How to Link PowerPoint Chart to Excel (Step by Step)

In this article, we will link a PowerPoint chart to Excel using the simple copy-and-paste method. But this time, you need to paste the chart using paste formatting. Here we also learned how to link tables in PowerPoint and the disadvantages of linking PowerPoint charts to Excel.

Linking charts with Excel is quite a useful feature. If you add or remove any value in Excel then the value will be automatically changed in the PowerPoint chart. With this process, you can simply present any chart and change the value of the chart without any hassle.

How to Link PowerPoint Chart to Excel: Step-by-Step Procedure

In this part, we will show how to link PowerPoint charts to Excel using a simple copy-and-paste format.

Step 1: Create the Chart in Excel

Here, we will create a chart in Excel to link that chart with PowerPoint,

Select the table range C5:D13 and go to Insert Tab >> Chart to create a chart.

Now an Excel Chart is added to the Excel file as below.

Step 2: Link the Chart to PowerPoint

Therefore, in this step, we will link the chart to PowerPoint.

Now open the PowerPoint file and paste the chart using the paste format Keep Source Formatting & Link Data to link the data with the original Excel file.

Here is the final output.

How to Link PowerPoint Table to Excel

In this method, we will link an Excel table to PowerPoint using the same process already shown in the previous method. But instead of using paste format, Keep Source Formatting & Link Data in Paste Format Keep Formatting to paste the table.

How to Update Chart When Auto Update Is Not Working

If the data in the chart is not updating in the PowerPoint after updating the data in Excel, then select the chart in PowerPoint and go to Chart Design >> Refresh Data to update the chart when auto-update is now working.

What Are the Disadvantages of Linking PowerPoint Chart to Excel?

Linking PowerPoint charts in Excel provides some advantages, but at the same time, there are some disadvantages or drawbacks to applying this method. There are some disadvantages below

In the older version of Office, this linking chart process was unreliable.
When you open the presentation, the data is not auto-updated. First, you need to refresh the data.
Existing charts in PowerPoint cannot always be linked. You must select and copy the Excel Chart first.

Things to Remember

While linking the charts always make sure to select the right paste formatting.
Always keep the source file accessible otherwise, the other person cannot change the data.
Sometimes the auto-update option in PowerPoint is not enabled so the PowerPoint does not update the data. In that case, you need to enable the option to auto-update.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How do I automatically update Excel charts in PowerPoint?

Ans: If you want to update Excel charts automatically in PowerPoint then link the chart while pasting the chart. Copy the chart and paste the graph using the paste format Keep Source Formatting & Link Data.

Q2: Can a graph automatically update in Excel?

Ans: Excel dynamic charts can be updated automatically but on the other hand, the static chart is not possible to update automatically in Excel whenever there is new data.

Download Practice Workbook

You may down the below workbook for practice.

Link with Powerpoint.xlsx

Conclusion

Therefore, we learned how to link PowerPoint charts to Excel using a simple copy-and-paste method. Therefore, to link the charts use paste format Keep Source Formatting & Link Data. We also learned how to link PowerPoint Table to Excel as well. We cover every way to execute this process. Hopefully, you can solve the problem shown in this article. Please let us know in the comment section if there are any queries or suggestions, or you can also visit Exceldemy to explore more.

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