Don't Create Tables in Word: Use Excel Instead

Creating tables in Word, although improved, is still cumbersome and sometimes brings more problems. This is why you should always create tables in Microsoft Excel.

Why is it better to create tables in Excel?

In short, Word is a word processor, while Excel is a data processor. So Word is not built for the best table creation, but its similar product, Excel.

The following are just some of the reasons why creating tables in Excel is better than using Microsoft Word:

1. Although it's surprising that you can use many Excel-like features in Microsoft Word tables, in Excel you have more options where functions and formulas work more intuitively.
2. You can use Excel to add depth to your analysis, or create more dynamic data displays such as pivot tables.
3. You can create and format many different types of charts using the tables you combine in Excel.
4. Formatting tables in Excel is simpler and more straightforward than in Word.

The same goes for other Microsoft programs like Outlook and OneNote – none of them compare to Excel when it comes to table creation.

How to import Excel tables into Word?

There are two main ways to copy Excel tables to Word. Which method to choose depends on what you want to achieve. If you want a table in Word to continuously reflect any changes to the original table in Excel, you need to paste it as a link object. On the other hand, if the data is finished and you want it to be a standalone table in Word, just copy and paste the data from Excel to Word.

The following are more details about each method.

Copy and paste Excel table as a link object

The first way to import a table from Excel to Word is to paste it as a linked Excel object. This is the best option if your Excel data may change and you want the copy table in Word to reflect those changes. This method also copies the format of all tables when pasting the table into Word.

First, format the table in Excel. The fastest (and best) way is to select the data, click Format Table in the Styles group on the Start tab of the ribbon, and select a style. Excel will also ask you to confirm whether your data contains the title row.

You should also consider applying some direct formatting, such as column width, font size, and text alignment, as the copy version of the table in Word will be the same as the original table you created in Excel.

Hide the filter button in the Excel table through the Table Design tab before copying the table. Otherwise, it will appear in Word, but it is not available.

Save Excel source files and target Word documents when your table is ready. Make sure they are saved in a location where they can communicate with each other, such as folders on the local network or folders in the OneDrive cloud. Additionally, ensuring that the autosave function is enabled in both programs will help the process go smoother.

Next, select all data in the Excel table and press Ctrl C. Then, go to your Word document and place the cursor where you want the table to appear. Click the Paste drop-down arrow in the Start tab, and then click Paste Special.

In the Paste Special dialog box, select Paste link, select Microsoft Excel sheet Objects, and then click OK.

If you do not want the table to be continuously updated to reflect the data in the original table, check "Paste". The table will then be pasted as an embedded and editable Excel object.

Your Excel sheet will now be pasted into Word as an image. Resize and position the table in Word like any other image or object, pay attention to its proportions, and make sure to avoid overstretching. The best option is to use a handle on the corner of the image, as this keeps the height and width proportional.

With Word and Excel files still open, temporarily modify some data in the Excel table to see if the changes are applied to Word immediately.

Every time you reopen your Word document, you will have the option to update the link to the Excel worksheet containing the original table. Click Yes to make sure your Word document contains the latest version.

When continuing to work on the document, to make sure you have the latest version of the Excel sheet, select it and press F9 to force it to relink and update. You can also double-click a table in Word to reopen the corresponding Excel file.

If you change the format, size, or other properties of an Excel table, you need to copy and repaste the data as a linked table to see the changes reflected in Word.

Simple copy and paste

Another way to copy tables from Excel to Word is more direct, but less dynamic. Using this method means that once you paste the table into Word, it becomes a completely standalone Microsoft Word table without an Excel base.

First, select the original data in Excel and press Ctrl C. Then, go to Word and press Ctrl V. From this point on, any formatting changes to a table must be done through Word's Table Design and Table Layout tabs, which brings us back to what we were trying to avoid - creating and formatting tables in Word.

To paste the data into an unformatted table and match it with the text styles that are already used in the Word document, do not press Ctrl V, but click Paste > Use Target Styles.

Also, your table has no link to Excel, so you can only use the features provided in Word.

However, the main benefit of using this method is that if you need to make small adjustments to your data, you can edit the table completely in Word, and you can rest assured that the numbers won't change unless you modify them manually. You can also resize the table without worrying about proportion or pixelation.

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Excel is also where you can convert a table to a chart and format it to exactly what you want it to look like, and then paste it into Word using the same method outlined in this guide.

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