How to update charts in PowerPoint from Excel automatically

Categories: April 13, 2019 Quick Skills

Did you know that Excel charts in PowerPoint can automatically update?

If you regularly prepare a presentation that needs to include up-to-date dynamic charts, linking your Excel data to a PowerPoint chart, this short tutorial is for you!

You can choose to update each chart manually by pressing a refresh button, or ask PowerPoint to update all the data from Excel in one go as the presentation is launched.

1 – Copy your Microsoft Excel chart

In Excel, Right click on your chart and choose copy.

2 – Paste your chart into a PowerPoint slide

Paste as a linked file

In PowerPoint, Right click on some empty slide space and choose the following Paste Option:

Use Destination Theme & Link Data.

3 – To update your chart

You will need to do the following in order to update your PowerPoint chart to reflect recently saved changes made in Excel:

Update Excel in PPT

Select your chart in PowerPoint.

From the Chart Tools menu, click Design, then the Refresh Data button.

4 – To update charts automatically on launch

To have all of your linked charts update automatically when the PowerPoint file is opened:

Ensure your files have been saved.

Automatic Update PPT

Open the File menu.

Choose Info, then click Edit Links to Files (it’s under the Related Documents heading).

Tick the Automatic Update checkbox and close.