is also a good idea to create table of contents for quickly accessing headings.
How to Insert Excel Table in Word Document?
There are two ways to insert Excel table in Word:
- Insert an existing table
- Create an empty Excel table in Word
Insert an Existing Excel Table
Follow the below instructions to insert an existing Excel table. The assumption here is that you already have an Excel table. Let us take an example of table as show below and explain how it will look in Word when embedding.
- Open your Word document and place the cursor at the place where you want to insert a table.
- Switch to the “Insert” tab and click on the “Object” button. Alternatively, click the “Object” button dropdown and select “Object” option.
- It will open “Object” popup dialog as shown below.
- In this example, you have an existing Excel table that you want to embed. Switch to the “Create from File” tab.
- Click on the “Browse” button, locate your Excel sheet and double-click on it.
- The file is now ready for embedding into Word. You have two more options for embedding.
Embed File as a Link
Choose “Link to File” checkbox and click on the “OK” button. You will the Excel file embedded on Word document like below with same formatting and filters as the original Excel.
Word will insert a shortcut to original Excel table. Any changes in the original Excel table will automatically reflect on your Word document table.
Embed As an Icon
The second option is to embed Excel table as an icon. Choose the “Display as icon” checkbox and insert your Excel table. The embedded Excel will show as an icon with the Excel file name as shown below:
In this case, you will not see the content of the table. You will only see the name of the Excel file as an icon.
Remember, if you embed Excel as an icon then editing on source and Word will not synchronize automatically.
Embed Link as an Icon
Since linking and displaying icon are checkboxes, you can enable both options when inserting Excel table. In this case, you will see the icon on your Word document. However, editing in either place will be synchronized automatically.
Editing Embedded Excel Tables
After embedding an Excel table as a link into your document, you have all usual editing functions available. You can change size and position and design the table. You can of course, edit the content of the table as well.
- First, double-click on the table to start editing.
- You can increase or decrease the size, drag the cells to the desired position.
- Since editing open Excel, you can find all Excel options in the ribbon for formatting cells or carrying out calculations.
Data Synchronize
As mentioned, the source Excel and Word tables will automatically synchronize only when you insert as a link. If you have modified the source Excel, right click on the table on Word and select “Update Link” option. This will synchronize the data from your source Excel to show on Word.
When you show the file as an icon, Word will embed the copy of original Excel table. This essentially means there will be no synchronization between source and embedded tables.
Deleting Embedded Table
Select the table or the icon by clicking on it. Now simply press the Delete key or the Backspace key to remove it from your Word document.
If you want to change the file name when displayed as icon, right click and select “Worksheet Object > Convert” option.
On the resulting popup, click on the “Change Icon” button and edit the file name displayed on the Word document.
You can manage the embedded Excel table in the same way as a graphic. This applies, for example, to the positioning and line breaks of the table.
Inserting Empty Excel Table as Object
For embedding Excel tables, you do not necessarily have to use an existing Excel table. You can also insert an empty Excel table in case you want to enter the contents directly in Word.
- In the previous process of creating a table from Excel file, you can also add an empty Excel table into Word using the “Object” button.
- When you are in “Object” popup, click on the “Create New” tab.
- Select “Microsoft Excel Worksheet” option and click “OK” to insert an empty Excel sheet.
- You can also choose “ Display as Icon” option to show the file as an icon.
- After inserting, you can directly start adding the table content.
You will see all Excel options for editing and click on outside the Excel table to quit Excel and go back to your Word document.
Using Table Menu
Word also offers another way of inserting empty Excel table.
- Go to “Insert” menu and click on the “Table” button.
- Select “Excel Spreadsheet” and start creating your Excel table.
- After creating the content, either click “Esc” key or click outside the table to get back to Word document.
When you create an empty table, the Excel table is part of the Word document. There is no separate file created.
Summary
You can see that Office programs enable simple, overall application operation. It is very easy to insert Excel table in Word document and edit the content as per your need.
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