How to Link Excel Cells to PowerPoint

By Darryl Brooks

Most everyone knows how to copy something like data in an Excel cell into another program, such as PowerPoint. Sometimes, however, you don't simply want to copy the data but also want to provide a link to the data. In this way, you create a dynamic connection so that when the source data changes in the spreadsheet, the results will also change in the PowerPoint presentation. To do this you use an often-overlooked feature of Office called "Paste Special."

Step 1

Highlight the cell or range of cells you want to link in Excel, then click "Copy" in the upper-left corner of the menu bar.

Step 2

Switch focus to the PowerPoint presentation and place the cursor in the location of the presentation where you want the link to appear.

Step 3

Click the "Edit" menu and then click "Paste Special." In the pop-up menu that appears, select "Paste link." You have now created a live link back to the Excel spreadsheet from the PowerPoint presentation.

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