To put a picture inside an Excel cell so it stays with its row, use Place in Cell. If the image is hosted online, use Excel’s IMAGE function with an HTTPS image URL. These are different from inserting a picture that floats over the worksheet.
Choose the right way to add the picture
| Method | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Place in Cell | A picture selected from your device or another supported picture source | Insert the image into a cell through Excel’s picture menu, or convert a floating picture into a cell picture. |
IMAGE function |
An image available at an HTTPS URL | A formula displays the linked image and can include alternative text and sizing options. |
Microsoft documents Place in Cell for Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024. The IMAGE function is documented for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024 on Windows and Mac, and Excel on iPhone and Android phones. If a command is missing, check which Excel client and release you are using.
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Insert a picture with Place in Cell
Choose a picture from a source
- Select the destination cell.
- Choose Insert > Illustrations > Pictures > Place in Cell.
- Choose a source, such as a device file, Stock Images, or Online Pictures, select the picture, and choose Insert.
Microsoft lists JPG/JPEG, PNG, BMP, ICO, WEBP, TIF/TIFF, and GIF files as supported for pictures inserted in cells; GIF support is for non-animated images. See Microsoft’s Place in Cell instructions for details.
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Right-click the destination cell and choose Paste Picture in Cell. An ordinary Ctrl+V paste places a clipboard image over cells by default, so use the cell’s context menu when you want it inserted as cell content.
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Convert an existing floating picture
Select the picture, then choose Place in Cell on the Picture Format tab. If the floating picture spans multiple cells, Excel places it in the cell at the picture’s top corner. To make a cell picture float over the worksheet again, use its context menu and choose the option to place it over cells.
Insert multiple pictures down a column
Select multiple image files in the insertion flow. Excel starts at the active cell and continues down the column. It overwrites any existing values in those destination cells, so select an empty area before inserting.
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Use the IMAGE function for an online picture
Enter the formula in the cell where the picture should appear:
=IMAGE(source, [alt_text], [sizing], [height], [width])
source is required and must be an HTTPS URL to an image file. The remaining arguments are optional. For example, =IMAGE("https://example.com/image.png", "Blue ceramic mug", 0) requests an image with descriptive alternative text and sizing mode 0. Replace the example URL with the real HTTPS address of your image.
| Sizing value | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 | Fits the image in the cell while maintaining its aspect ratio. |
| 1 | Fills the cell while ignoring the image’s aspect ratio. |
| 2 | Preserves the image’s original size, which can extend beyond the cell boundary. |
| 3 | Uses custom dimensions; specify height and width in pixels. |
Microsoft lists BMP, JPG/JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, ICO, and WEBP as supported formats for IMAGE. WEBP is not supported by this function in Excel for the web or Excel for Android. External-content settings can block linked images; Excel may then return #BLOCKED!. Microsoft’s IMAGE function documentation describes its arguments, formats, and availability.
Insert a picture in Excel for the web
In Excel for the web, choose Insert > Pictures, then select Place in cells or Place over cells and choose a source, such as your device, Stock Images, or Bing Pictures. The workbook may need to be open in Editing View. Microsoft notes that a Bing image result is not supported if its host does not use HTTPS or its URL is invalid. Follow Microsoft’s Excel for the web picture instructions for the current workflow.
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Make cell pictures accessible
Add useful alternative text so a screen-reader user can understand what the picture shows. In Excel, right-click the picture, choose View Alt Text, and enter a description. For an IMAGE formula, use its optional alt_text argument. Microsoft explains the function’s alternative-text behavior in its IMAGE function guidance.
If the picture does not appear as expected
- The picture moves independently of the row: It may be floating over the cells. Use Place in Cell to convert it to cell content.
- A batch insertion replaced data: Multiple files are placed starting at the active cell and continue down the column. Undo the insertion if appropriate, then choose an empty destination range.
- The formula returns
#BLOCKED!: Excel’s external-content settings may be preventing access to the linked image. - A web image will not load: Confirm that the formula’s source is an HTTPS URL to an image file. In Excel for the web, Bing results also require a valid URL and an HTTPS host.
- WEBP fails in a particular client: The
IMAGEfunction does not support WEBP in Excel for the web or on Android.
Google Sheets uses a separate IMAGE workflow
Google Sheets also has an IMAGE function for displaying an image from a URL. Its URL argument can be a quoted URL or a cell containing URL text. Excel ribbon instructions do not apply to Sheets; see Google’s IMAGE function help.
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