Word document with linked files

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.

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

Link an Excel file to a Word doc so the doc updates when the Excel data changes

Updated on March 11, 2022

What to Know

• Link: Copy cells. Right-click Link & Use Destination Styles or Link & Keep Source Formatting in Word.
• Embed: In Word, go to Insert > Object > Object > Create from File > Browse > choose Excel file > OK.
• Embed a spreadsheet table: In Word, go to Insert > Table > Excel Spreadsheet.

This article explains two ways to display Excel data in Word.

Instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2019, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, and Excel 2010.

How to Link Excel to Word

To insert any part of an Excel worksheet in a Word document:

1. Open the Word document where the worksheet will display.

2. Open the Excel worksheet that contains the data you want to link to the Word document.

3. In Excel, select and copy the range of cells to include. If you plan to insert more columns or rows into the worksheet, select the entire worksheet.

   To select the entire worksheet, select the cell located in the upper-left corner at the juncture of the row numbers and column letters.

4. In the Word document, position the cursor where you want to insert the linked table.

5. Right-click and select Link & Use Destination Styles or Link & Keep Source Formatting.

   Destination Styles uses the default Word table formatting, which usually results in a better-looking table. Keep Source Formatting uses the formatting from the Excel workbook.

6. The Excel data pastes directly into the Word document where the cursor was positioned. If changes are made to the source Excel file, the Word document updates with those changes automatically.

What Happens When You Link Excel to Word

Linking an Excel file to a Word document ensures that the Word document is updated every time the data in the Excel file changes. It works as a one-way link feed that brings the updated Excel data into the linked Word document. Linking an Excel worksheet also keeps your Word file small because the data doesn’t save to the Word document.

Linking an Excel worksheet to a Word document has a few limitations:

• If the Excel file moves, the link to the Word document needs to be re-established.
• If you plan to transport the Word file or use it on another computer, you must transport the Excel file along with it.
• You must do data editing in the Excel worksheet. It isn’t a problem unless you require different spreadsheet formats in the Word document.

How to Embed an Excel Spreadsheet in Word

The process of embedding an Excel worksheet in a Word document is essentially the same as linking to an Excel worksheet. It does require a few extra clicks, but it brings all data from the worksheet into your document, not only the selected range.

There are two ways to embed an Excel worksheet in Word. The first is to embed the worksheet as an object. The second is to insert a table.

When you embed a worksheet, Word uses the formatting from the Excel worksheet. Make sure that the data in the worksheet looks the way you want it to appear in the Word document.

Embed an Excel Worksheet as an Object

To embed an Excel worksheet as an object:

1. Open the Word document.

2. Go to the Insert tab.

3. Select Object > Object. In Word 2010, select Insert > Object.

4. In the Object dialog box, select the Create from File tab.

5. Select Browse, then choose the Excel worksheet that contains the data you want to embed.

6. Select OK.

7. The Excel worksheet is embedded in the Word document. 

How to Embed an Excel Spreadsheet Table

An alternative is to insert the Excel worksheet as a table. This method inserts the worksheet the same way as if you embedded it as an object. The difference is that it opens a blank Excel worksheet for you to fill out. Choose this method if you haven’t created the Excel file yet.

To insert an Excel worksheet as a table in Word:

1. Open a Word document.

2. Place the cursor where you want to insert the Excel worksheet.

3. Go to the Insert tab, then select Table.

4. Select Excel Spreadsheet.

5. This menu option opens a blank Excel worksheet that you can fill with data. Either enter new data or paste data from another spreadsheet.

When you insert and fill out a new Excel worksheet, you have an Excel file that you can update at any time. The data in the Word table automatically updates to match the data in the Excel file.

FAQ

• How do I embed a Microsoft Word document in Excel?

  In Excel, select the Insert tab > Text > Object > Create from File. Next, select Browse to find the Word file > Insert > OK. 

• How do I create labels in Microsoft Word from an Excel list?

  To create labels in Word from an Excel list, open a blank Word document > select Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels > choose the brand and product number for the labels. Then, choose Select Recipients > Use an Existing List > navigate to the Excel address list > OK. Add the merge mail fields to complete the merge.

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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Linking Word Documents.

Besides being able to link information from other Windows applications into your document, you can link other Word documents to your current document. This comes in real handy if you are working with a document that needs to pull information from other documents. For instance, you might have a contract that has standard clauses in it. These clauses may be stored in other documents and then be pulled into the contract as necessary. This is done in the following manner:

1. Position the insertion point where you want the document inserted and linked.
2. Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Object tool within the Text group. Word displays a few choices you can make.
4. Click Text from File. Word displays the Insert File dialog box.
5. Specify a filename for the document you want inserted and linked.
6. Click your mouse on the pull-down arrow at the right side of the Insert button. Word displays a menu of the different ways you can insert the document.
7. Choose Insert As Link from the menu.

This process results in Word displaying the other file, but the INCLUDETEXT field is used instead of the actual text from the file. The advantage to adding links in this way instead of inserting the other file completely is that the original documents (the ones you are linked to) can be independently updated, and those changes are reflected in the document with the links. (Provided, of course, that you update the links in the document by selecting the link and pressing F9.)

Author Bio

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen…