PowerPoint Linking

How to Link Excel to PowerPoint

Mapping content between Excel and PowerPoint is easy, but does require some manual steps:

In Excel

1. Name Content (cell, range, or chart)

2. “Submit” Content

In PowerPoint

3. Click “Get Excel Source Data” (“Link” tab)

In PowerPoint (for each item/shape)

4. Select Desired Excel source from the drop-downs

5. Copy the provided {code}, including the brackets

6. Create or select the desired shape

Important: the shape type must match (e.g. for a chart: shape must be an existing image; for a table, shape must be an existing table).  Text shapes must contain text content (it will not update if the shape says “Click to add…”

7. Paste {code} in the Shape “Alt Text” “Description”

Windows: Right-click on shape > Size and Position… > Alt Text

Mac: Select shape > Shape Format > Format Pane > Shape Options

Known Issues

PowerPoint updating does work great for most files, on most computers. However, the PowerPoint updating is complex and has some known issues on some computers. Please try it before purchasing a subscription.

• Large PowerPoint files on some computers can cause "out of memory" issues and cannot be updated. The add-in will provide messages indicating if this is the case.
• Due to incompatibilities on some computers (more likely on Macs), PowerPoint updates (and listing of linked content) may not be possible. The add-in will provide messages indicating if this is the case when attempting to "List Linked Content" or "Update Document".
• On some PCs, PowerPoint occasionally partially freezes (the original PPT file) after opening the downloaded/updated PPT file. This is an Office bug, not an issue with the add-in.

We are continually working on fixing these issues. You are welcome to provide feedback regarding issues/errors.