You always want to have the latest data available if you're making a presentation. That way, you can ensure that your slides are accurate and reflect the realities on the ground.

However, there are times when you have to create a presentation as your colleagues are still compiling data. How can you ensure that any change they make in your Excel database reflects in your PowerPoint slide?

This is where the Paste link function comes in. Here's how to use it to ensure you always have the latest database and chart info on your presentation.

Linking Your Excel Data to PowerPoint

paste link in paste special window for powerpoint

To link your Excel table to your presentation, it first must exist. If your colleagues haven't created it yet, you can create a placeholder table you can select and copy and then have your teammates update its content. Once you've made the initial data, follow the steps outlined below.

  1. Select the table you want to copy over to your presentation.
  2. Click on Copy or press Ctrl + C (Command + C for Mac users).
  3. Open Microsoft Powerpoint.
  4. Open the file presentation you're working on if you already have one; otherwise, click on Blank Presentation.
  5. On a blank slide, go to the Home menu ribbon.
  6. Click on the down arrow under the paste icon.
  7. Choose Paste Special…
  8. In the Paste Special window, choose the Paste link radio button.
  9. Choose Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object.
  10. Press OK.

Once done, you'll see the table you copied from Excel appear on your PowerPoint presentation.

However, you need to access the source Excel file to edit the content or formatting of the table you added. To do so, you can open the file where you saved it; or, you could double-click the table, and it will automatically open the source file.

Related: How to Organize Your Spreadsheets in Excel

Creating a Dynamic Chart

paste chart and link data

One of the easiest ways to visualize, compare, and analyze data and trends is to use charts. However, if you want to create a chart from the linked Excel table you just created, you must do it from its source file first. Once you've made the chart, you can copy and link it to your PowerPoint file. Here's how to do it.

  1. Select the chart you create in Excel.
  2. Click on Copy or press Ctrl + C (Command + C for Mac users).
  3. Open Microsoft Powerpoint.
  4. Go to the slide where you want to place the chart you just copied.
  5. On the Home menu ribbon, click on the down arrow under the paste icon.
  6. In the Paste Options, you can either choose Use Destination Theme & Link Data (L) or Keep Source Formatting & Link Data (F). These are the third and fourth icons, respectively. The first option lets you use the theme you're using for your presentation, while the second one retains the look and feel of your source Excel file.
  7. Once you've pasted your chart, you can move it around to suit your needs.

Related: How to Create Powerful Graphs and Charts in Microsoft Excel

Updating Your Chart

refresh chart data

Unfortunately, if you need to make changes to your chart, you'll have to open its source data in Excel. If you have access to the Excel file, you can just make changes directly, and it should automatically reflect on the PowerPoint chart.

If you don't have the Excel file open, you can right-click on the PowerPoint chart, then choose Edit Data > Edit Data in Excel in the context menu. You can also select Edit Data > Edit Data to open a small window if you only need to make minor changes.

In case the changes you make don't automatically reflect on the PowerPoint chart, you can manually update it. To do so, click on your chart, go to the Chart Design menu ribbon, then click on Refresh Data. This will pull in the latest information from the linked Excel file and update the information displayed on your PowerPoint chart.

Formatting Your Excel-Linked PowerPoint Chart

chart style options

Unlike your Excel data table, any changes you make to the chart design in Excel will not affect your chart in PowerPoint. For this reason, you have to finalize the design and feel of the chart you're copying from in Excel before copying it over to your presentation.

Alternatively, you can make design changes to your PowerPoint chart independently. That means you can change how your presentation chart looks without affecting the chart you copied from Excel.

To make those changes, click on your chart, then go to the Chart Design menu ribbon. You can choose how the chart feels under Chart Styles. If you think that the current chart type doesn't fit well with your presentation, you can even change it.

Click on Change Chart Type to open a new window. From there, you can pick out any chart type you like in the left column.

Related: How to Make a Line Graph in Excel

Finding Linked Files

powerpoint file info

Sometimes, you cannot remember if the tables and charts in your presentation are linked to an Excel file. Or it might be the case that you linked your PowerPoint data to a spreadsheet but can't remember where you saved it.

You can check the PowerPoint file directly if it's linked to any file and where these files are. To do so, click on File in the menu ribbon. In the full-screen menu that opens, go to Info on the left-hand column.

Under the Info window, on the right-hand column, go to Related Documents. Click on Open File Location to see where the linked files are saved.

If you moved the linked Excel files, click on Edit Links to Files. A Links window will appear showing each linked object and the file's location attached to it. The window gives you four choices:

  • Update now: Update the object's data to the latest changes in the linked file.
  • Open Source: Opens the linked Excel file.
  • Change Source…: Opens a File Explorer window to change the linked file.
  • Break Link: Removes the link from your presentation.

Always Stay Updated

This nifty feature first appeared in Microsoft Office 2010 and has since been available to all Office users. So, whenever you're making a presentation based on incomplete data, you no longer have to worry about updating it manually in the future.

By copying the Excel information and then pasting it into your presentation as a linked item, you're guaranteed to have the latest data updated into your PowerPoint file automatically.