To insert an Excel graph into Word, select the chart in Excel, copy it, click the desired spot in Word, and paste. Then use Word’s Paste Options to choose whether the chart is linked to the Excel workbook, embedded with its own data, or inserted as a picture.
Copy and paste the chart from Excel
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In Excel, click the chart itself to select it, then press Ctrl+C. You can also use Home > Copy.
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Open your Word document and click where the chart should go.
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Press Ctrl+V, or choose Home > Paste.
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Click the Paste Options button beside the chart and choose how Word should store it. Microsoft documents this copy-and-paste workflow for desktop Office; the chart-copy tools are not available in Office Online. See Microsoft’s copy-from-Excel guidance and instructions for inserting an Excel chart into Word.
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Choose whether to link, embed, or use a picture
The Paste Options control both what travels into Word and what you can do with the chart later.
| Paste choice | What it does | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Use Destination Theme & Link Data | Keeps the chart connected to its original Excel worksheet. Word can reflect worksheet changes; the source data remains in the Excel file. | A chart that should track data maintained in a separate workbook. |
| Keep Source Formatting & Link Data | Links the chart to the original Excel worksheet while keeping its source formatting. | A linked chart whose Excel appearance should be retained. |
| Use Destination Theme & Embed Workbook | Stores a copy of the workbook data in the Word document and applies Word’s destination theme. | A self-contained document whose chart data may need editing. |
| Keep Source Formatting & Embed Workbook | Stores a copy of the workbook data in Word while retaining the chart’s source formatting. | A self-contained document that should preserve the Excel chart’s appearance. |
| Picture | Inserts a visual copy, not an editable chart. You can adjust it as a picture, but cannot refresh it from the worksheet data. | A fixed visual that does not need data editing or updates. |
Microsoft explains the differences between linked and embedded objects in its linked and embedded objects guidance.
Keep a linked chart up to date
A linked chart depends on its source Excel workbook. Keep that workbook accessible: if it is moved or unavailable, Word may not be able to update the chart. In supported desktop versions, select the chart in Word and choose Chart Design or Chart Tools Design > Data > Refresh Data. Ribbon names can vary by version. Microsoft’s chart guidance describes editing and refreshing chart data.
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Select the chart in Word and use Chart Design or Chart Tools Design > Data > Edit Data. Depending on the available options, you can edit the data in Word or open it in Excel. To change what the chart displays or how it sits with text, use controls such as Chart Elements, Chart Styles, Chart Filters, and Layout Options. The exact ribbon labels vary across versions.
Create a chart directly in Word instead
If the data is small or has not yet been charted in Excel, you can create the chart in Word:
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Choose Insert > Chart in Word.
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Select a chart type. Word opens a spreadsheet-style grid with sample data.
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Replace the sample values with your data and close or return from the grid. The chart’s data is stored in the Word document.
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For Microsoft’s instructions, see Add a chart to your document in Word and Creating charts from start to finish.
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Microsoft lists the copy-from-Excel workflow for Microsoft 365 and desktop Office versions including 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024. Its support guidance says these chart-copy tools are not available in Office Online. If you need them, open the document in the desktop version of Word.
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