excel presentation

• Presentation Design
• Report Design & Content Research
• Motion Graphics
• Interactive Design
• Design with AI

How to Create Powerful Presentations Using Excel

TL;DR Transform raw Excel data into compelling presentations with our 15-step guide. Learn to set objectives, clean data, select appropriate charts, and incorporate interactive elements for engaging and effective presentations. Enhance your storytelling and data visualization skills to create powerful, dynamic presentations.

Introduction

Sometimes, we receive data in Excel and are tasked with transforming this raw data into powerful presentations. Excel is not just for spreadsheets; its powerful data manipulation capabilities make it an excellent tool for creating presentations, especially when dealing with large datasets or when you need to display data-driven insights dynamically. This guide provides 15 detailed steps to help you turn Excel data into compelling presentations effectively.

Detailed Steps to Create Engaging Presentations Using Excel

• Set Your Objectives
• Clearly define the purpose of your presentation.
• Identify the core message you want to convey.
• Understand your audience's needs and expectations.
• Set actionable goals for what your presentation should achieve.
• Align your presentation structure to these objectives for maximum impact.
• Organize Your Data
• Separate raw data and analysis into different sheets for clarity.
• Group similar data together to facilitate easier analysis.
• Use named ranges to make data references clearer.
• Organize data chronologically or categorically based on the presentation flow.
• Maintain a clean and organized data setup to avoid confusion during visualization.
• Clean Your Data
• Remove any irrelevant or redundant data.
• Correct all errors and inconsistencies in the data set.
• Use Excel functions like TRIM to clean text data.
• Standardize data formats (dates, numbers, etc.) across your dataset.
• Check for and resolve any missing data issues.
• Select Appropriate Charts
• Choose charts that best represent the nature of your data.
• Consider the impact of different chart types on data interpretation.
• Use bar or column charts for comparisons among categories.
• Opt for line charts to display trends over time.
• Employ pie charts to show proportions within a whole.
• Utilize Advanced Chart Options
• Explore Excel’s specialized charts like radar or waterfall for complex data.
• Customize chart colors, labels, and legends for better readability.
• Use trend lines or data labels to add meaningful insights to charts.
• Employ dual-axis charts for comparing different datasets on the same chart.
• Utilize 3D charts to enhance visual appeal, but use sparingly to avoid distortion of data.
• Link Data Dynamically
• Connect charts to live data sources to ensure real-time data updates.
• Use Excel’s Data Model to integrate data from multiple sources.
• Apply dynamic formulas like INDEX and MATCH to make charts responsive.
• Employ data validation techniques to ensure data integrity.
• Set up dynamic ranges to auto-adjust as data grows.
• Incorporate Interactive Elements
• Use slicers and timelines for interactive data segmentation.
• Implement PivotTables to summarize large datasets dynamically.
• Add form controls like buttons and sliders to make the presentation interactive.
• Design your slides to respond to user inputs or selections.
• Ensure interactive elements are intuitive and clearly contribute to the narrative.
• Design a Dashboard
• Combine multiple data visualizations on a single screen for a unified view.
• Ensure each component of the dashboard provides unique but complementary information.
• Use consistent design elements across all visuals for a cohesive look.
• Make sure the dashboard is easy to read and navigate.
• Include interactive elements in the dashboard to engage the audience.
• Automate with Macros
• Use macros to streamline repetitive tasks, enhancing presentation efficiency.
• Automate data updates and visual adjustments with VBA scripts.
• Write macros that help navigate through the presentation smoothly.
• Ensure macros are tested and error-free to avoid glitches during the presentation.
• Provide button triggers for macros on the Excel interface for easy access.
• Narrative Flow
• Structure your presentation to tell a coherent story.
• Begin with an introduction that outlines key points.
• Build the body of your presentation with data-driven analysis.
• Conclude with a strong, data-supported conclusion.
• Transition smoothly between sections to keep your audience engaged.
• Maintain Design Consistency
• Use a uniform color scheme, font style, and layout across all slides.
• Apply consistent formatting rules for all data visuals.
• Design templates that can be reused for future presentations.
• Ensure that the visual design supports the data narrative.
• Avoid overdesigning that may distract from the data itself.
• Test and Iterate
• Conduct dry runs to test the flow and functionality of your presentation.
• Invite feedback from peers to refine content and design.
• Make iterative adjustments based on practical trials and feedback.
• Test on different devices to ensure compatibility.
• Finalize the presentation after thorough testing and refinement.
• Prepare Backups
• Save copies of your presentation in multiple formats.
• Ensure you have both digital and physical backups available.
• Regularly update your backups to reflect the latest changes.
• Store backups in different locations to mitigate risk.
• Consider cloud storage options for easy access and additional security.
• Have a contingency plan in place in case of technical issues.
• Add Supporting Notes
• Embed comments within your Excel cells to provide additional context.
• Use the notes section for personal reminders during the presentation.
• Prepare detailed explanations that can be referred to if questions arise.
• Keep notes concise and relevant to the data being presented.
• Ensure all notes are hidden from the audience view but accessible to you.
• Peer Review
• Share your presentation with colleagues or experts for feedback.
• Encourage constructive criticism to refine your presentation.
• Consider diverse perspectives to enhance the presentation’s appeal.
• Implement suggested changes that align with your objectives.
• Conduct a final review session to ensure all feedback has been addressed.

Mastering Excel for presentations transcends basic data visualization—it transforms how we communicate and persuade with data. This expertise not only empowers you to deliver insights in a compelling manner but also enhances your strategic influence within your organization or client base. Through the careful integration of data, design, and narrative, your presentations become not just informative but transformative, inspiring action and facilitating decision-making. The steps outlined in this guide equip you with the tools to turn complex data into captivating stories that resonate deeply with your audience. Embrace these practices to elevate your presentations from mundane to memorable, ensuring that every data point not only informs but also inspires and engages.

Are you ready to leverage your Excel data into powerful narratives that not only inform but also inspire and persuade? Visit INK PPT today and discover how our expert design services can amplify your presentation impact. At INK PPT, we don't just design slides; we craft stories that engage, inform, and motivate your audience to action. Elevate your presentations with us—where data meets design and storytelling.

Discover how we can create magic in your communication

Blog Categories

About the author.

Ankush Dahiya - Unleashing Possibilities

My journey is all about forging connections and unleashing the potential of our ventures. Whether it's nurturing partnerships, shaping strategies, or discovering new horizons for our business, I'm your go-to person.

Read The latest Related Blog

How to Craft an Effective Business Presentation PPT in Minutes

8 Essential Design Principles for Impactful Presentations: Enhance Your Brand's Message

Mastering Executive Presentations: 9 Essential Tips for Impressing Senior Management

Experience excellence with your presentations..

Microsoft 365 Basic now includes ransomware protection for your files and photos at no extra cost.

Use Microsoft 365 apps for free on the web

Office is now Microsoft 365

Get the Microsoft 365 mobile app *

Click here  if you're having trouble with the QR code.

* Availability of mobile apps varies by country/region.

Start using Microsoft 365 today

Anywhere access

Whether you’re at work or on the go, create your best work on your favorite browser.

Familiar experience

The familiar Microsoft 365 experience you know and trust, so there’s nothing new to learn.

Work with anyone

Share your documents with anyone and work together in real-time.

Word for the web

Craft great-looking resumes, newsletters, and documents while inviting others to review and coauthor in real time. Plus, access free Word templates, formatting tools for APA, MLA, and Chicago style, and add functionality with free add-ins.

Excel for the web

Organize your data in familiar spreadsheets and workbooks, with all changes saved automatically. Create modern visuals that turn numbers into valuable insights. Work together in real time knowing that everyone is on the same page.

PowerPoint for the web

Turn your ideas into compelling presentations using professional-looking templates. Use animations, transitions, photos, and videos to tell one-of-a-kind stories. Co-author team presentations at the same time, from anywhere.

Start now at Microsoft365.com

No installation required. It's free.

Follow Microsoft 365

• Chat with sales
• Contact sales

Available M-F 6 AM to 6 PM PT.

• Summarize PowerPoints with AI
• Summarize Word documents with AI
• Summarize PDF with AI
• Generate PowerPoints with AI from text
• Create Presentation with AI
• Create Presentations with AI from PDF
• GPT for Presentations
• Create Presentations from Website with AI
• Chat with Document Groups
• Import files from Cloud
• Request Demo
• May 13, 2024
• Comments Off on How to create PowerPoint from Excel
• Artificial Intelligence
• How to create PowerPoint from Excel

Creating PowerPoint presentations is essential for sharing ideas and results in business. Creating these presentations can be challenging and time-consuming (especially if integrating Excel data is needed). It involves researching, organizing information, and deciding how to present key points clearly. Designing presentation slides that are visually appealing and adding graphs, charts and tables can further complicate the process. Wouldn’t it be nice to create PowerPoints from Excel with just a few clicks? 👀

It’s very common for consultants, marketing managers or other people to create PowerPoints from Excel data. This can include data like statistics, research findings, or forecasts in your presentations, which might be stored in Excel files. Manually transferring this XLS data to create graphs and charts is a lot of work. Thankfully, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help simplify this task. AI tools can automatically turn Excel (XLS) data into PowerPoint slides. This is especially useful for consultants and professionals in various fields who need to present complex data efficiently.

There are two types of tools that allow you to create PowerPoint presentations from Excel automatically:

• Tools that directly generate completed PowerPoint presentations.
• Tools that create presentation content that you then need to copy manually.

In this blog post, we’ll cover how to create PowerPoint from Excel using both types of tools (both powered by AI). As a test example, we will use an Excel file containing data on changes in the US population by state from 1910 to 2020.

Note: The file was downloaded from the US Department of Commerce: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/population-change-data-table.xlsx

We’ll explore tools like SlideSpeak, Microsoft Copilot, Beautiful.ai, and ChatGPT and provide a comprehensive guide on leveraging their functionalities to create impactful presentations. Additionally, we’ll list the pros and cons of each tool so that you can make informed decisions based on your specific needs and preferences.

Method 1: Generating PPT from XLSX using SlideSpeak

Website: https://slidespeak.co

SlideSpeak is a powerful AI tool that allows you to automatically convert PDF, Word, and XLSX files into ready-made beautiful presentations in minutes.

To generate a presentation from an Excel (XLS) file using SlideSpeak, you need to perform the following steps:

• Select the Excel file: select the file based on which you want to create a presentation.
• Upload the file: upload the file to SlideSpeak.
• Preview data: preview the uploaded data in SlideSpeak. You can also ask it questions about the uploaded data.
• Create a presentation: select the necessary parameters and start the process of creating the presentation.
• Review the table of contents: review the presentation’s table of contents that SlideSpeak suggests.
• Select a template: choose a presentation template.
• Review the presentation: review and download the finished presentation. 

Step 1: Select the Excel file 

Open SlideSpeak . Drag the Excel file from which you want to create a presentation into the box in the center of the screen, or upload this file using the Click to upload button.

Step 2: Upload a file

To upload a file, click the Upload button under the file name and wait a little.

Step 3: Preview data

After loading the data, it will be displayed on the screen. You can now also ask SlideSpeak questions about the uploaded data.

To start the process of creating a presentation, click the Create Presentation button in the upper right corner.

Step 4: Create a presentation 

After starting the presentation generation process for your Excel file, SlideSpeak asks you to configure some presentation parameters. You can choose the desired number of slides, presentation language, and tone. In addition, you can add stock images to the presentation.

If you use the premium version of SlideSpeak, you can also use the brand logo, color, and fonts.

After setting all the presentation’s parameters, click the Next button at the bottom of the page and wait a few minutes for the presentation to be generated.

Step 5: Review the table of contents

Based on the data from the Excel file, SlideSpeak creates content for the presentation. Review it, and if you are satisfied with it, click the Next button to proceed to the next step of generating the presentation.

Step 6: Select a template

At this step, you will be prompted to choose a presentation template. Select one of the default templates or upload your own and click the Generate button. The presentation will be ready in a few minutes.

Step 7: Review the presentation

You can now review the finished presentation. Users with a paid subscription can also regenerate the presentation and download it as a PDF or PowerPoint file.

Pros and cons

• The ability to upload an Excel file to SlideSpeak without the need for manual copying and pasting;
• User-friendly interface;
• Automated and quick presentation generation process;
• Ability to customize the presentation according to the user’s needs and preferences;
• Ability to choose the presentation language;
• Additional features are available for users with a paid subscription.
• Limited customization options;
• There is no possibility to edit the finished presentation;
• Unlimited use requires a paid subscription.

SlideSpeak is a convenient and fast tool that allows you to automatically create PowerPoint from Excel. However, if you prefer to set up the presentation manually, you may miss some functionality. Therefore, before choosing a tool for creating presentations, it is important to define your needs and analyze the tool’s capabilities.

Method 2: Create PowerPoint from Excel using MS Copilot

Website: https://copilot.microsoft.com/

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered tool that integrates with Microsoft PowerPoint. Using advanced natural language processing techniques, it can summarize documents, generate content, and answer questions about content.

Copilot uses advanced AI to let you quickly create presentations based on the provided Excel data. Given that AI is not 100% accurate, you may need to manually edit the presentation after it is automatically generated. However, Copilot can do most of the hard work and significantly speed up the process to create a presentation. It is important to note that you need a paid subscription to use Copilot in PowerPoint.

Here is a brief overview of how to create PowerPoint from Excel using MS Copilot.

• Open Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint: create a presentation and open the Copilot toolbar.
• Insert data into Copilot in PowerPoint: copy the data from your Excel file and insert it into Copilot.
• Review the presentation: generate and, if necessary, edit the presentation.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint

Create a new presentation in PowerPoint and click the Copilot button on the right side of the toolbar. A Copilot panel will then appear on the right. The Copilot button is only available to users with a paid Copilot subscription.

Step 2: Insert data into Copilot in PowerPoint

Unfortunately, Copilot does not allow you to upload an Excel file. Therefore, you need to copy the data from your Excel file and paste it into the Copilot chat to generate a presentation. Write the following command in Copilot: “Create a presentation using the following data” and paste the data copied from Excel. However, in Copilot at the moment, the maximum length of a request is 2000 characters. Therefore, when you try to insert data from a large Excel sheet, excess data is cut off and not considered during presentation generation.

Step 3: Review the presentation

Wait a few minutes, and the presentation will be generated and displayed on the screen. You can edit the finished presentation, change the design and text, add slides, and more.

In our experience the results based on copy pasted data from Excel were very poor in quality. So we decide to use Excel Copilot to see if it can create us some nice charts from our Excel file that we can then copy over into our PowerPoint presentation.

Step 4: Generate charts using Copilot in Excel

As you can see from the slides, Copilot in PowerPoint creates text analysis of the data and inserts images associated with the data into the presentation. However, if you want to automatically generate charts based on Excel data, you can do this using Copilot in Excel.

Open Copilot in Excel by clicking the Copilot button on the right of the toolbar.

Select a table with data and write the following request in the Copilot chat: “Create a chart that shows the dynamics of population change in different states”. Wait for the chart to be generated. Then click the “ Add to a new sheet ” or “Insert PivotChart” button to insert the chart into a new Excel sheet.

After the chart opens in a new Excel sheet, you can edit it by adding new columns. Once the chart is ready, copy it into your PowerPoint presentation.

Pros and Cons

• Increasing the efficiency and productivity of creating presentations;
• Smart suggestions for slide layout based on analysis of its content;
• The ability to automatically generate charts;
• Wide possibilities for customization of the finished presentation.
• A paid subscription is required;
• Security and privacy risks of providing data access to an AI cloud service;
• The maximum length of the request is 2000 characters;
• The presentation may contain incorrect data as AI is not 100% accurate.

Copilot can fast and easily create PowerPoint from Excel. It also provides intelligent advice on the presentation’s content and design. However, users may still miss advanced features like the possibility of uploading Excel files. Additionally, a paid subscription is required even to use the limited features of Copilot.

Method 3: Create Presentation from Excel using Beautiful.ai

Website: https://www.beautiful.ai/

Beautiful.ai is cloud-based AI-powered presentation generation software. It provides customers with many professionally designed templates, layouts, and design elements that can be customized to match customers’ content and brand. Beautiful.ai simplifies and speeds up the process of creating visually attractive presentations. It saves users time and effort with design assistance and intuitive AI-driven tools.

Beautiful.ai is a paid tool, so you need to create an account and subscribe before you can get started. You can use a 14-day trial version for the preliminary study.

Below is a quick overview of the steps needed to create PowerPoint from Excel using Beautiful.ai.

• Open Beautiful.ai: go to Beautiful.ai and create a new presentation.
• Load data: load data from an Excel file into Beautiful.ai.
• Generate a presentation: check the uploaded data and initiate the process of creating the presentation.
• Review presentation: review and, if necessary, edit the finished presentation.

Step 1: Open Beautiful.ai

Open Beautiful.ai and ensure you are logged in to your account and have a subscription. After that, on the left side of the page, click Create Presentation -> Generate with AI .

Step 2: Load data

At this step, you need to enter the presentation topic and upload data from Excel. Enter your presentation topic in the text box at the top of the page. After that, click on the Train AI with Additional Context button and select the data input method. Beautiful.ai does not provide the function of uploading Excel files, so in the drop-down list, select the Text option.

Step 3: Generate a presentation

Copy the data from your Excel and paste it into the text box that appears on the page. After that, click the Generate Presentation button.

Step 4: Review presentation

You can review and edit the created presentation. The presentation editor provides functions for changing colors, fonts, images, and layouts. You can completely change the content of the slides and add new ones. 

You can export the final presentation as PowerPoint and PDF files or Google Slides. 

• Simple and intuitive user interface;
• Visually attractive design;
• Integration with Google Slides, PowerPoint, and PDF;
• Ability to collaborate with team members in real-time and securely share presentations.
• It is not possible to import Excel files;
• A paid subscription is required to access Beautiful.ai features;
• Limited customization options compared to creating presentations manually. Users may find it difficult to create a custom design or include certain branding elements.
• There are possible errors, as the AI is not 100% precise.

Overall, Beautiful.ai allows customers to create visually attractive presentations, saving time and effort. However, it is worth analyzing all its pros and cons to determine whether it meets your needs.

Method 4: Create presentation content using ChatGPT

Website: https://chat.openai.com/

ChatGPT is an AI tool that can perform natural language processing and generate text based on input data. It can answer questions, create summaries, perform translation, and generate text that looks natural and fits the context.

It is important to note that ChatGPT does not currently provide the ability to create PowerPoint from Excel. However, you can use it to greatly simplify and speed up the process of creating a presentation. You can do this in two ways:

• Generate titles and slide content with ChatGPT that you can copy and paste into your presentation.
• Generate VBA code that you can use to create your presentation in PowerPoint.

To generate presentation content from Excel using ChatGPT, perform the following steps:

• Ask to create a table of contents for the presentation.
• Generate slides’ content.
• Review the proposed content.
• Copy the finished content in PowerPoint.

Step 1: Ask to create a table of contents for the presentation

Write the following request in the ChatGPT chat: “Please suggest a table of contents for 8 slides for a presentation for this data: ” and paste the data from your Excel file. With the paid version, you can directly upload XLS files in ChatGPT and let it generate stuff for presentations.

Review the proposed presentation structure and ask clarifying questions or request revisions.

Step 2: Generate slides’ content

Ask ChatGPT to generate a few key phrases for each slide. For example, write in the following request: “Please provide 3–5 bullet points about Population Trends in the United States.”

Step 3: Review the proposed content

Review suggested content for each slide. Ask for content to be corrected or clarified as needed. You can also adjust the content manually.

Step 4: Copy the finished content in PowerPoint

Create a presentation in PowerPoint. Copy the title and content to each slide separately. Customize the design and add images and your brand logo to suit your needs.

• On-demand generation of presentation content;
• Ability to send an unlimited number of requests for free;
• The possibility of improving the content of the presentation.
• It is not possible to generate a ready-made presentation;
• Unable to generate graphic content;
• You need to do many settings manually;
• To upload an Excel file, you need the paid version.

Using ChatGPT to create presentations can be helpful for efficiently generating ideas and content. However, you may also need to make manual edits and manually transfer content generated by ChatGPT to PowerPoint.

Therefore, AI-based tools, such as SlideSpeak, Microsoft Copilot, Beautiful.ai, and ChatGPT, provide powerful solutions for converting Excel files into PowerPoint presentations. These instruments allow you to create beautiful presentations, significantly saving time and effort.

However, before choosing the best tool for you, it is impotant to clearly define your needs and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each instrument. You can utilize the trial version to try the functions of each tool and make an informed decision based on your individual needs.

Is it possible to convert Excel to PPT (with AI)?

Yes. There are free and paid AI tools that can upload data from Excel file, automatically analyze it, and create ready-made, visually attractive presentations customized to the content. Examples of such tools are SlideSpeak, Microsoft Copilot, and Beautiful.ai.

How to automatically create PowerPoint from Excel?

AI-based platforms like SlideSpeak, Microsoft Copilot, Beautiful.ai, and others allow you to create PowerPoint from Excel automatically. The step-by-step process of creating a presentation depends on the platform you choose. However, in general, to generate a presentation from an Excel file, you need to do the following:

• Select and upload an Excel file.
• Generation presentation.
• Review and adjust the finished presentation according to your requirements.

How to create PPT using ChatGPT?

ChatGPT cannot directly generate a PPT file. However, you can use it to generate the title and content of the slides and get advice on the visual design of your presentation. To do this, enter the appropriate requests in the ChatGPT chat and provide the data you need to generate a presentation. If you want a full AI solution to generate presentations with AI you can use SlideSpeak or design friendly tools like Canva.

Why don’t I have Copilot in PowerPoint?

For the Copilot button to appear in PowerPoint, you must have a paid Copilot subscription. Create a subscription and refresh PowerPoint. Then, the Copilot button should appear. You can find more info on this here: https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/en-us/copilot-powerpoint .

How can I create a PowerPoint with Copilot from an Excel file?

To create a PowerPoint presentation from an Excel file using Microsoft Copilot, make sure your Excel data is well-organized with clear column headings. Open Excel and then use Copilot to generate charts and graphs for your data. Afterwards copy the charts into PowerPoint. Microsoft Copilot in PowerPoint will then help you to figure out a suitable design for your slides. You have to use PowerPoint Copilot and Excel Copilot in combination to get good results.

Related Post

Top 5 Beautiful.ai Alternatives with AI in 2024

• August 11, 2024
• Comments Off on Top 5 Beautiful.ai Alternatives with AI in 2024

Top 5 AI PDF Translator Tools in 2024 that are Free

• July 17, 2024
• Comments Off on Top 5 AI PDF Translator Tools in 2024 that are Free

5 Ways how to use AI to Write a Resume

• July 9, 2024
• Comments Off on 5 Ways how to use AI to Write a Resume

AI generate presentations and summaries.

Summarize and generate PowerPoint files with ChatGPT. Upload, chat, and gain new insights from your presentations. Use SlideSpeak AI to boost your productivity.

• Help Center
• Affiliate Program 💵
• Call us: +1 ‪(512) 777-1759‬
• Compress PowerPoint
• Convert PowerPoint to PDF
• Convert PowerPoint to PSD
• Convert PowerPoint to Figma
• Convert PDF to Word
• Extract Images from PowerPoint
• Extract Images from Word
• Extract Images from PDF
• Terms of Service
• Refund Policy

Excel Visualization: A Guide to Clear Data Presentation for Beginners

I once struggled with dull data tables.

Numbers clustered in rows and columns become a blur. But with Excel visualization , you can empower your audience to make informed decisions based on the data presented. Excel charts and graphs replace chaos, revealing patterns and trends.

Convey ideas efficiently with the right visual. It’s not just about creating a chart; it’s about making data understandable and engaging.

In this article, I’ll guide you step-by-step on transforming your Excel data into insightful visuals.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Understanding the Basics of Excel Visualization

Excel provides various visualization options, whether 2D or 3D versions, standard, stacked, or 100% stacked options. It’s all about finding the right fit that best represents your data and message.

The Excel Charting Interface

Let’s start with creating a chart in Excel.

When you click on the Insert tab in Excel, you’ll see various chart types that you can use to visualize your data.

The Excel charting interface provides a wide range of options, from line and area charts to bar and column charts. When you click on a chart, the ‘ Chart Tools ’ contextual tab provides additional features for customizing your charts.

Types of Data for Visualization

Excel visualization data can be broadly categorized into numerical, categorical, and time-series data.

• Numerical data includes values that can be measured, such as sales figures or temperature readings.
• Categorical data includes information such as names, labels, or groups.
• Time-series data involves values measured over time, such as stock prices or website traffic.

Excel offers different chart types depending on your data type.

Selecting the Right Chart Type

Selecting the right chart type is half the battle for effective data visualization in Excel.

Pie charts are best for part-to-whole comparisons. Use line charts for time series or trends. Bar or column charts are the most suitable for categorical comparisons.

However, consider more advanced chart types for more complex data sets.

Scatter plots are excellent for correlation analysis , while histograms and box plots are ideal for distribution analysis of quantitative data.

It’s all about understanding your data and determining the best way to display it.

Steps for Visualizing Data in Excel – Creating Basic Charts

Creating basic charts in Excel is a fundamental skill for anyone looking to present data in a visual format.

Excel offers a variety of chart types, each with unique properties and use cases. The key to successful chart creation in Excel is understanding these different chart types and knowing how to present your data most effectively with them.

Organizing Your Data

Before you dive into creating Excel charts, it is crucial to organize your data correctly . 

Well-organized data will make the charting process easier and the resulting charts more meaningful. Ensure your data is clean, error-free, and arranged clearly and logically.

This will make it easier to select the data for your charts and create visuals that effectively communicate your data analysis results.

Pie and Donut Chart

Pie charts are popular for showing the proportion of different categories within a whole. While visually appealing, they are often misused and can lead to misleading interpretations.

Generally, they are most effective when comparing a few categories representing parts of a whole.

On the other hand, donut charts are a variation of pie charts with a hole in the middle (as the name implies!). Like pie charts, they can display multiple data series, but they should be used sparingly.

To create a pie chart in Excel:

• Select the data you want to visualize
• From the “ Insert ” tab, choose “ Pie ” from the chart options.
• You can customize your chart by changing the colors, adding labels, and adjusting other settings in the “ Format Chart Area ” pane.

Here’s a video guide on how to create a donut chart:

Line and Area Chart

Line and area charts are handy when dealing with time-series data . These charts plot data points on a graph and connect them with a line, allowing you to see trends over time. 

Check out this video for a step-by-step guide on how to create a line chart:

One of the business essentials when working with line and area charts is customizing the axis and gridlines. This can help make your chart more readable and meaningful .

The “ Format Axis ” pane allows you to customize the axis labels, adjust the scale, and add gridlines.

Column and Bar Graph

Bar and column charts are Excel’s most commonly used chart types. They are excellent for comparing different categories of data.

While bar charts and column charts are often used interchangeably, there is a difference: A bar chart presents data horizontally , while a column chart presents data vertically . This distinction can influence how easily your audience interprets the chart.

You can also choose between a stacked or clustered bar and column chart layout.

In a stacked chart , data series are stacked on each other, while in a clustered chart , they are placed side by side.

To create a bar or column chart:

• Select the data
• Then choose either “Bar” or “Column” from the chart options in the “ Insert ” tab
• Remember to format the chart and the axis labels to make the chart easier to understand

Advanced Charting Techniques

In this section, I’ll describe how to present complex data in a visually appealing and easily understandable format. Since each dataset is unique, treat these charts as ideas for meaningfully presenting your data.

Combination Charts

This type of chart combines the features of line and column charts, allowing you to present mixed data more comprehensively.

For example, when you have a target and actual data for comparison , a combination chart can be the perfect tool for visualization.

Clicking the Chart Design tab on the ribbon allows you to change the chart type and create a customized combination chart.

This allows you to have your target values in columns and the actual values marked along the line, which provides a clearer visualization of your data.

Trendlines and Data Analysis

Another essential feature of Excel charts is the ability to add trendlines. These can be linear, polynomial, or moving average trendlines.

A trendline graphically displays trends in your data , and you can extend it beyond the actual data to predict future values.

Along with trendlines, interpreting R-squared values is also crucial in data analysis. This will help you understand the relationship between your dependent and independent variables, thus enhancing your analysis results.

Check out our detailed how-to post on adding trendlines to Excel charts .

Conditional Formatting in Charts

Conditional formatting is another advanced charting technique in Excel that can enhance your data visualization. You can also add data bars, color scales, and icon sets.

These features allow you to customize your charts based on certain conditions, making it easier for your audience to understand your data. Applying these formatting options enables you to create more engaging and visually appealing charts for your data presentation.

Creating a Tornado Chart in Excel

Tornado charts are particularly effective when comparing and contrasting different variables . A well-crafted tornado chart can help you visualize how changes in several factors can impact a specific outcome – for example, the impact of inflation on NPV and IRR results.

Here’s a video showing you how to create a tornado chart:

Designing a Funnel Chart in Excel

Funnel Charts in Excel are highly effective tools for monitoring sales processes or any other process that narrows down over time.

Here are two quick methods for designing funnel charts in Excel:

Building a Waffle Chart in Excel

Waffle charts, also known as square pie or waffle bar charts, are a great way to visualize individual data points compared to the whole data set. They are a fun and engaging way to present percentages or proportions.

Here is a simple method for creating waffle charts:

Data Visualization Tips – Enhancing Chart Aesthetics

The aesthetics of your Excel chart play a significant role in how effectively your data is communicated.

A visually appealing chart is easier to understand and engages your audience. Enhancing chart aesthetics involves working with various chart elements and features, such as colors, styles, and data labels.

Adding data labels, for instance, provides additional information on your chart, making it easier to interpret.

Besides, you can customize the chart’s colors and styles to match your presentation theme or company branding.

Check out this post for more information on good dashboard design principles .

Working with Chart Elements

Working with chart elements can significantly improve the readability and effectiveness of your data visualization.

Some key chart elements you can manipulate include titles, legends, and data labels.

• Data labels provide additional context to your data and can be customized to suit your chart
• Modify axis labels and gridlines to adjust their appearance and improve readability. Check out this video on how to add gridlines to your Excel charts:

These chart elements can enhance your aesthetic appeal and make your data easier to interpret.

Customizing Chart Colors and Styles

Spicing up your Excel charts is easier than you think.

The ‘ Chart Design ‘ tab in the Excel ribbon allows you to alter your charts’ aesthetics significantly.

Navigate to the ‘ Chart Styles ‘ section, and you’ll see various styles for your chart. 

Looking for a bit more customization? No problem! Simply click the ‘ Change Colors ‘ dropdown and choose a color scheme.

You can use Excel’s preset color schemes or create a custom color palette for brand consistency. Minor visual changes can significantly affect your chart’s overall look and feel.

3D Charts and Effects

Adding a third dimension to your charts can make them pop . But be careful.

While 3D effects can add a specific wow factor, they can also lead to misinterpretations of your data if they are not used properly.

To add 3D effects to your charts, click the ‘ Chart Styles ‘ and choose a style with 3D effects. 

Remember, though, that 3D effects should be used sparingly and only when they can enhance the understanding of the data. Overuse of these effects can lead to cluttered, confusing charts. When it comes to 3D effects, less is often more .

Advanced Excel Graphics

Beyond the basic charts, Excel offers advanced graphics capabilities to take your data presentation to the next level.

This includes using Sparklines, shapes, and icons, among other features.

Sparklines are mini-charts within individual cells, each representing a row of data. They give a quick snapshot of trends, helping you understand your data at a glance.

Excel offers line, column, and win/loss types of Sparklines that you can add with the Quick Analysis tool.

Using Shapes and Icons

Remember to appropriately format these shapes and icons to convey the right message and not distract from the data.

Portraying a Story Through Data

Excel visualization is not just about creating charts or diagrams; it’s about telling a story with your data. This is where the concept of data storytelling comes in.

It’s about using visualization tools to highlight key points and trends in your data, making it easier for your audience to understand and absorb.

It’s not unlike creating a plot in a novel where rows and columns of data are the characters, and the chart is the narrative arc. Every element should convey your story effectively and compellingly, from simple bar charts to intricate trend analysis.

Exporting and Sharing Your Visualizations

Once you’ve created your data visualization in Excel, it’s important to know how to share it! This involves exporting the visual representation of data in a format that others can easily access.

Whether you’re sharing a simple bar graph or a complex infographic, the export method will depend on the intended use of the chart/graphic.

This process can be as simple as saving your chart as an image or embedding Excel visuals in PowerPoint presentations and documents.

Saving Charts as Images

One of the simplest ways to share visualizations is by saving them as images .

To do this, right-click the chart and select ‘Save as Picture.’ Several image formats are available, each with its uses.

For instance, JPEG is great for photographic images, while PNG is ideal for images with transparent backgrounds. However, it’s important to consider the resolution of your image. High resolution is crucial for clear, crisp images, especially if they’re intended for print.

Embedding Excel Visuals in Presentations and Documents

Embedding them in presentations and documents is another way to share your Excel visualizations.

This can be done in two ways: linking and embedding .

• Linking refers to connecting the original Excel file and the document where it’s inserted. Any changes made to the original file will automatically update in the document (assuming the link isn’t broken ).
• Embedding involves inserting a copy of the chart into the document. While this won’t update automatically, it ensures that the chart will always be available, regardless of the status of the original file.

Both methods have advantages and should be chosen based on your specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common mistakes for beginners to avoid in data visualization with excel.

Common mistakes include overcrowding the chart with too much data, using inappropriate chart types, neglecting to label axes or data points clearly, and choosing colors or styles that reduce readability.

What are the best practices for presenting Excel data visually to a non-technical audience?

Focus on simplicity and clarity .

Use straightforward chart types, avoid technical jargon, and highlight key takeaways. Ensure your charts are well-labeled, and use annotations or callouts to draw attention to important data points.

What are some resources to learn more about Excel visualization? 

For more tips and tricks, visit my YouTube channel . Alternatively, look at Chandoo’s training, where I learned many excellent dashboard design ideas.

Can Excel visualization help in career development?

Absolutely! Proficiency in Excel visualization is a valuable skill in many industries.

It’s especially relevant in fields like data science, finance, marketing, and others involving large amounts of data. Effectively communicating data through graphical representation can give you a significant advantage in your professional journey.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Excel Tips Powerpoint: Essential Tips to Create Impactful Spreadsheets for Your Presentations

Microsoft Office programs are essential for any professional, and familiarity with Excel is particularly valuable. With its many functions and features, Excel can help you organize, analyze, and present data in a clear and concise manner. This article will provide you with essential tips and tricks for mastering Excel in PowerPoint presentations.

Whether you're an experienced Excel user or just starting, you'll find helpful information in the following sections. We'll cover everything from the basics of Excel to more advanced features like macros and pivot tables.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways:

• Excel proficiency is essential for creating impactful PowerPoint presentations.
• Mastering the basics of Excel is crucial for more advanced techniques.
• Formatting and validation techniques improve data visualization and accuracy.
• Advanced data analysis tools like sorting and filtering provide deeper insights.
• Collaboration tools and macros can improve efficiency and productivity.

Understanding Excel Basics

Before we jump into advanced Excel tips, it's essential to have a solid grasp of Excel basics . Understanding the foundational features and functions will help you get the most out of this powerful tool.

Excel is a spreadsheet program used to organize, analyze and manipulate data. Learning Excel can be a game-changer, whether you are a student, researcher or business professional.

The Excel Interface

The Excel interface consists of a workbook containing sheets that let you enter and store data. Each sheet has a grid of rows and columns called cells that hold information. The ribbon at the top provides access to different tabs containing various commands and functions.

Basic Functions

Excel has several basic functions, including:

• AutoSum: a function used to add up a series of numbers automatically.
• Average: calculates the average of a range or cell selection.
• Max/Min: returns the maximum or minimum value in a range or cell selection.

These basic functions lay the foundation for more advanced formulas and functions that can help streamline your workflow and boost productivity.

Data Types and Formatting

Excel has several data types, including dates, currency, percentage, and more. Applying formatting to data can help make it more visually appealing and understandable. You can adjust font styles, color, size and borders.

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you want to work more quickly, using keyboard shortcuts is a great way to save time. Here are some useful shortcuts:

• Ctrl+C: Copy
• Ctrl+V: Paste
• Ctrl+Z: Undo
• Ctrl+Y: Redo

Navigating Excel

To navigate your spreadsheet, you can use the mouse or the arrow keys. If you have a large spreadsheet, you can use the Ctrl and arrow keys to navigate to the end of the data. Using the Home and End keys can help you move to the start or end of the current row or column.

Formatting Tips and Tricks

Formatting is a crucial aspect of Excel that can make your tables and cells stand out. Applying formatting techniques can make your data visually appealing and more accessible to readers.

Let's explore some of the tips and tricks for formatting your Excel tables and cells:

Adjust Font Styles and Colors

Excel offers a wide range of font styles and colors to choose from, making it easy to customize your data and emphasize important information. Choose a font style that is easy to read and use colors that complement each other.

Tip: Avoid using too many different font styles and colors, as it may distract readers and make your data look cluttered.

Insert Borders and Lines

You can use borders and lines to separate different sections of your data or highlight specific cells. Excel offers a variety of border and line styles that can be adjusted to fit your needs.

Tip: Use borders and lines sparingly and consistently to maintain a professional look and make your data more readable.

Apply Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is a powerful tool that allows you to highlight cells based on their values or formulas. You can use it to create color scales, data bars, and icon sets to visualize your data more effectively.

Tip: Use conditional formatting to draw attention to the most critical data points in your spreadsheet.

Use Cell Styles

Cell styles are formatting templates that you can apply to your data to save time and maintain consistency across your spreadsheet. Excel offers a variety of built-in cell styles that you can use or customize to fit your needs.

Tip: Create your cell styles to match your branding or presentation theme and use them consistently throughout your spreadsheet.

By applying these formatting tips and tricks to your Excel tables and cells, you can create visually appealing and easy-to-read spreadsheets that help you communicate your data more effectively.

Data Entry and Validation

When working with Excel, entering and validating data accurately is crucial. In this section, we'll explore some efficient techniques for data entry and validation.

Auto-filling

Auto-filling is a smart Excel feature that enables you to quickly and easily fill values into a series of cells. Simply enter the starting value and drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom right corner of the cell) in the direction you want to fill the values. Excel will automatically fill in the rest of the series, saving you time and effort.

Data Validation Rules

Data Validation is another useful tool in Excel that allows you to control what data can be entered in a cell. You can set rules such as "numbers only" or "maximum characters", ensuring data accuracy and consistency. To set up data validation, select the cell or range of cells that you want to restrict, go to the "Data" tab, and click "Data Validation". From there, you can choose from a variety of validation criteria to fit your needs.

Ensuring Data Accuracy

Ensuring data accuracy is crucial in Excel. One way to do this is through conditional formatting, which highlights cells that meet specific conditions. For example, you can use conditional formatting to highlight cells with data that don't fit a specific format or range. To set up conditional formatting, select the range of cells you want to apply it to, and go to the "Home" tab. Click "Conditional Formatting", and choose from the various options available to suit your needs.

With these techniques, you can maintain data accuracy and consistency, making sure your Excel spreadsheets are reliable and efficient.

Formula Magic

Excel formulas are an essential tool for automating calculations and saving time. Whether you're creating a simple spreadsheet or a complex financial model, mastering formula basics is crucial.

Basic Formulas

There are many built-in formulas in Excel that can help you perform basic arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. To create a formula in a cell, start by typing "=" followed by the formula you want to perform. For example, if you want to add the values in cells A1 and A2, type "=A1+A2".

Excel also offers a range of built-in functions that can help you perform more complex calculations. Functions are predefined formulas that take specific inputs and return a result. The most commonly used functions include SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, and MIN.

Advanced Techniques

To perform more complex calculations, you can combine basic formulas and functions with advanced techniques such as absolute and relative referencing, named ranges, and array formulas. These techniques can help you create dynamic and flexible spreadsheets that can handle complex data and calculations.

"Formulas are the lifeblood of Excel. By mastering the art of formulas, you can automate calculations and save time, giving you the power to make informed decisions faster."

Pivot Tables and Charts

Excel pivot tables and charts are powerful tools that enable you to analyze and present complex data in an easy-to-understand visual format. With pivot tables, you can quickly summarize and aggregate large data sets and customize the view of your data by rearranging rows and columns. In addition, Excel charts allow you to create eye-catching visuals that further enhance your data presentation.

To create a pivot table in Excel, start by selecting your data range and clicking on the "Insert" tab. Then, click on the "PivotTable" button and choose your desired location for the pivot table. Once you have created your pivot table, you can start organizing your data by dragging and dropping fields into the appropriate areas. You can also use filters and slicers to refine your pivot table view by selecting subsets of data.

Excel charts offer many customization options, including chart types, styles, and layouts. You can easily create a chart by selecting your data range and clicking on the "Insert" tab, then selecting the chart type that best suits your data. You can also add chart elements, such as titles and legends, and format individual chart elements to enhance the visual appeal of your chart.

When presenting your data in PowerPoint, you can easily copy and paste your pivot tables and charts from Excel into your presentation slides. To ensure that your pivot tables and charts update dynamically in your PowerPoint presentation, use the "Paste Special" option and select "Link" to create a dynamic connection between your Excel and PowerPoint files.

Advanced Data Analysis

If you're looking to take your data analysis skills in Excel to the next level, there are a few advanced techniques you can use to gain valuable insights. Let's explore some of these features in more detail:

Sorting data in Excel can help you quickly identify patterns and trends. To sort data, select the column you want to sort by and click on the "Sort & Filter" button. From there, you can choose to sort A to Z, Z to A, or by custom order.

Filtering allows you to narrow down your data based on specific criteria. For example, you can filter by date range, numerical range, or even text values. Simply click on the "Filter" button and choose the criteria you want to filter by.

Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting lets you apply formatting to cells based on specific conditions. This can be useful for highlighting important data points or identifying outliers. To apply conditional formatting, select the cells you want to format and choose "Conditional Formatting" from the Home tab.

Creating Custom Formulas

Excel's built-in formulas can be powerful, but sometimes you need to create your own custom formulas to analyze data in the way you want. Use the "Insert Function" button to create your own custom formulas.

"Effective data analysis requires being able to quickly sift through large amounts of data to find important information."

Collaboration and Sharing

Excel is a powerful tool for productivity and data analysis, but it can be even more effective when shared with others. Collaboration and sharing features allow multiple users to work on the same document, making it a great tool for team projects and group analysis.

Sharing and Co-Authoring

When working on a project with others, it's essential to ensure everyone has access to the same document. Excel offers several ways to share files, including OneDrive and SharePoint. With these services, collaborators can access and edit the document directly from the web, using any device without needing to download it. As a result, working remotely and despite different time zones and physical locations becomes incredibly easy, boosting collaboration among peers and colleagues.

Another valuable sharing feature is Co-Authoring. Co-Authoring allows multiple users to edit the same document simultaneously, ensuring everyone is up-to-date on any changes that have been made. This feature is incredibly useful for projects that require input from multiple team members or data sources.

Tracking Changes

When working with others, it can be challenging to keep track of who made what changes or when. Excel's tracking changes feature makes that much easier. It records every edit made to the document, providing a history view of any changes made. The feature also allows document owners or managers to review or accept or reject made changes that were submitted by other team members.

Excel Comments

Comments are a helpful way to add notes and additional information within an Excel spreadsheet. They allow team members to add context, instructions, and warnings about specific data cells or elements in the document. Comments provide general transparency and make it easier to communicate effectively when working on the same data set. It is also essential to add comments between the cells for data validation or any calculation disputes between users when there are inconsistencies or mistakes in the spreadsheet.

Automation with Macros

Excel macros can help you save time and avoid repetitive tasks by automating functions and processes. Macro is a series of commands and instructions which can be recorded and performed repeatedly with a click of a button. Here's how you can create and customize macros in Excel:

• Record a Macro: To record a macro, go to the Developer tab, click on Record Macro, and then perform the task you want to automate. For instance, you could record a macro that adds a formula to a row of cells.
• Run a Macro: Once you have created a macro, you can run it by clicking the button associated with the macro or by using the keyboard shortcut you assigned. This will automatically repeat the task you recorded in the macro.
• Customize a Macro: You can customize macros by editing the Visual Basic code that Excel generates. This way, you can add more commands and functions to your macros to make them even more powerful.

To summarize, Excel macros can help you automate repetitive tasks and increase your productivity when working with spreadsheets. Use the Developer tab to record and run a macro, and edit the Visual Basic code to customize it.

Tips for Presenting Excel in PowerPoint

When creating a PowerPoint presentation, Excel data and charts can be an effective way to convey complex information to your audience. Here are some tips for incorporating Excel objects seamlessly in PowerPoint:

Linking Excel Objects

One way to add Excel data to your presentation is by linking the spreadsheet to a slide. This allows you to update the data in real-time, without having to recreate the chart or table in PowerPoint. To do this:

• Open both Excel and PowerPoint, and navigate to the slide where you want to insert the object.
• In Excel, select the chart or table you want to use, and press CTRL+C to copy it.
• In PowerPoint, go to the Home tab, click on the dropdown arrow next to Paste, and select Paste Special.
• Choose the Paste Link option from the dialog box, and select Microsoft Office Excel Chart Object. Click OK.
• This will insert the chart into your slide, and any updates you make to the original chart in Excel will be reflected in the PowerPoint slide.

Embedding Excel Objects

Another way to incorporate Excel data into your presentation is by embedding the object directly into a slide. This method is useful if you want to edit the chart or table within PowerPoint, or if you need to share the presentation with others who may not have access to the original Excel file. To embed an Excel object:

• In PowerPoint, go to the Insert tab, click on the Object dropdown, and select Microsoft Office Excel Chart or Worksheet Object.
• Select the Create from File tab, and click Browse to locate the Excel file you want to embed.
• Choose the chart or table you want to embed, and click OK.
• The chart or table will now be embedded in your PowerPoint slide, and you can edit it as needed.'

Formatting Excel Objects

Before inserting Excel objects into a PowerPoint slide, it's important to make sure they are formatted correctly. This includes adjusting fonts, colors, and sizes to match the overall design of your presentation. To format an Excel object:

• Select the chart or table you want to format, right-click on it, and choose Format Object.
• From here, you can customize the fill color, font, and other design elements of the object to match your presentation.
• Be sure to preview the slide to ensure the formatting looks good in the context of the overall presentation.

With these tips, you can confidently integrate Excel data and charts into your PowerPoint presentations, ensuring a compelling and informative visual experience for your audience.

In conclusion, mastering Excel in PowerPoint presentations opens a whole new world of possibilities for professionals. With the tips and tricks we've provided in this article, you can take your skills to the next level. By understanding the basics of Excel, formatting tables and cells effectively, entering and validating data, using formulas, pivot tables, and charts, advanced data analysis, collaborating with others, automating repetitive tasks with macros, and presenting Excel data in PowerPoint, you can achieve impressive results.

Remember, Excel is not just about numbers and formulas. It's a powerful tool that can help you make informed decisions, communicate data effectively, and save time. Start practicing these techniques, and you'll soon become a proficient user of Excel. We hope this article has been helpful. Thank you for reading!

What are the basic features of Excel?

Excel is a powerful spreadsheet software that allows users to create, manipulate, and analyze data. Some of its basic features include creating tables, performing calculations, creating charts, and data validation.

How can I apply formatting to my Excel tables and cells?

To apply formatting to your Excel tables and cells, you can use the formatting toolbar or the Format Cells dialog box. You can adjust font styles, colors, borders, and other visual elements to make your data more visually appealing and easier to read.

What techniques can I use for efficient data entry in Excel?

Excel offers various techniques for efficient data entry. You can use the drag-fill handle to auto-fill data based on a pattern, use data validation rules to validate input, and use shortcuts like Ctrl+Enter to quickly enter data in multiple cells.

How can I automate calculations in Excel?

Excel offers a wide range of formulas and functions that can help automate calculations. You can use basic formulas like SUM and AVERAGE, as well as more advanced functions like VLOOKUP and IF-ELSE statements. These formulas can save you time and ensure accuracy in your calculations.

How can I analyze and visualize data in Excel?

Excel provides pivot tables and charts to help you analyze and visualize data effectively. Pivot tables allow you to summarize, filter, and manipulate data to gain insights, while charts help you present data visually through various chart types like bar graphs, pie charts, and line graphs.

Are there any advanced techniques for data analysis in Excel?

Yes, Excel offers advanced features for data analysis. You can sort and filter data, apply conditional formatting to highlight specific data patterns, and create custom formulas to perform complex calculations. These techniques can help you gain valuable insights from your data.

How can I collaborate with others on Excel spreadsheets?

Excel provides tools for collaborating with others on spreadsheets. You can share files with colleagues, track changes made by different users, and use comments to communicate and provide feedback. These collaboration features help streamline teamwork and increase productivity.

Is it possible to automate repetitive tasks in Excel?

Yes, you can automate repetitive tasks in Excel using macros. Macros are recorded actions that can be replayed to perform multiple tasks. You can customize and assign macros to buttons or keyboard shortcuts to automate tasks and save time.

How can I incorporate Excel data into PowerPoint presentations?

To incorporate Excel data into PowerPoint presentations, you can link or embed Excel objects in your slides. Linking allows you to update the data in PowerPoint automatically when changes are made in Excel, while embedding allows you to have a copy of the Excel file within the PowerPoint presentation.

How can I become proficient in Excel and PowerPoint?

To become proficient in Excel and PowerPoint, practice is key. Familiarize yourself with the software's features and experiment with different techniques. Take advantage of online tutorials, courses, and resources available. With dedication and practice, you can master these tools and enhance your productivity and presentation skills.

TechRepublic

Account information, share with your friends.

Use custom views in Excel to enhance your presentations

Your email has been sent

You want to illustrate your talk by pointing out selected areas of your worksheets. Rather than interrupting the flow of your presentation by having to scroll to and position each area as needed, you could create custom views in Microsoft Excel, which you can readily access by clicking on a list in your toolbar.

First, you will need to create custom views. To do so, follow these steps:

• Go to and select the worksheet area for your view.
• Go to View | Custom Views.
• Click the Add button, and then enter a name for the view and click OK.

Repeat these steps for each custom view you want to present. To build the custom toolbar for your presentation, follow these steps:

• Go to Tools | Customize.
• Click the Toolbar tab and click New.
• Enter a name for your toolbar (for example, Presentation).
• Click the Commands tab.
• Click View under Categories.
• Click Custom Views under Commands and drag it to your custom toolbar.
• Click Close.

To quickly go to a view during your presentation, click the drop-down arrow on the Custom View button and select the view from the list.

Miss a tip?

Check out the Microsoft Excel archive , and catch up on our most recent Excel tips.

Help users increase productivity by automatically signing up for TechRepublic’s free Microsoft Office Suite newsletter, featuring Word, Excel, and Access tips, delivered each Wednesday.

Subscribe to the Developer Insider Newsletter

From the hottest programming languages to commentary on the Linux OS, get the developer and open source news and tips you need to know. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays

Create a TechRepublic Account

Get the web's best business technology news, tutorials, reviews, trends, and analysis—in your inbox. Let's start with the basics.

* - indicates required fields

Sign in to TechRepublic

Lost your password? Request a new password

Reset Password

Please enter your email adress. You will receive an email message with instructions on how to reset your password.

Check your email for a password reset link. If you didn't receive an email don't forgot to check your spam folder, otherwise contact support .

Welcome. Tell us a little bit about you.

This will help us provide you with customized content.

Want to receive more TechRepublic news?

You're all set.

Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye out for a confirmation email from our team. To ensure any newsletters you subscribed to hit your inbox, make sure to add [email protected] to your contacts list.

5 Excel Presentation Tips for Reports

James palic.

• August 6, 2022

Last Updated on August 6, 2022

Microsoft Excel is the best tool in the Microsoft Office Suite for analyzing data. Yet Excel also has the charting and graphing features that help display your data in an easy to understand format.  Not every presentation has to be in PowerPoint. In fact, Microsoft Excel can be a better medium for presenting data in many cases.   Let’s discuss some Excel presentation tips that will help you present data in a compelling and visually appealing format.

1. Charts and Graphs

Effectively providing a visual summary of data using graphs and charts is an important presentation technique. But it’s just as easy to make a confusing chart as it is to make a helpful one. Cramming every bit of data possible into a visual can result in your presentation becoming cluttered and complicated. Will your audience be able to comprehend the data being portrayed? Could you possibly group or format it differently to make it more meaningful or easier to understand? Excel offers several choices for chart type that can turn the raw data of your excel workbook into an easy to understand format.  Excel charts can also be used as embeds in PowerPoint presentations. 

Make sure to use the excel chart type that best matches your data.  Pie charts are used for presenting categories as a percent of the total. Line graphs are used when you have data collected over a period of time.  Scatter plots are useful to show how two different values of a data set relate.  Give your visual tools some thought before you present and use them appropriately to produce a convincing story.

2. Diagrams

If you have hierarchical excel data or you are trying to describe a process or a series of steps, then a diagram may be the best option. Diagrams are great if you’re creating organization charts, flow charts, or other data that would benefit from a visual layout. The simplest way to gain and keep someone’s attention is to show them an image that is eye-catching and easy to understand .

3. Highlighting and Borders

To call attention to sections of data in your spreadsheets, such as summary totals and conditional formatting, use color highlighting along with a border to make that section stand out.  You can also create a key to describe what different highlight colors mean. Colors are visually appealing and draw the audience’s eyes to the specific information that you want to show them. If you provide a color-coded key, then they can easily determine what they’re looking at.

Excel has a wide selection of built-in themes that will distinguish column headers and other areas of the spreadsheet so that you present a pleasing color pallet. These themes provide a starting point for choosing fonts, formatting, and colors that are easy to read and visually appealing.  People associate a coordinated color pallet with professionally done work and will be more likely to pay attention if they believe you carefully constructed your presentation.

5. Sparklines

Sparklines are small charts or graphs inserted as the background of a single cell.  Sparklines are useful for illustrating trends or patterns in a data table without creating a full chart.  And, unlike charts, sparklines are automatically printed along with the worksheet.  Sparklines can be used to show trends or maximum and minimum values.  Since sparklines don’t take up as much space as traditional charts and can be placed next to the data being described, they can be an effective tool for analysis.

With the Excel data presentation tips above, you can format your Excel spreadsheets to make a big impact on your audience. If you’d like to learn more about Excel and how you can use it for presentations, contact ONLC today.

• Categories: Microsoft Excel

About The Author

Related Posts

What are excel functions.

• April 25, 2024

What Can You Do in Microsoft Excel?

What is the easiest way to learn excel, excel 2016 analytics and business intelligence features.

• April 9, 2018

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Explore Classes
• Certifications

How-To Geek

How to link or embed an excel worksheet in a powerpoint presentation.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Quick Links

What's the difference between linking and embedding, how to link or embed an excel worksheet in microsoft powerpoint.

Sometimes, you want to include the data on an Excel spreadsheet in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. There are a couple of ways to do this, depending on whether or not you want to maintain a connection with the source Excel sheet. Let's take a look.

You actually have three options for including a spreadsheet in a PowerPoint presentation. The first is by simply copying that data from the spreadsheet, and then pasting it into the target document. This works okay, but all it really does is convert the data to a simple table in PowerPoint. You can use PowerPoint's basic table formatting tools on it, but you can't use any of Excel's features after the conversion.

While that can be useful sometimes, your other two options---linking and embedding---are much more powerful, and are what we're going to show you how to do in this article. Both are pretty similar, in that you end up inserting an actual Excel spreadsheet in your target presentation. It will look like an Excel sheet, and you can use Excel's tools to manipulate it. The difference comes in how these two options treat their connection to that original Excel spreadsheet:

• If you link an Excel worksheet in a presentation, the target presentation and the original Excel sheet maintain a connection. If you update the Excel file, those updates get automatically reflected in the target presentation.
• If you embed an Excel worksheet in a presentation, that connection is broken. Updating the original Excel sheet does not automatically update the data in the target presentation.

There are advantages to both methods, of course. One advantage of linking a document (other than maintaining the connection) is that it keeps your PowerPoint presentation's file size down, because the data is mostly still stored in the Excel sheet and only displayed in PowerPoint. One disadvantage is that the original spreadsheet file needs to stay in the same location. If it doesn't, you'll have to link it again. And since it relies on the link to the original spreadsheet, it's not so useful if you need to distribute the presentation to people who don't have access to that location.

Embedding that data, on the other hand, increases the size of presentation, because all that Excel data is actually embedded into the PowerPoint file. There are some distinct advantages to embedding, though. For example, if you're distributing that presentation to people who might not have access to the original Excel sheet, or if the presentation needs to show that Excel sheet at a specific point in time (rather than getting updated), embedding (and breaking the connection to the original sheet) makes more sense.

So, with all that in mind, let's take a look at how to link and embed an Excel Sheet in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Linking or embedding an Excel worksheet into a PowerPoint presentation is actually pretty straightforward, and the process for doing either is almost identical. Start by opening both the Excel worksheet and the PowerPoint presentation you want to edit at the same time.

In Excel, select the cells you want to link or embed. If you would like to link or embed the entire worksheet, click on the box at the juncture of the rows and columns in the top left-hand corner to select the whole sheet.

Copy those cells by pressing CTRL+C in Windows or Command+C in macOS. You can also right-click any selected cell, and then choose the "Copy" option on the context menu.

Now, switch to your PowerPoint presentation and click to place the insertion point where you would like the linked or embedded material to go. On Home tab of the Ribbon, click the down arrow beneath the "Paste" button, and then choose the "Paste Special" command from the dropdown menu.

This opens the Paste Special window. And it's here where you'll find the only functional different in the processes of linking or embedding a file.

If you want to embed your spreadsheet, choose the "Paste" option over on the left. If you want to link your spreadsheet, choose the "Paste Link" option instead. Seriously, that's it. This process is otherwise identical.

Whichever option you choose, you'll next select the "Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object" in the box to the right, and then click the "OK" button.

And you'll see your Excel sheet (or the cells you selected) in your PowerPoint presentation.

If you linked the Excel data, you can't edit it directly in PowerPoint, but you can double-click anywhere on it to open the original spreadsheet file. And any updates you make to that original spreadsheet are then reflected in your PowerPoint presentation.

If you embedded the Excel data, you can edit it directly in PowerPoint. Double-click anywhere in the spreadsheet and you'll stay in the same PowerPoint window, but the PowerPoint Ribbon gets replaced by the Excel Ribbon and you can access all the Excel functionality. It's kind of cool.

And when you want to stop editing the spreadsheet and go back to your PowerPoint controls, just click anywhere outside the spreadsheet.

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel

Add function and flair with Excel templates

Whatever you use excel for, there are customizable design templates that'll help you get started on your next project. find templates that'll jumpstart your work the next time you need to crunch some numbers., planners and trackers.

Stay on top of all the important details with easily customizable templates for planners and trackers. From inventories to budgets and client meetings, find a template to keep it all organized.

Whether you're creating editorial calendars, promotional calendars for customers, or something for yourself, keep life on track with helpful and easily customizable calendar templates.

While a schedule won't give you more hours in the day, it will keep those hours organized. Find templates for class schedules, sports teams, and more to help you stay on time.

Branded invoice templates bring a professional touch to your billing. Use easily customizable templates to bring your personal style or business branding to your invoices.

Financial management

From budgets to loan calculators, find templates that help take the guesswork out of accounting and money management.

Start with the best Excel templates

A hassle-free way to create custom, useful Excel spreadsheets

Create custom budgets, invoices, schedules, calendars, planners, trackers, and more with easily customizable Excel templates. You don't need to be an expert in design or Excel. Here's how:

1. Find the perfect Excel template

2. Customize your creation

3. Show it off

Let's create an excel spreadsheet, frequently asked questions, what is a template in excel.

A template for Excel is a pre-built spreadsheet or workbook that's already formatted, organized, and populated with formulas tailored for its purpose. If you need to organize or plan something, there's probably an Excel spreadsheet or workbook template perfect for the task. You can use pre-built Excel templates for time management, budgeting, project planning , and much more.

What kind of Excel templates are there?

There's an Excel template for practically any number-related document you'll need. Planning an event with a budget? Find a budget template for your needs. Want to stay organized with your everyday tasks? Customize an Excel calendar that you can print and write on or type directly into. Does your business need to send an invoice to a customer? Use an Excel invoice template that you can add your logo and business colors to. If you need to stay organized and see a lot of information at once, using an Excel template is the way to go.

What can I use Excel templates for?

You can use Excel templates to unlock the full functionality of your spreadsheets. Excel is way more than rows and columns: You can use it to organize your personal life, your professional tasks , manage your time , boost your productivity, and more. See what you can do with Excel when you start with a customizable template.

Popular categories

Excel Formulas and Functions

Mar 26, 2019

1.26k likes | 3.73k Views

Excel Formulas and Functions. What is a formula in Excel?. A formula is statement written by the user to be calculated. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as the user wants. A formula can contain values, references to cells, defined names, and functions. What is a Formula?.

Share Presentation

• function name
• count functions
• a1 a2 a3 a4
• excel formulas

Presentation Transcript

What is a formula in Excel?

A formula is statement written by the user to be calculated. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as the user wants. A formula can contain values, references to cells, defined names, and functions.

What is a Formula? • It is a mathematical equation used to caluculate a value. • In Excel formulas must begin with an equal ( = ) sign.

Examples of Mathematical Operators • Operator Performs • + (plus sign) = Addition • - (minus sign) = Subtraction • * (asterisk) = Multiplication • / = (slash) Division

Examples of Mathematical Operators • ( ) (parentheses) = Controls the order of mathematical operations; calculations within parentheses are performed first • % (percent) = Converts a number into a percentage; for example, when you type 10%, Excel reads the value as .10 • ^ (caret) Exponentiation; for example, when you type 2^3, Excel reads the value as 2*2*2

Enter Formulas • 1. Select the cell into which you want to enter the formula. • 2. Type an equal sign (=) to begin the formula. • 3. Enter the first cell referenced in the formula. • 4. Enter the first mathematical operator. • 5. Enter the next cell referenced in the formula. • 6. Continue entering cell references and mathematical operators as needed. • 7. When you have finished creating the formula, press [Enter].

Examples of Formulas • = A1+A2+A3+A4 – will add all the values in the four cells • = (8*7)+2 is 58 • = 8*(7+2) is 72 • = 2^2 is 8

What is a Function in Excel ?

What is a function? • A function is a preset formula in Excel. Like formulas, functions begin with the equal sign ( = ) followed by the function's name and its arguments. The function name tells Excel what calculation to perform. The arguments are contained inside round brackets.

What is a Function in Excel? • A function is a piece of code designed to calculate specific values and are used inside formulas.

What are Functions? • Functions are typed alongside parenthesizes, where in the arguments if any are listed in between. To use functions in a formula, for example :=COS(3.14) will return the calculated cosine. =NOW() returns the current time. =SUM(1+2+3) *2 will multiply the sum by 2

Some Functions • TheSUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, and COUNT functions are entered with the same syntax, including beginning the function with an equal sign (=) and then typing the name of the function and an open parenthesis. You then enter the cell range by dragging to select the cells or by typing the first and last cells in the range. These functions are defined in the following table:

Most common used Functions • The SUM function in Excel is specifically designed to add values from different ranges. The SUM Function can be typed into a cell in Excel, or inserted via the Insert Function tool (fx) to the left of your Formula bar. The syntax of the SUM Function is SUM(number1,number2, ...).  SUM is the function name, and contained within the brackets are "arguments", or the pieces of information that Excel requires to complete the Function.  The SUM function allows from 1 to 30 arguments (number 1, number ....) for which you require the total value or SUM.

Using Ctrl to Mark Cells • If you wish to add cells that are non-contiguous (not joined together), type in your function =SUM( click in the first cell you wish to add.  Hold down your Ctrl key and click in all other cells you wish to add up, then type in a ).  Typing in a comma instead of selecting with your Ctrl key also works just as efficiently as well.

Using SUM to Add a Range from a Different Worksheet • You can easily use SUM to add up the same range in different worksheets.  Click in the cell you want the result of your addition in, then holding down the Shift key, click on the next worksheet that you wish to include in your calculation and highlight the range to be used, then click Enter.

Excel’s AutoSum Function • Because adding numbers is probably the most common function that Excel is used for, Excel has a built-in Feature called AutoSum located on the Standard toolbar.  AutoSum is represented as the Greek Capital letter Sigma Σ found under the home tab editing group.  You can use AutoSum to sum a range of cells.  A Range can be one single cell, or many cells.  You can sum cells in a contiguous (no gaps) range of cells, or a non-contiguous (cells not joined together) range.

AutoSum • To use AutoSum  you must click in the cell that you wish your result, or addition to appear in.  As a default, AutoSum looks up a column for figures immediately above it to add together. • This works great, unless it encounters a blank row or text.  If it does, then it stops at the last cell with a number in it.  If there are no numbers above it, AutoSum will automatically go to the left looking for numbers to add up, but will again stop at a blank column or text.  

• More by User

FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS IN EXCEL

FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS IN EXCEL. Mrs. Brownfield Smith-Cotton High School Sedalia, MO. FORMULAS. A mathematical operation performed in a spreadsheet Can be entered directly in the cell Can be entered in the formula bar. FORMULAS. All formulas must start with the equal sign =

543 views • 13 slides

02. Excel Formulas

02. Excel Formulas. File -&gt; Open -&gt; 02b-datastart.xlsx. Find and Replace. Click Find &amp; Select -&gt; Replace. Find What: N.A. Click Replace All. Click OK. Click Close. All instances of N.A. have been replaced . Delete Rows. Click on Cell A2. Click Delete -&gt; Delete Sheet Rows.

849 views • 67 slides

Excel Formulas

Excel Formulas. File -&gt; Open -&gt; 02b-datastart.xlsx. Delete Rows. Select cell A2. Click Delete -&gt; Delete Sheet Rows. Find and Replace. Click on any blank cell then Click Find &amp; Select -&gt; Replace. Find what: N.A. Click Replace All. Click OK. Select Cell I1. Type Number of Shares.

889 views • 48 slides

Excel Tutorial 3 Calculating Data with Formulas and Functions

Excel Tutorial 3 Calculating Data with Formulas and Functions. Objectives. Make a workbook user friendly Translate an equation into an Excel formula Understand function syntax Enter formulas and functions with the Quick Analysis tool

825 views • 47 slides

Formulas and Functions 1

Formulas and Functions 1. Microsof t Office 2010 Excel Seminar Xander Jackson. Getting Familiar with Microsoft Office 2010: Excel. The Ribbon Laid out with multiple Tabs File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View Each tab has multiple Groups of Functions

244 views • 10 slides

Using Formulas and Functions in Excel 2010

Using Formulas and Functions in Excel 2010. www.ptraining.com. Formulas. Start with an equals sign (=) Operators. The Order of Operations. What is the right answer? =2+3*4 =2+3*4 = 2 + 12 = 14. Parentheses Exponent Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction. Please Excuse My

387 views • 6 slides

Excel Core Objective 5: Applying Formulas and Functions

Excel Core Objective 5: Applying Formulas and Functions. Microsoft Office 2010 Certification Prep: Microsoft Office Specialist 2010 Exam Practice. Story/Walls. Create Formulas. Mouse and Keyboard Methods: Use basic operators Revise formulas. 2. Enforce Precedence. Ribbon Methods:

223 views • 8 slides

Formulas and Functions

Formulas and Functions. An Introduction. Formula Basics. All formulas begin with “=“ Simple/common formulas use: * for multiplication / for division + for addiction - for subtraction. Order of Operations. Parenthesis or brackets

368 views • 17 slides

Excel Using Formulas and Functions

Excel Using Formulas and Functions. Microsoft Office 2010 Fundamentals. Introduction. The real power of a spreadsheet program such as Excel is its ability to perform simple and complex calculations on worksheet data.

692 views • 15 slides

Excel – Chapter 2 Formulas and Functions

Excel – Chapter 2 Formulas and Functions. ISA-B. A djust cell height and width. Open chap2_ho1_payroll.xlsx and save it as chap2_ho1_payroll_solution.xlsx Drag the border between two column headings. Double-click on the border between two column headings ( two row numbers). Wrap Text.

520 views • 16 slides

Excel Tutorial 3: Working with Formulas and Functions

Excel Tutorial 3: Working with Formulas and Functions. Understanding Cell References. To record and analyze data Enter data in cells in a worksheet Reference the cells with data in formulas that perform calculations on that data Types of cell references Relative Absolute Mixed.

467 views • 27 slides

Excel Functions

Excel Functions. Part 1. Introduction. An Excel function is a formula or a procedure that is performed in the Visual Basic environment, outside the Excel spreadsheet. For example, the sum of two variables can be evaluated in an Excel spreadsheet as follows :.

696 views • 36 slides

3.7 Formulas and Functions

3.7 Formulas and Functions. Goal 1: Solving Formulas. Goal 2: Rewrite an equation in function form. Formula – an algebraic equation that relates two or more real-life quantities. Use this given formula to solve the first example: A = lw Example 1: Find a formula for w, in terms of A and l.

295 views • 9 slides

Excel Tutorial 3: Working with Formulas and Functions. What You Will Do In Tutorial 3. Copy formulas Build formulas containing relative, absolute, and mixed references Review function syntax Insert a function with the Insert Function dialog box Search for a function

378 views • 20 slides

Excel Functions and Formulas

Excel Functions and Formulas. Marty Williams Training Specialist. Fundamentals. All formulas start with the equal sign = All functions must have parenthesis Parentheses must match ( ) Separate function arguments by a comma, with no space

974 views • 28 slides

Excel 2010 Formulas and Functions

499 views • 29 slides

Excel Tutorial 3: Working with Formulas and Functions. Objectives. Copy formulas Build formulas containing relative, absolute, and mixed references Review function syntax Insert a function with the Insert Function dialog box Search for a function Type a function directly in a cell.

618 views • 40 slides

Formulas, Ranges, and Functions

Formulas, Ranges, and Functions. Formulas. Formulas perform operations such as addition, multiplication, and comparison on worksheet values. Formulas can refer to other cells on the same worksheet, cells on other worksheets in the same workbook, or even cells on worksheets in other workbooks.

471 views • 40 slides

Excel: Formulas and Functions

Excel: Formulas and Functions. Objectives. Name a cell or range Locate and use Excel’s predefined functions Debug formulas that contain errors Record and run a macro. Referencing Cells. Absolute, relative &amp; mixed Cell Ranges A2:A10 (row) A2:D10 (column) A2:B6 (range)

210 views • 7 slides

Microsoft Excel Tutorial For Beginners-1 | Excel Formulas & Functions | Excel Training | Simplilearn

This presentation on Excel Tutorial for beginners part-1 will help you get started with Excel and explore the features it offers. You will take a tour to understand Excel basics and look at how to write functions, sort, and filter data. You will understand how to import data and split data into multiple columns. You will learn about sumif and countif functions. Finally, you will get to know all about conditional formatting in Excel. Let's begin. This Data Analyst Masteru2019s Program in collaboration with IBM will make you an expert in data analytics. In this Data Analytics course, you'll learn analytics tools and techniques, how to work with SQL databases, the languages of R and Python, how to create data visualizations, and how to apply statistics and predictive analytics in a business environment. Why become Data Analyst? By 2020, the World Economic Forum forecasts that data analysts will be in demand due to increasing data collection and usage. Organizations view data analysis as one of the most crucial future specialties due to the value that can be derived from data. Data is more abundant and accessible than ever in todayu2019s business environment. In fact, 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created each day. With an ever-increasing skill gap in data analytics, the value of data analysts is continuing to grow, creating a new job and career advancement opportunities. The facts are that professionals who enter the Data Science field will have their pick of jobs and enjoy lucrative salaries. According to an IBM report, data and analytics jobs are predicted to increase by 15 percent to 2.72 million jobs by 2020, with the most significant demand for data analysts in finance, insurance, and information technology. Data analysts earn an average pay of $67,377 in 2019 according to Glassdoor. Who should take up this course? Aspiring professionals of any educational background with an analytical frame of mind are best suited to pursue the Data Analyst Masteru2019s Program, including: 1. IT professionals 2. Banking and finance professionals 3. Marketing managers 4. Sales professionals 5. Supply chain network managers 6. Beginners in the data analytics domain 7. Students in UG/ PG programs ud83dudc49Learn more at: https://bit.ly/2SECA5r

380 views • 27 slides

How to Embed an Excel File in PowerPoint (5 Easy Ways)

Here’s an overview of how data will be presented from Excel into PowerPoint.

How to Embed an Excel File in PowerPoint: 5 Suitable Examples

Let’s assume we have a “ Sales Data for Fruits ” dataset, which includes the Product ID , Fruits , States , and Sales amount under columns B , C , D , and E respectively.

Method 1 – Embedding an Entire Excel File in PowerPoint

• Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon  in PowerPoint.
• Click on the Object command on the Text group of commands.

• In the Insert Object dialog box, click on the radio button of Create from file option.
• Choose the Browse… button.

• In the Browse window, select your desired file and click OK .

• You can see your file path and name in the highlighted box. Click OK .

Note: Don’t check the box before the Link option to embed the Excel file .

Make sure to attach your intended data on the first page of the Excel file.

Read More: How to Perform Excel to PowerPoint Automation

Method 2 – Embedding a Section of Excel Data in PowerPoint File

• Open the Excel file and select the range of data (e.g. C4:E14 ) you want to embed.
• Press CTRL + C on your keyboard to copy this range.

• Open your PowerPoint slide and navigate to the Home tab.
• Click on the Paste drop-down option and then click on Paste Special .

• Select Paste and click on Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object . Press OK .

• The selected range is copied to the presentation file.

Method 3 – Utilizing Embed Command to Add Unlinked Excel File

• Select the dataset (e.g. B4:E14 ) and right-click.
• Click on the Copy command from the context menu.

• Use the Paste drop-down option in PowerPoint.
• Choose Embed (E) from Paste Options .

• The output in PowerPoint is as follows.

Method 4 – Applying Camera Gadget Tool to Embed Data as Image

• Click on the triangular-shaped Customize Quick Access Toolbar icon and select More Commands .

• This will bring a dialog box as follows. Click on the drop-down icon beside the Popular Command bar to get more options. Then pick Commands Not in the Ribbon from the available options.

• To bring the Camera tool to the right side, select Camera and click the Add button in the middle.

• This will allow you to have a Camera icon in the Toolbar . Now you’re ready to take snaps of the selected area by using the Camera tool.

• Select the region you want to copy and press the Camera icon.

• Left click anywhere to get an image.

• Copy the image by selecting it and pressing Ctrl + C command.
• Paste the output in the presentation slide as follows:

• Remember that the embedded portion is an image.

Read More: How to Link Excel Data to PowerPoint Chart

Method 5 – Embedding an Excel Chart in PowerPoint File

Charts are perhaps the most commonly-used Excel format in PowerPoint.

• Copy the Excel chart with Ctrl+ C command.
• Paste the chart into the PowerPoint slide by using Keep Source Formatting & Embed Workbook , one of the Paste Options .

Finally, the output in the presentation slide is as follows:

Embed Vs. Link an Excel File in PowerPoint

When you want to add an Excel file to a PowerPoint presentation, you have two options: embedding or linking the file. Here’s a brief overview of the differences between the two:

• Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint means that a copy of the file is saved within the PowerPoint presentation itself. This can make your presentation larger in file size, but it also means that you don’t need the original Excel file to view or present the data. Any changes made to the original Excel file won’t be reflected in the embedded copy within PowerPoint.
• Linking an Excel file to PowerPoint means that the presentation will display data from the original Excel file. This keeps the file size of the presentation smaller and ensures that any changes made to the Excel file are reflected in the PowerPoint presentation. However, if the Excel file is moved or deleted, the links will be broken and the data won’t display correctly in the presentation.

Read More: How to Link Excel Sheets to PowerPoint

How to Insert Excel File into PowerPoint as Icon

• Open a presentation file and select the intended slide to place the icon.
• Go to the Insert tab and click on the Object tool in the Text group.

• Select the Create from file option.
• Click on the Browse button to attach the Excel file that you want to place as an icon on the slide.
• Make sure to check the boxes beside Link and Display as icon options.

• Use the hooks on the icon’s corners to resize it and drag it into place on the slide.
• Double-click the icon to access the workbook’s contents and edit them.

Read More:  How to Insert an Excel File into PowerPoint as an Icon

How to Link Excel File in PowerPoint That Updates Data Dynamically

• To link an Excel file in PowerPoint, do the same things as you did in Example 1 .
• You have to mark the box before the Link option.
• Press the OK button.

Now, if you make any changes in the Excel file, you’ll get the updated data in PowerPoint.

Note: If you delete the file or change the location of the file, PowerPoint will start throwing errors when trying to display data.

Read More: How to Link Powerpoint to Excel for Dynamic Data Updates

Benefits and Drawbacks of Embedding an Excel File in PowerPoint

When creating presentations, it’s useful to embed the Excel file directly into the PowerPoint file. But, it’s important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of this approach.

• Easy Access to Data: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint allows you to easily access and manipulate data without having to switch between programs.
• Increased Interactivity: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint allows you to create more interactive presentations with live data that can be manipulated and updated in real time.
• Saves Time: It can save time by eliminating the need to create separate charts and graphs from scratch.
• Better Organization: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint allows you to keep all your data in one place, making it easier to organize and manage your presentation.
• Consistent Formatting: Embedding ensures that your data will be presented with consistent formatting and style.
• File Size: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint can increase the file size of your presentation, making it more difficult to share and collaborate with others.
• Compatibility Issues: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint can lead to compatibility issues between different versions of PowerPoint and Excel.
• Security Risks: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint can pose security risks if the Excel file contains sensitive information.
• Limited Editing Capabilities: Embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint limits your editing capabilities, as you may not be able to make changes to the data directly within the PowerPoint slide.
• Refreshing Data: If the data in the embedded Excel file changes, you will need to manually refresh the data in the PowerPoint slide to ensure accuracy.

Things to Remember

• Keep file size in mind when you embed an Excel file in PowerPoint.
• Ensure compatibility with different versions of PowerPoint and Excel.
• Test your presentation to ensure that the embedded Excel file displays correctly.
• Update the presentation file with an embedded Excel file if the data changes or needs to be refreshed.
• Consider security and privacy concerns when embedding Excel files containing sensitive information.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint increase the file size of my presentation?

Yes, it can increase, especially if the Excel file contains a lot of data. This can make it more difficult to share and collaborate on the presentation.

2. How do I ensure compatibility between different versions of PowerPoint and Excel when embedding a file?

To ensure compatibility, it’s important to save the Excel file in a format that is compatible with the version of PowerPoint you are using.

3. What security risks should I be aware of when embedding an Excel file in PowerPoint?

It’s important to ensure that any sensitive information within the embedded Excel file is appropriately protected and access is limited to authorized individuals.

Practice Section

We have provided a practice section on the right side of each sheet so you can practice yourself. Please make sure to do it yourself.

Download Practice Files

Download the following practice workbook and presentation file. It will help you to realize the topic more clearly and will help you practice yourself.

Related Articles

• [Fixed!] Problems with Embedded Excel Files in PowerPoint
• [Solved] Embedded Excel in PowerPoint Not Showing All Data
• How to Open Existing PowerPoint File from Excel VBA

<< Go Back to Excel to PowerPoint | Export Data from Excel | Learn Excel

What is ExcelDemy?

Tags: Excel to PowerPoint

Mohammad Shah Miran has a professional background spanning over a year at Softeko. Initially starting as an Excel and VBA writer, he authored more than 50 articles for the ExcelDemy project. Currently, Miran is engaged in the LinuxSimply project as a Linux content developer, completed over 40 articles. His analytical approach extends across various domains, including Excel, VBA, Bash scripting, Linux, data analysis, and Python programming. In his leisure time, Miran enjoys watching movies and series or listening... Read Full Bio

Leave a reply Cancel reply

ExcelDemy is a place where you can learn Excel, and get solutions to your Excel & Excel VBA-related problems, Data Analysis with Excel, etc. We provide tips, how to guide, provide online training, and also provide Excel solutions to your business problems.

Contact  |  Privacy Policy  |  TOS

• User Reviews
• List of Services
• Service Pricing

• Create Basic Excel Pivot Tables
• Excel Formulas and Functions
• Excel Charts and SmartArt Graphics
• Advanced Excel Training
• Data Analysis Excel for Beginners

Advanced Excel Exercises with Solutions PDF

Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office

20 minute read

51 Free Excel Templates to Make Your Life Easier

Devan Ciccarelli

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Email

Join the Excel conversation on Slack

Ask a question or join the conversation for all things Excel on our Slack channel.

Nothing beats the time-saving awesomeness of the perfect Excel template.

Whether you’re managing a team of employees or a busy household, being able to simply plug in your data and go means your work gets done faster, your projects run smoother, and you’re the most organized person in the room.

But finding the right template can be time-consuming on its own.

Luckily, you can get started ASAP because we’ve compiled a list of 52 free Excel templates to help make your life easier today.

Want to learn more?

Take your Excel skills to the next level with our comprehensive (and free) ebook!

Our list has you covered with template picks spanning 7 categories:

• Project management

Money management

Planning ahead, buying a house, personal weight loss, business management.

• Business planning

Skip ahead to the sections you're interested in or check each one out to see what you’re missing.

Looking for more templates? Check out these free downloadable Word resume templates and PowerPoint templates .

To kick things off, let’s start with 7 project management templates your team can’t afford to go without.

Project management templates

1. timeline template.

This helps your team stay on the same page throughout the course of your project. If you don’t have time to create your own project timeline, don’t sweat it. Use this template to create one quickly.

2. Gantt Chart template

Each milestone also has a summary of what needs to be done so there’s no question as to what everyone on your team should be working on and when those deliverables are due.

For the best results, create a general timeline to look at for quick answers, such as when something is due, and your Gantt Chart to see the details of the deliverables before they’re due.

3. To-do list template

Hold your team accountable. Once you have your general timeline created and your Gantt Chart laid out, you’ll need a way to keep your team in the loop with the status of certain deliverables. This to-do list template will help you do just that.

With this template, you can add the project tasks, a status update, the priority level, a due date, who’s in charge, and any relevant notes to ensure that everyone on the team knows what’s going on.

And if any issues come up, you can use this next template.

4. Issue tracking template

This issue tracking template helps you keep a log of what went wrong, when it occurred, who handled the problem, and any relevant notes that may be helpful.

Remember, it’s better to identify the issues and document them now than it is to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again because you failed to identify a common thread.

5. Weekly timecard template

6. project tracking template.

7. KPI tracking template

In this next section, I’ll show you the best templates to help you manage your money.

8. Money management template

9. personal budget template.

Level up your Excel skills

Become a certified Excel ninja with GoSkills bite-sized courses

10. Income and expense template

11. Family budget planner template

12. household budget template, 13. college budget template.

For students, there’s also this helpful college budget template that tracks where most of your funds are going. Then you’ll know what to expect and how to plan ahead each semester (for the most part).

14. Holiday spending budget template

15. travel budget template.

16. Kids money management template

17. savings goal template, 18. wedding budget template.

19. Get out of debt template

20. Portfolio management template

Up next, I’ll show you how a little planning ahead will make your life smooth sailing down the road.

21. Meal plan template

22. Home remodel budget template

23. Party planning template

Parties can also increase your spending for the month. Let this party planning template make sure your party stays within your budget.

Purchasing a house is another important milestone that can quickly spiral out of your budget and control.

Fortunately, the templates in our next section will help alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with such a major purchase.

24. Home expense calculator template

25. mortgage calculator template.

But before you decide to put in an offer on the house of your dreams, use this mortgage calculator template to see if your mortgage payments are something you can even afford.

Templates can also be helpful when you’re trying to lose or maintain your current weight. I’ll show you two great ones to use for this next.

26. Weight loss tracker template

27. Couple weight loss tracker template

To add to that, grab a partner or spouse and track both of your weight loss journeys with this weight loss template . You can motivate each other to succeed.

Up next, let’s talk about the best Excel templates for managing your business.

28. Basic invoice template

29. Service invoice template

30. Sales invoice template

31. Account statement template

32. Packing slip template

33. Price quote template

34. Purchase order template

Once your customer decides to accept your price quote, you can then create a purchase order thanks to this template .

35. Sales receipt template

36. Rent receipts template

37. Home office expense tracking template

38. Computer repair invoice template

39. Time card template

40. Weekly timesheet template

41. Weekly timesheet with breaks template

42. Free payroll calculator template

43. Proft and loss statement template

Now that you have templates for the technical aspects of operating your business, let’s go over a few to use if you’re just starting out or want to take your business to the next level.

Business planning templates

44. competitive analysis template.

45. Startup business planning template

46. Financial plan projection template

47. On-page SEO template

48. Marketing calendar template

49. Marketing editorial calendar

50. SWOT analysis template

51. Event planning template

Don’t waste time creating your own templates; use these free Excel ones instead

You’re already busy enough, why add to your stress and overflowing to-do lists?

Instead of spending countless hours creating your own templates, use one of the free Excel templates on our list and you’ll make all the messy, overwhelming parts of your life that much easier.

Whether you’re starting a business or managing your personal finances, this list of 52 Excel templates has you covered.

Ready to become an Excel ninja? We got you – no matter where you are on the skill spectrum.

Check out our Basic and Advanced Excel course and level up today!

Loved this? Subscribe, and join 460,586 others.

Get our latest content before everyone else. Unsubscribe whenever.

Devan is a content writer with over 10 years of experience. Her skills include project management, leadership, customer service, writing, marketing, and SEO. She has experience in industries such as tech, customer management, and employment. She has worked for companies such as Thryv, We Work Remotely, Namogoo, Nextiva, and has been writing for GoSkills in the elearning industry since 2017. Devan has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Marketing. When she’s not writing for GoSkills, you’ll find her outside reading, soaking up the sun, or hiking her next adventure. Find her on Linkedin here.

Recommended

What Excel Skills Are Employers Looking For?

Excel skills are required for most administrative, engineering, and management jobs and can provide a pathway to high-paying jobs if you don't have a college degree.

Excel Challenge 43: Assign Random Values From a List

Test your skills with this Excel challenge: create random schedules for athletes and display dynamic rosters. Dive in, explore our resources, and get started!

Excel Challenge 42: Prepare an Excel Worksheet for Printing

In this Excel challenge, reformat and prep a messy sales worksheet for printing. Join our Slack community; you might learn a trick or two!

© 2024 GoSkills Ltd. Skills for career advancement

🍪 This website uses cookies to improve your experience.

Learn more about our cookies Accept cookies

• Add WordArt to a slide Video
• Add hyperlinks to slides Video
• Import a Word outline Video
• Check spelling Video
• Add a table Video
• Insert Excel data Video
• Split a table Video

Insert Excel data

In PowerPoint, you can embed tables and worksheets from Excel in your presentation slides.

In Excel, click and drag to highlight the cells you want to copy.

Right-click the copied cells and select Copy .

In your PowerPoint presentation, right-click and select the Paste Options you want:

Use Destination Styles – Choose to edit your copied cells like a PowerPoint table, but with PowerPoint's color scheme and fonts.

Keep Source Formatting – Choose to keep your table editable in PowerPoint while maintaining the same source formatting from Excel.

Embed – Choose to keep a copy of your table in PowerPoint in case you want to edit the data, which will open in Excel.

Note:  If you're working with a large Excel file, it'll inflate your PowerPoint presentation to a big size. You may also unintentionally be giving more access to your Excel file than you intend to.

Picture – Choose to paste your table as a picture to get the same benefits as embedding except you can format your cells like a picture and add effects to it. You won’t be able to edit data once it’s been pasted though.

Keep Text Only – Choose to paste your table as straight text and to do all formatting in PowerPoint.

If you pasted as a picture, on the Picture Tools Format tab, select the quick picture style you want to use. Adjust the table to your liking.

Insert Excel data in PowerPoint

Copy an Excel chart to another Office program

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

EXCEL下载免费安装教程（安装office下载免费2024软件必看）免费excel下载最新教程

计算机二级资源无偿分享，WPS、MS、EXCEL全都有。网课，练习专用，练习题，模拟题，题库，全都无偿

【保姆级方法】Office 365 免费调试安装！2024最新激活调试方法！Excel、Word、PPT、Visio安装下載

计算机二级2024最新ms/wps/excel，关注私我无偿分享哦，一个一个追着发

20个Excel核心技巧，轻松应对80%的工作需求

2024必看！全网最新最细最实用Excel零基础入门到精通全套教程！专为零基础小白打造！

【2024最新】office办公软件安装、激活永久免费使用、一键搞定

【保姆级方法】Office 365 免费调试安装！2024最新快速激活调试方法！Excel、Word、PPT、Visio安装下载

PPT模板1000万免费下载！附带模板连接！

【2022最新全套】Excel零基础入门进阶到函数，Excel自学教程从小白到高手入门起步超详细实操教程

Excel高级用法VLOOKUP的全面用法详解，学会能解决大部分匹配

EXCEL从入门到精通

49个财务人必备函数，牢牢记住，提高做表效率

Excel库存表设置预警，库存不足提醒补货！

【保姆级教程】Office 365 免费调试安装！2024最新激活调试方法！Excel、Word、PPT、Visio安装下載

5分钟教你制作一个Excel动态图表，数据联动，太丝滑了吧！

【Excel数据透视表全攻略】全套共60课，适合销售 库存管理 运营 财务

【Office零基础教学】一套课程学会Word+Excel+PPT 零基础的办公效率提升速成课

Word排版技巧&疑难杂症解决 四年使用经验分享(Word教程)

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

• Services & Software

Subscriptions Can Add Up. Here’s How You Can Get Microsoft 365 for Free

A Microsoft 365 subscription gets you Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other apps, but could set you back $100 a year. Here's how to get Microsoft 365 for free.

• National Silver Azbee Award for Impact/Investigative Journalism; National Gold Azbee Award for Online Single Topic Coverage by a Team; National Bronze Azbee Award for Web Feature Series

• Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents

You can use Microsoft Office apps for free. 

Microsoft 365 is a productivity suite that includes Word for writing, PowerPoint for creating presentations, Outlook for email and OneDrive for cloud storage. Whether for work, school, personal use or all of the above, chances are you’ll want access to these apps -- we definitely find them helpful.

A paid Microsoft 365 membership starts at $2 a month or $20 a year for Microsoft 365 Basic tier, so you’ll pay anywhere from $20 to $100 annually, depending on the plan you pick. While that may not sound too bank-breaking, subscription services can add up. Luckily, you can get Microsoft 365 at no cost if you're a student or teacher. If you don't have a school email address, you've got options, including a free trial or relying on the zero-dollar but limited functionality online-only versions of apps like Word.

Here’s how you can get Microsoft 365 for free. 

Students and teachers can easily get Microsoft Office 365 Education for free

Microsoft Excel can be a great tool for crunching data sets, tracking grades and other applications in the classroom -- for teachers or students

Say you're a student, teacher or faculty member with an active school email address. You're probably eligible to get access to Office 365 for free through Microsoft, with access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams, plus other classroom tools.

All you have to do is punch in your school email address on this page on Microsoft's website: Office 365 Education . In many cases, you'll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility. 

College students can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $3 a month with a valid school email address.

More Tech Tips

• The Best Windows 11 Features
• Ways to Help Your Old Laptop Last Longer
• 5 Ways to Make Your Chromebook More Secure

You can still use many Microsoft 365 apps for free if you're not a student or faculty member

Not everyone can take advantage of an email address through an academic institution to get the Microsoft Office suite at no cost. Thankfully, anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365. You do need to enter a credit card number. If you don't cancel your subscription before the month is up, you'll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home). 

The good news is that you can access a number of apps online for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar, My Content, Skype, Designer and Clipchamp as long as you don't need the full suite of Microsoft 365 tools. Here's how to get them: 

1 . Go to Microsoft365.com .

2 . Click Sign up for the free version of Office under the "Sign in" button.

3 . Log in to your Microsoft account or create one for free . If you already have a Windows, Skype or Xbox Live login, you have an active Microsoft account.

4 . Select the app you want to use and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.

Use the browser-based version of the Microsoft Word app for free.

So what's the catch for the free version?

You might be saying, "Wait a minute, if I can get all of those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place?" The functionality of the free apps is limited, so they only run in your web browser and you can only use them while you're actively connected to the internet -- there’s no offline version. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft 365 versions. For instance, Microsoft Teams calls are limited to group calls of 100 participants for 60 minutes per month with the free app, and calls of up to 300 participants with a 30 hour monthly allowance for the paid version of Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

There are still benefits to the free version, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real-time, similar to what the Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) productivity tools allow. If you're looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you. 

For more productivity coverage, check out what Microsoft 365 Basic offers customers , all of the  best features in Windows 11  and  how to take screenshots in Windows 10 or 11 . You can also take a look at CNET's list of the best Windows laptops .

How to get Microsoft 365 for free

Can i get office 365 for free.

Yes, you can get Microsoft 365 for free. Students and teachers can get Microsoft Office 365 Education at no cost with a school email address. If you're not a student of faculty member, you can use the online versions of many apps like Word for free, or sign up for a one-month Microsoft 365 free trial.

Can I still use Office 365 without a subscription?

You can use several Microsoft Office apps, including Word, without a paid subscription. However, you'll be limited to online-only versions of these apps instead of having the ability to work offline as well.

• Yes, You Really Need a Password Manager. Here's How to Set One Up Today
• If You Value Your Privacy, Change These Browser Settings ASAP
• Low Storage on Windows 11? Here's How to Free Up Disk Space on Your PC

Services and Software Guides

• Best iPhone VPN
• Best Free VPN
• Best Android VPN
• Best Mac VPN
• Best Mobile VPN
• Best VPN for Firestick
• Best VPN for Windows
• Fastest VPN
• Best Cheap VPN
• Best Password Manager
• Best Antivirus
• Best Identity Theft Protection
• Best LastPass Alternative
• Best Live TV Streaming Service
• Best Streaming Service
• Best Free TV Streaming Service
• Best Music Streaming Services
• Best Web Hosting
• Best Minecraft Server Hosting
• Best Website Builder
• Best Dating Sites
• Best Language Learning Apps
• Best Weather App
• Best Stargazing Apps
• Best Cloud Storage
• Best Resume Writing Services
• New Coverage on Operating Systems

Kamala Harris has put the Democrats back in the race