How to convert an Excel spreadsheet to a Word document

Updated: 05/01/2023 by Computer Hope
Excel to Word

The following steps walk you through how to convert a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to a Microsoft Word document.

Note

To convert a Word document to an Excel spreadsheet, see: How to convert a Word document to an Excel spreadsheet.

  1. Open the Excel spreadsheet you want to convert to a Word document.
  2. Highlight all information you want to transfer to Word.
  3. Once the text is highlighted, right-click and select Copy, or with your keyboard, press Ctrl+C.
  4. Open Microsoft Word and click the File tab, click New in the left navigation pane, then click Blank document under the New section.
  5. Paste the information previously copied from the Excel spreadsheet by right-clicking and selecting Paste. You can also use the Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.
  6. To use different formatting from the default when pasting, click the Paste Options button, shown in the picture below.

Paste options

  1. Select from the following paste options:
Note

If copying from Microsoft Excel Online (the web version), there are only three paste options. If copying to Microsoft Word Online, the paste options are limited to only two.

  • Keep Source Formatting (K) - Keeps all formatting of the copied text.

Excel - Keep source formatting

  • Use Destination Styles (S) - Copies the Excel table, but does not copy any formatting associated with it, such as colored cells.

Excel - use destination styles

  • Link & Keep Source Formatting (F) - Creates a link to the Excel spreadsheet and keeps the Excel formatting. When you reopen the Word document, it asks you to update the information from the spreadsheet.

Excel link and keep source formatting

  • Link & Use Destination Styles (L) - Creates a link to the Excel spreadsheet and uses the Word formatting. When you reopen the Word document, it asks you to update the information from the spreadsheet.

Excel destination styles

  • Picture (U) - Pastes the information from Excel as a picture in Word. Once you save and reopen Word, you cannot edit the information in the table.

Excel paste options

  • Keep Text Only (T) - Saves the information pasted from Excel as a text-only format, discarding any formatting, such as tables or pictures.

Keep Text Only paste option

  1. After selecting the best paste option for your needs, save the document.