How does linking Excel data to slides work?

Linking Excel data lets you connect a chart or table on a slide to a worksheet in an Excel file stored in SlideHub. Once the two are linked, SlideHub keeps the slide in sync: whenever you update the Excel file, the linked charts and tables on every slide refresh automatically. You set the link up once, and from then on you only ever edit the numbers in Excel.

Example: you keep your quarterly revenue figures in an Excel workbook. A chart on your company overview slide is linked to the "Revenue" worksheet in that workbook. Next quarter you update the workbook with the new figures, and SlideHub rebuilds the chart on the slide for you — no need to re-paste data or rebuild the chart by hand.

How to use Excel linking

Follow these steps to link a chart or table on a slide to an Excel worksheet. Every label in bold is exactly what you'll see on screen.

1. In SlideHub, open the slide you want to work on and go to its Placeholders & Identifiers view. SlideHub scans the slide and lists what it finds.
2. Scroll to the Charts & tables section. SlideHub lists every chart and table it detected on the slide. Anything not yet connected shows a grey Not linked badge.
3. Find the chart or table you want to connect and click Link to Excel. A dialog opens with the heading First, select an existing Excel workbook from SlideHub.
4. (Optional) Use the filters and search at the top to narrow the list of Excel files. Click the card of the workbook you want. The dialog switches to Last, select the sheet in the Excel file.
5. Choose where the data lives. Select Map to existing worksheet and pick a worksheet from the list, or select Add new worksheet to this file and type a name in the Worksheet name field.
6. Click Link. The dialog closes and the chart or table now shows a green Linked badge.

Tip: If you don't have an Excel file for this chart yet, click Create new instead of Link to Excel. SlideHub builds a brand-new Excel file from the chart's current data and links it automatically, so you have something to edit straight away.

How it works

There are three stages to keep in mind.

• Linking: You connect one chart or table on a slide to one worksheet in an Excel file. SlideHub remembers which shape on the slide maps to which worksheet. The link itself doesn't change your slide or your Excel file — it just records the connection.
• Editing: You make your changes in Excel and upload the updated file to SlideHub the way you normally update any file.
• Syncing: When the updated Excel file is saved, SlideHub finds every slide linked to that file and refreshes their charts and tables with the new data in the background. Each refreshed slide is saved as a new version, so the previous one is kept in the slide's history.

You have two ways to create a link from the Charts & tables section:

• Link to Excel: Connect the chart or table to a worksheet in an Excel file that already exists in SlideHub. This is the right choice when your data already lives in a workbook.
• Create new: Build a brand-new Excel file from the chart or table's current data and link it in one step. Use this when you don't have a source workbook yet and want one to start editing.

(Please note that when you choose Add new worksheet to this file, the worksheet is registered in SlideHub right away, but it's only added to the actual Excel file the next time you update that file.)

How do I create a new Excel file from a chart or table?

In the Charts & tables section, find a chart or table that shows the Not linked badge and click Create new. SlideHub reads the data currently in that chart or table, creates a new Excel file from it, and links the two automatically. When it finishes, the badge turns to Linked and you can open the new file with Edit Excel file to keep working on the data.

What happens when I update a linked Excel file?

When you replace a linked Excel file with a new version, SlideHub shows you which slides are affected before you confirm. You'll see a Slide Links found to maintain list — these charts and tables stay in sync with the file, and you can unselect any you no longer want linked. If the new file no longer contains a worksheet that a slide pointed to, that slide appears under Broken links and will be unlinked. Once you confirm, SlideHub updates the file and refreshes the linked slides in the background.

What does "Worksheet missing in file" mean?

A chart or table shows the yellow Worksheet missing in file badge when it's still linked, but the worksheet it points to is no longer in the Excel file — usually because the worksheet was renamed or removed in a later version of the file. The link stays in place so you can fix it: open the Excel file, add the worksheet back (or rename it to match), or click Change linking on the slide to point the chart or table at a different worksheet.

Can I undo a link?

Yes. On a linked chart or table, click Unlink. SlideHub asks you to confirm with Unlink Excel data? and explains that the chart or table will no longer stay in sync with the Excel worksheet. Unlinking only removes the connection — it doesn't change the slide or delete the Excel file. You can link it again at any time. To point the same chart at a different worksheet instead of removing the link, use Change linking.

How do I find which slides use an Excel file?

Open the Excel file in SlideHub. Files that feed one or more slides are marked Slides are linked to this Excel file, and inside the file you'll see a Linked to [N] slides list. Click any slide in that list to open it. On the slide side, a linked chart or table is marked Table/chart linked to Excel, and the slide's Placeholders & Identifiers view shows a Linked Excel section listing each connection.

Who can link Excel data to slides?

Anyone who can manage the slide in your company library can link, change, and unlink its charts and tables, and create Excel files from them. If you open a slide and can't see these options, you don't have permission to manage that slide — ask an account Owner to make the change or to grant you access.

Linking Excel data is one of a few ways SlideHub keeps slide content in sync with a source of data. If your goal is to fill text and image placeholders from a prepared list rather than to keep a chart in sync with a workbook, see How do I use a Data Table to fill a slide? instead.

Updated on: 06/23/2026