Linked and embedded objects in word

When you insert content as an object, you create a dynamic link between the content that you insert and the content that was created in another Microsoft Office program. Unlike when you paste content (such as by pressing CTRL+V), when you insert it as a linked or embedded object, you can work with it in the original program.

For example, if you insert worksheet cells into the document as an Excel object, Microsoft Office Word runs Excel when you double-click the cells, and you can use Excel commands to work with the worksheet content.

Understand the differences between linked objects and embedded objects

The main differences between linked objects and embedded objects are where the data is stored and how you update the data after you place it in the Word file.

You place either a link to the object or a copy of the object in the document. You can insert objects this way from any program that supports the technology of linking and embedding objects (object linking and embedding, or OLE).

For example, a monthly status report may contain information that is separately maintained in an Excel worksheet. If you link the report to the worksheet, the data in the report can be updated whenever the source file is updated. If you embed the worksheet in the report, your report contains a static copy of the data.

1. Embedded object

2. Linked object

3. Source file

Linked objects

When an object is linked, information can be updated if the source file is modified. Linked data is stored in the source file. The Word file, or destination file, stores only the location of the source file, and it displays a representation of the linked data. Use linked objects if file size is a consideration.

Linking is also useful when you want to include information that is maintained independently, such as data collected by a different department, and when you need to keep that information up-to-date in a Word document.

Embedded objects

When you embed an Excel object, information in the Word file doesn’t change if you modify the source Excel file. Embedded objects become part of the Word file and, after they are inserted, they are no longer part of the source file.

Because the information is totally contained in one Word document, embedding is useful when you don’t want the information to reflect changes in the source file, or when you don’t want the document recipients to be concerned with updating the linked information.

Depending on the version of Word or Outlook you’re using, you can insert a variety of objects (such as PDF files, Excel charts or worksheets, or PowerPoint presentations) into a Word document or an email message by linking or embedding them. To insert an object, click Object on the Insert tab.

Insert a new object

To create a new file that is inserted into your Word document or email message:

1. In the Object dialog box, click the Create New tab, and then select an option from the Object type list.

   

   The default program for that file type opens, where you can enter any text or data you want. When you close the program, any added content or changes appear in your Word document or email message.

2. If you want the new file to appear as a clickable icon, rather than the first page of your new file, select Display as icon. If this check box is selected, you can choose a different icon by clicking Change Icon.

Tips: 

• The information in the Result section changes based on the selected object type and whether Display as icon is selected. Use this information to help you determine what you want to insert and how you want it to appear.

• To edit the information in your inserted object, double-click the object.

• In Outlook, the Display as icon option is only available if you format your email as RTF (Format Text > Format > Message Format > Rich Text).

Link or embed an existing file

To link or embed an object that’s already been created:

1. In the Object dialog box, select the Create from File tab, and then click Browse to find the file you want to insert.

   

2. To link to the source file, rather than embedding it into your Word document or email message, select Link to file.

3. If you want the inserted file to appear as a clickable icon, rather than the first page of the file, select Display as icon. If this check box is selected, you can choose a different icon by clicking Change Icon.

   Tip: The information in the Result section changes based on whether Link to file and Display as icon are selected. Use this information to help you determine what you want to insert and how you want it to appear.

Embedded objects vs. linked objects

Embedded objects become part of the Word file or email message and, after they are inserted, they are no longer connected to any source file.

Linked objects can be updated if the source file is modified. Linked data is stored in the source file. The Word file or email message (the destination file) stores only the location of the source file, and it displays a representation of the linked data. Use linked objects if file size is a consideration.

While inserting a file (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, image, etc.) as an object into a Word document, you can either create a new or use an existing file.

Create a new file and insert as an object

1.    Place the mouse cursor where you want to create the object.

2.    From the Ribbon, under the tab Insert, within the group Text, click Object. The object dialog box appears.

3.    Select an object to create from the Object Type list.

4.    Select the Display as icon check box.

5.    Word creates an icon of the selected Program at the cursor position and opens the program to create a new file.

For example, if you select  object type as “Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet”, an Excel icon is created at the cursor position and then Word opens the Excel program to create a new Excel document.

Insert an existing file as an object

1.    You can insert an existing file into your document in two different ways: either embed the file or link the file.

2.    Place your mouse cursor where you want to create the object

3.    From the Ribbon, under the tab Insert, within the group Text, click Object. The object dialog box appears.

4.    From the dialog box, click Create from File.

5.    Click the Browse button to locate the file in your system.

6.    Select the Display as icon check box.

7.    The object icon is created at the cursor position. This way you can embed a file into your document.

8.    If you want to link the file, also select the Link to File check box.

Difference between embedding and linking an existing file

If you want to update an embedded file, you have to double-click the object to open the file and then edit. Updating the source file will not update the embedded file.

However, if you are linking an existing file, then changes in the source file will be reflected in the linked file.

Word allows you to insert other files with data and functionality from another document or program directly into your Word document.

Microsoft calls these additions ‘Objects’ which makes it sound overly technical and difficult but it’s not. Don’t get fazed by all the nerd talk about ‘objects’, that’s programmer speak that’s leaked out into the real world.

Whenever you see the word ‘Object’ think ‘Another file’.

Objects are just other files or sometimes, parts of other files.  Word or text files, graphs, Excel worksheets, PDF’s, PowerPoint files or a lot more.

You can either create a new object within your Word document or insert an existing file. You can also choose to either embed or link the object.

Embedding

Embedding an object just takes a snapshot or copy of the file at the time you embedded it. If you later change the original file, the changes are not reflected in your document.

• Use this to keep a copy of the file at a particular time like end of financial year or when contract is finalized.
• Embedding can also hide files and documents from prying eyes, that’s explained in our ebook Beating Bots, Spies and Cock-ups.

Linking

Linking an object creates a live link to the original file. If you make changes to the original file, the changes will appear in the object in your Word document.   See Putting Excel into Word

To insert an object in Word, go to Insert | Object.

Insert all the Text from Another File

If you have another text document, such as another Word file, plain text file, or even a PDF file, you can easily insert all of the text from that file into your document.

To do this, select the Text from File option.

The Insert File dialog will open for you to navigate to the file that you want to insert.

NOTES:

• The content will be inserted along with all its formatting from the source file. If the original is a large, complex document, this may take some time.
• If you select a PDF document, Word will do the best it can to convert it into Word, along with all its formatting. It may not look exactly like the original file, especially if the source file contains a lot of graphics. Very complex PDF files may take excessive time or may not be able to be imported.

Insert a New Object

To insert any other kind of object other than a text file, select the Object option.

The Object dialog will open with the Create New tab selected by default. You will see that there is an extensive list of object types available to choose from. In this example we will choose to insert a new Excel worksheet in the document.

An Excel worksheet will appear in the document, and the Excel ribbon and tools will appear above it, just as if you are working in an Excel file.

You can now drag the edges to show as much of the worksheet as you wish, enter whatever data, and perform whatever functions you wish within the worksheet.

When you’re done, click anywhere outside the object, and the Excel ribbon will disappear, but the worksheet will still appear as a table in your document. You can then double-click within the object to enter and edit it again.

NOTES:

• When you insert a new object in this way, you can click within the object any time to edit it.
• If the Excel worksheet contains more data than fits in the visible window in your document, the part that you have visible when you click out of the object is what will appear in your document when you click out of the object.

Embed an Existing Object

To insert an existing object in your document, click the Create from File tab in the Object dialog and browse to the file you want to insert.

A section of the file will appear in the document, and the reader can double-click on it to open it and view the whole file. The part of the file that displays in the document varies depending on the type of file:

• A PowerPoint presentation will show the first slide only. Double-clicking will allow the reader to click through the whole presentation.
• An Excel file with multiple worksheets will display the worksheet that was open the last time the file was saved. Double-clicking will give access to all worksheets.
• A PDF file will display the first page of the document. (Unlike the Insert Text from File option, with this method the inserted object will still be a PDF file, not converted to Word.)

PowerPoint presentation embedded in a Word document

An Excel worksheet embedded in a Word document

For more see Putting Excel into Word

NOTES:

• An embedded object is just a snapshot of the file at the time you embedded it. It no longer has any link to the original file, and any subsequent changes made to the original will have no effect on the object in your document.
• If the object is an editable file, such as an Excel file, you can edit it after you have inserted it. Double-click on the object, and the interface of the original application will open within your document, just as described above for inserting a new object.

Link an Existing Object

To embed an object and maintain a live link between it and the original file, again, select the Create from File tab in the Object dialog, but this time also click the “Link to file” box.

The object will appear in the document just like an embedded object, but with one big difference. In this case, if any changes are made to the original file, those changes will be reflected in the object in your document. You also will not be able to edit the object in the document – double-clicking on, for example, an Excel object will open the original Excel document in a separate window.

Refreshing the Link

Sometimes a change to the original file will not immediately appear in the object in your document. To ensure that you are looking at the latest information, right-click on the object and select Update Link.

Displaying an Icon Instead of the Object

There is one more choice in the Object dialog that we have not touched on yet. Whether you are inserting a new object, or embedding or linking an existing object, you have the option to just display an icon in your document rather then the object itself. The reader or editor can then click on the icon to open the file to view or edit it.

By default, the icon for the program the file is created in will show, but you can click Change Icon and choose your own icon file to use instead. The Change Icon button also allows you to edit the caption that appears under the icon in your document.

Inserted objects displayed as icons

Embed or link to a file in Word

1. Go to Insert > Object.
2. Select Create from File.
3. Select Browse and choose the file you want to use.
4. Select Insert.
5. Choose Display as icon to embed, or Link to file for a link.
6. Select OK.

What does it mean to embed a document in Word?

Embedding a document places the entire file into the new Word document. You can embed a Word document into a file, making it blend in with the rest of your document. Embedding the document places the entire file into the new Word document.

How To Insert PDF Into Word—From Microsoft Word

1. Open the Word document you want to insert a PDF into.
2. Click Insert > Object… > From File…
3. Choose the PDF file from the pop-up window and press Insert.
4. Ta-da! Your PDF should now be on the page.

How do I open an embedded document in Word?

Use the Go To command (Ctrl + g) and under “Go to What” select “Object”. Alternately, select all (Ctrl + a), then click Shift + F9, which will show the highlighted field codes for the embedded objects.

How do I create a clickable link in a Word document?

Select the text or picture that you want to display as a hyperlink. Press Ctrl+K. You can also right-click the text or picture and click Link on the shortcut menu. In the Insert Hyperlink box, type or paste your link in the Address box.

How do I insert a PDF file into a Word document without formatting it?

Insert PDF into Word as icon

1. Click on Insert and than find the object button.
2. In the Object dialog, choose Create from file or Create new. If you choose the tab “Create from file” you need to click on Browse to locate your PDF.
3. Before clicking on OK button, check the box to insert PDF into Word as icon.

What is difference between linking and embedding?

The main difference between linking and embedding is where the data are stored and how they are updated after they where linked or embedded.Your file embeds a source file: the data are now stored in your file — without a connection to the original source file.

How do I open an embedded Word document on a Mac?

Here’s how to extract those files so you can refer to them:

1. Copy the Word file to a separate folder, then change it’s file name by adding . zip to the end.
2. Choose Use .
3. Right-click on the file and choose Open With>Archive Utility.
4. Open the word/embeddings folder.

How do I unblock an embedded object in Word?

Right-click a file that has been block by Office and select Properties from the context menu. On the General tab, click the Unblock button at the bottom of the dialog and then click OK.

Where does an embedded object reside?

An embedded object is physically stored in the compound document, along with all the information needed to manage the object. In other words, the embedded object is actually a part of the compound document in which it resides.

How do you embed?

How to Add HTML Embed Code to Your Site

1. Go to the social post or webpage you’d like to embed.
2. Generate the embed code using the post’s options.
3. If applicable, customize the embed post, such as the height and width of the element.
4. Highlight the embed code, then copy it to your clipboard.

How do you link objects to worksheets in Word?

Link or embed an Excel worksheet in Word

1. Go to Insert > Text > Object.
2. Go to Create from file > Browse, and locate the file you want to insert in the Word document.
3. Choose one of the following: To add the file as a linked object, select Link to file, and then select OK.

How do I open an embedded Adobe file in Microsoft Office?

How to open embedded Acrobat files in Microsoft Office?

1. In File menu, click Preferences.
2. In File Associations panel, click Advanced button.
3. Check the box next to Use Foxit Reader to open embedded Acrobat files and Foxit PhantomPDF files in Microsoft Office.
4. Click OK to apply the change.

How do I open an embedded PDF in Word for Mac?

Opening embedded documents in word

1. In Finder, change the file extension from .dotx to .zip.
2. Right-click the zip file and choose Open With > Stuffit 16.
3. Nagivate the Word folder to the Embeddings folder.
4. Drag the PDF file to your desktop.
5. Double-click the PDF file to open it in Preview or your default PDF viewer.

How do I open an embedded PDF on a Mac?

You can double-click a PDF or image file to open it by default in Preview. You can also open Preview and select the files you want to view. In the Preview app on your Mac, choose File > Open. Locate and select the file or files you want to open, then click Open.

How is an embedded object different from a linked object?

The main differences between linked objects and embedded objects are where the data is stored and how you update the data after you place it in the Word file. You place either a link to the object or a copy of the object in the document.

How do you resolve office has blocked access to the following embedded object?

Resolution

1. Select File > Options.
2. In the Options window, select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
3. In the Trust Center window, select File Block Settings, and then clear the “Open” or “Save” check box for the file type that you want to open or save.
4. Select OK two times.

How do I remove a hyperlink?

To remove a hyperlink but keep the text, right-click the hyperlink and click Remove Hyperlink. To remove the hyperlink completely, select it and then press Delete.

How do you Hyperlink in Outlook on a Mac?

Insert a hyperlink

1. In a message, position the cursor in the message body where you want to add a link.
2. On the Message tab, click Hyperlink.
3. In the Link box, type the address for the link.
4. In the Text box, type the text that you want to appear in your message.

How do you Hyperlink in preview on a Mac?

Can I Add Hyperlink to PDF Free in Mac Preview?

1. Open the PDF with Mac Preview.
2. Go to Tools>Annotate>Text.
3. Add the URL link and use the text settings to customize the link text.
4. Then go to File>Export as PDF, the link will be added to your PDF and it is clickable.

Under what tab would you find the Hyperlink button in Microsoft Word?

Select the Insert tab, then click the Hyperlink command. Alternatively, you can open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box by right-clicking the selected text and selecting Hyperlink… from the menu that appears.