How to Copy Word Text or Tables Into Excel

Yes. To convert a Word table to Excel, select the table in Word and press Ctrl+C, then click the top-left cell where you want it in Excel and press Ctrl+V. Each Word table cell goes into its own Excel cell. On a Mac, use Command+C and Command+V.

This guide covers the copy-and-paste method, choosing paste formatting, cleaning up the data so formulas work, keeping multi-line cells intact, and a text-import option for big tables. It follows Microsoft’s Copy a Word table into Excel article.

How to Copy a Word Table Into Excel

1. In Word, select the rows and columns of the table you want. Microsoft suggests removing extra carriage returns in the cells first, because they can create extra rows in Excel.
2. Press Ctrl+C to copy.
3. In Excel, click the cell where the top-left corner of the table should go. Make sure the area is empty, because pasted data replaces what is there.
4. Press Ctrl+V.

Result: Microsoft says the data in each Word table cell is pasted into an individual cell on the worksheet.

Choose How the Table Looks

Right after pasting, click the Paste Options button next to the data:

• Match Destination Formatting: uses the formatting already applied to the worksheet cells.
• Keep Source Formatting: keeps the look of the Word table.

Result: the table either blends in with your sheet or keeps its Word colors and fonts. You can turn it into an Excel table afterward with Insert > Table.

Clean Up the Data So Formulas Work

Microsoft warns you may need to tidy the data before using Excel’s calculation features:

• Extra spacing: remove unwanted spaces in cells.
• Numbers pasted as text: convert them to numbers so sums and formulas work.
• Dates displayed wrong: apply a date format to those cells.
• Two values in one cell: use Data > Text to Columns to split them, such as first and last names.

Check Multi-Line Cells Before Pasting

Work on a copy if a cell contains several paragraphs. Microsoft warns that extra carriage returns can create extra Excel rows. Remove unwanted returns in the Word copy, paste a small sample into an empty worksheet, and compare row and column counts before importing everything. If multiple lines are meaningful, preserve the original and review those cells individually; do not run a document-wide replacement that could alter unrelated content.

Copy an Excel Table Into Word

In Excel, select the intended cell range and press Ctrl+C. In Word, click where the table belongs and press Ctrl+V. Use Paste Options to keep the source formatting or use the document’s styles. Choose a regular table paste rather than a picture when the cells must remain editable. Check all rows, columns and page breaks, then save the Word document under a separate name. Microsoft’s Excel-to-Office copying guide explains the paste choices; linked pastes have different update and sharing behavior.

Import a Large Table as Text

For a very large table, save the Word document as text and import it:

1. In Word, click File > Save As and choose a plain text format.
2. In Excel, click Data > Get Data > From File > From Text/CSV.
3. Select the file, check the preview, and click Load.

Result: the text lands in a new sheet. How cleanly the columns separate depends on how the table text was saved, so check the preview before loading.

Troubleshooting

• Data overwrote existing cells: press Ctrl+Z and paste into an empty area.
• Extra blank rows: remove line breaks in the Word cells and copy again.
• Formulas show 0 or errors: some numbers are probably text. Convert them, then recheck.

Copy Ordinary Word Text Into Excel

For text outside a Word table, select only the text you need and press Ctrl + C. In Excel, select an empty starting cell in a clear area and press Ctrl + V. Check the resulting rows and columns before saving; use Ctrl + Z if the paste replaced existing data. On Mac, use Command for the copy and paste shortcuts. Tabs and paragraph breaks affect placement. If delimited text lands in one column, use Data > Text to Columns on a copy and inspect the preview before finishing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a converter tool?

Usually not. Copy and paste works for most tables. If the table is in a PDF rather than Word, you can convert the PDF to Excel with Acrobat. Adobe and Smallpdf offer online converters that go through a PDF, but you’ll still want to check the result.

Can I go the other way?

Yes. Copy cells in Excel and paste them into Word to create a Word table.

More Excel guides: How to combine three columns into one in Excel, How to AutoFit columns and rows in Excel and How to calculate a percentage in Excel.