How to Insert Excel Formulas into Microsoft Word?

Are you looking to insert Excel formulas into a Word document? Microsoft Word allows you to embed Excel spreadsheets and formulas directly into your document. This enables you to include calculated values, charts, and tables from Excel while still working in the familiar Word interface.

Inserting Excel data into Word is useful for creating reports, presentations, invoices, and other documents that require up-to-date numeric data. By linking or embedding Excel content, you can ensure your Word document always includes the latest calculated values.

In this article, we’ll walk through the step-by-step methods to insert an Excel formula into Word. We’ll cover embedding entire spreadsheets, linking to specific formulas, and pasting static formula results. We’ll also share some tips and troubleshooting advice for working with embedded Excel content in Word.

What You’ll Need

Before we get started, make sure you have the following:

• Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, or Word 2013)
• Microsoft Excel (the same version as your Word installation for best compatibility)
• An existing Excel spreadsheet with the formula(s) you want to embed in Word

It’s important that your versions of Word and Excel are compatible. While you can link and embed between different versions, using the same version (e.g. Word 2019 and Excel 2019) will provide the smoothest experience and minimize the chances of formatting or functionality issues.

Method 1: Embed an Excel Spreadsheet in Word

The easiest way to insert an Excel formula into Word is to embed the entire Excel spreadsheet that contains the formula. Embedding an Excel file makes it part of the Word document, without relying on a link to the original spreadsheet. This is a good choice if you want to keep your data portable and self-contained within the Word file.

Here’s how to embed an Excel spreadsheet into Word:

1. Open your Word document
2. Place your cursor at the location where you want to insert the Excel spreadsheet
3. Go to the Insert tab on the Word ribbon
4. Click Object in the Text group to open the Object dialog box
5. In the dialog box, select the option to Create from File
6. Click Browse and locate the Excel spreadsheet you want to insert
7. Select your Excel file and click Insert
8. Make sure the Link to file checkbox is unchecked (unless you want to link instead of embed)
9. Make sure the Display as icon checkbox is unchecked so the content displays in the document
10. Click OK to insert the Excel spreadsheet

Your Excel spreadsheet, including any formulas and calculated values, will now appear in your Word document at the location you selected. The spreadsheet is now embedded, meaning it is part of the Word file and does not rely on the original Excel file.

Pros and Cons of Embedding Excel Spreadsheets

Embedding an Excel spreadsheet into Word has some advantages and disadvantages to consider:

If you have a large, complex spreadsheet and only need a small portion of it in your Word document, you may want to consider linking to the specific formulas you need instead of embedding the entire file (see Method 2 below). However, for simpler spreadsheets or when you need the data contained within the Word file, embedding works well.

Method 2: Paste a Linked Excel Formula into Word

If you don’t need the entire Excel spreadsheet and just want to insert the result of a specific formula, you can paste it as a linked object. With a linked Excel object, the data in your Word document will update automatically whenever the source Excel file is updated.

However, the link will only work if the original source Excel file remains accessible in the same file location. If you move the Excel file or send the Word document to someone else, the link may break.

Here’s how to link to an Excel formula in Word:

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet
2. Select the cell(s) containing the formula(s) you want to link to your Word doc
3. Press Ctrl+C on Windows or Command+C on Mac to copy the selection
4. Switch to your Word document
5. Place your cursor at the location where you want to insert the linked formula
6. Go to the Home tab on the Word ribbon
7. Click the Paste dropdown arrow in the Clipboard group
8. Under Paste Special, choose Paste Link
9. Select Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object and click OK

The result of your Excel formula will now appear in the Word document. If the value of the formula changes in the source Excel file, the linked value in Word will update automatically (you may need to update the link manually by right-clicking and selecting “Update Link”).

Note that with this method, the actual Excel formula is not embedded in the Word file, only the result. The formula itself remains in the source Excel file.

Working with Linked Excel Objects in Word

When you insert an Excel formula as a linked object, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• To update a linked Excel object to the latest values:
• Right-click the linked object in Word
• Select Update Link from the contextual menu
• The linked data in Word will refresh to match the current source Excel file
• To break the link between an Excel object and Word:
• Right-click the linked object in Word
• Select Linked Object > Links from the contextual menu
• In the Links dialog box, select the link you want to break
• Click the Break Link button, then click OK
• The Excel data will remain in Word but will no longer update from the source file
• If you move or rename the source Excel file, the link will break and the Excel data will no longer update in Word
• To fix a broken link, re-link to the Excel file in its new location

Linking to an Excel formula provides an easy way to include a value that stays up-to-date with the source spreadsheet. However, remember that the portability of your Word document relies on access to the original Excel file.

Method 3: Use Paste Special to Insert Static Formula Results

If you want to quickly insert the result of an Excel formula into Word without linking or embedding, you can use the Paste Special feature to paste the value as plain text.

With this method, the pasted formula result will be static and won’t update if the source Excel data changes. However, this can be useful if you want a snapshot of the current value or if you plan to distribute the Word file without access to the original Excel data.

Here’s how to paste an Excel formula result as static text in Word:

1. Open your Excel spreadsheet and select the cell(s) containing the formula(s)
2. Press Ctrl+C on Windows or Command+C on Mac to copy the selection
3. Switch to your Word document
4. Place your cursor where you want to insert the formula result
5. Press Ctrl+V on Windows or Command+V on Mac to paste
6. The formula result will be pasted as static text and will not update

This method is quick and easy, but keep in mind that the value won’t change in Word if the source Excel data is updated. If you need the value to stay current, use linking or embedding instead.

Tips for Working with Excel Formulas in Word

Here are a few tips to make your experience inserting Excel formulas into Word as smooth as possible:

• Update links: If you’re using linked Excel objects, make sure to update the links before sending the file to someone else. This ensures they’ll see the latest values.
• Use tables: When embedding or linking Excel content, place it inside a Word table for best layout results. This helps keep your spreadsheet data aligned neatly on the page.
• Control formatting with Paste Special: If you’re pasting Excel content and the formatting looks off, try using Word’s Paste Special options. You can select to match the destination formatting to keep things consistent.
• Keep source files accessible: If using linked Excel objects, make sure to keep the source Excel file in an accessible location. If you move the file or send the Word doc to someone else, the links will break.

Troubleshooting Excel Formula Issues in Word

Even with the right methods, you may occasionally run into issues when inserting Excel formulas into Word. Here are a couple common problems and solutions:

By following these tips and troubleshooting steps, you can ensure your inserted Excel formulas look great and function properly in your Word document.

Final Thoughts

Inserting Excel formulas, charts, and tables into Microsoft Word is a convenient way to include up-to-date spreadsheet data in your professional documents. Whether you choose to embed an entire Excel file, link to specific formulas, or paste static formula results, Word provides the tools you need to integrate Excel content seamlessly.

The method you choose for inserting Excel data into Word will depend on your specific needs:

• To keep data portable and self-contained, embed the Excel spreadsheet
• For data that needs to stay up-to-date with a source Excel file, link to the formulas you need
• For a quick snapshot of current values that don’t need to update, paste static formula results

FAQs

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.