Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Unlinking an Excel Chart Automatically.

Unlinking an Excel Chart Automatically

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 10, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


Glenn asked if there was a way to have an Excel chart automatically "unlink" itself. He has a template that has a linked Excel chart in it. When he creates a new document based on the template, he wants the chart to update (which it does), but then unlink itself so that it doesn't update again when the document is later opened.

The best way to handle this is with a macro, but a few "ground rules" need to be set first. The Word template must have the Excel chart inserted using Paste Special, as an inline shape (don't have the chart floating on the drawing layer). Also, you should use Edit | Links to set the link update for the chart to Manual.

Now, add the following macro to the ThisDocument module for the template:

Private Sub Document_New()
    Dim ilshp As InlineShape

    Application.DisplayAlerts = False
    ' cycle through all inline shapes
    For Each ilshp In ActiveDocument.InlineShapes
        ' ignore error if inline shape has no link
        On Error Resume Next
        With ilshp.LinkFormat
            .Update  ' update link
            .BreakLink ' break link
        End With

        ' reset error
        On Error GoTo 0
    Next
    Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

When a new document is created from the template, the user is asked to enable macros (they should enable them). The macro isn't copied into the new document; it stays only in the template. What the macro does is to update any inline shapes that have external links and then break the links.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8182) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Unlinking an Excel Chart Automatically.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Making VLOOKUP Trigger a Macro

VLOOKUP is an oft-used worksheet function to lookup values in a data table. If the function cannot return a value, it ...

Discover More

Inserting Workbook Comments Into a Cell

One of the pieces of information that Excel can maintain relative to a workbook is a set of comments of your choice. ...

Discover More

Counting the Times a Worksheet is Used

Do you need to know how many times a worksheet has been used? Excel doesn't track that information, but you can develop ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Embedding an Excel Worksheet

Word and Excel are both integral parts of Microsoft's Office suite of applications. As such, Word allows you to embed ...

Discover More

Converting a PDF File to a Word Document

PDF files seem to be everywhere; they are a standard way of exchanging documents with others. At some point you may want ...

Discover More

Maintaining Destination Formatting on a Linked Excel Table

Word, as part of the Microsoft Office Suite, allows you to link data from other programs in the suite. If you link an ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 3 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.