Copying a table from Excel into Word is easy; getting it to fit the page is the hard part. Wide spreadsheets spill past the right margin, columns get squeezed, and fonts change. The fix depends on how you paste the table and whether you want it to stay connected to Excel. This guide covers the paste options, the AutoFit settings that make a table fit, and what to do when a table is simply too wide for a portrait page.
Quick answer
Copy the range in Excel, paste it into Word with Ctrl + V, then click inside the table and choose Table Layout > AutoFit > AutoFit Window. The table resizes to fit between the margins.
Step 1: Copy the table in Excel
- Select the cells you want, including headers.
- Press Ctrl + C.
Hide columns you do not need in Word before copying. Fewer columns is the simplest way to make a table fit.
Step 2: Choose the right paste option in Word
Click where you want the table, right-click, and pick one of the Paste Options (or use Home > Paste > Paste Special):
- Use Destination Styles: pastes a normal Word table that matches your document’s fonts. Best for most reports.
- Keep Source Formatting: a Word table that keeps Excel’s fonts and colors.
- Link & Use Destination Styles / Link & Keep Source Formatting: stays connected to the Excel file and updates when the data changes.
- Picture: an image of the table. It always fits, because you can resize it like a photo, but the numbers cannot be edited.
- Paste Special > Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object: embeds a mini spreadsheet you can double-click to edit in Excel.
Step 3: Make the table fit the page
For a Word table
- Click anywhere inside the table.
- Go to the Table Layout tab (called Layout under Table Tools in older versions).
- Click AutoFit and choose AutoFit Window. The table stretches or shrinks to the width between the margins.
- If some columns are now too narrow, choose AutoFit Contents first, then AutoFit Window.
You can also right-click the table, choose Table Properties, tick Preferred width on the Table tab, and set it to 100%. To make columns equal, see how to make all columns the same width in Word, and for individual columns see how to change the width of a column in Word.
For an embedded object or picture
Click the object and drag a corner handle inward until it fits within the margins. Hold Shift to keep the proportions. Or right-click, choose Size and Position, and set the width exactly.
When the table is still too wide
- Reduce the font size: select the table and choose a smaller size, such as 9 pt.
- Shrink cell margins: Table Properties > Table > Options, and lower the left and right cell margins.
- Wrap header text: long column headings force wide columns; break them into two lines.
- Use landscape: put the table in its own section (Layout > Breaks > Next Page before and after it), then set that section to Landscape in Layout > Orientation.
- Narrow the margins: Layout > Margins > Narrow gives more room on every page.
- Split the table: move some columns into a second table.
Keep a linked table up to date
If you pasted with a Link option, right-click the table and choose Update Link after changing the Excel file. Keep the Excel file in the same location, or Word cannot find it. Note that AutoFit settings may be reset when a linked table updates, so you may need to apply AutoFit Window again.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my pasted table go off the page?
Excel column widths are copied across, and they often add up to more than a Word page is wide. AutoFit Window fixes that.
Can I put a Word document inside Excel instead?
Yes. Excel can embed a whole Word document as an object. See how to embed a Word document in Excel.
Which paste option is best for a report I will send as a PDF?
Use Destination Styles so the table matches your document, then AutoFit Window. If the numbers will not change again and you want an exact look, Picture is also a good choice because it cannot shift or reflow.
Summary
- Copy the cells in Excel.
- Paste into Word with a paste option that suits you: destination styles, linked, object or picture.
- Use Table Layout > AutoFit > AutoFit Window to fit the margins.
- Reduce fonts, margins or switch to landscape if it is still too wide.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.