Insert Tab

(Click the ribbon to navigate)

The Insert tab is used to add new content and elements into your Excel Workbook. You're able to insert different types of objects, such as tables, charts, pictures, shapes, and other elements, into your worksheet. It also allows you to insert various types of data, such as hyperlinks, comments, headers, and footers.

(Click anywhere in the tab to jump to that section)

Add-ins section of the insert ribbon tab

Button

Button

Button

Tables

Insert and Create Tables

PivotTable

A PivotTable is a powerful data analysis tool which lets you calculate, summarize, and analyze data so you can see comparisons, patterns, and trends. PivotTables are particularly useful when dealing with large volumes of data.

Table

Tables in Excel simplify the process of managing and analyzing data in a spreadsheet by providing additional functionality such as the ability to quickly sort and filter information.

Recommended PivotTables

Excel examines your data and suggests tables that would suit your data set, making it easy to convert your data into a table format for enhanced viewing and analysis.

Illustrations

Insert Objects Into the Workbook

Pictures

This feature enables you to import images from your local storage or the web, which can be helpful in adding context or visual interest to your spreadsheets.

Shapes

Shapes such as circles, squares, arrows, and more can be used to highlight information, create diagrams, or enhance the design of your spreadsheet.

Icons

Excel provides a library of predefined icons that can be used to communicate information visually, enhancing the comprehension of the data.

3D Models

Excel allows you to insert 3D models from files or online sources, providing a modern and impactful way to visualize certain types of data.

SmartArt

SmartArt allows you to create professional diagrams with special effects such as gradients, shadows, and more to make complex data more understandable.

Screenshots

This tool lets you capture and insert a screenshot of any open window into your workbook, a convenient way to include relevant visuals from other sources.

Add-ins

Insert and Manage External Add-ins

Get Add-ins

This feature allows you to browse and download new add-ins from the Microsoft Store. Add-ins are supplemental programs that can extend the capabilities of Excel by providing additional features and automation.

My Add-ins

Lets you manage and access your already installed add-ins. From here, you can see a list of your active add-ins, launch them, or remove ones you no longer need.

Visio Data Visualizer

This is an add-in that allows you to create Visio diagrams directly in Excel. It automatically converts your data into a Visio diagram, such as a flowchart or an organizational chart, providing a powerful visual representation of your data.

Bing Maps

Bing Maps is an Excel add-in that allows you to display your data as a map directly within Excel. This is useful when working with geographical data. For example, you could map a company's sales by region or country.

People Graph

An add-in that allows you to create simple, visually appealing infographics in Excel based on your data. It's a great tool for visualizing and comparing proportionate values, often represented by silhouettes or icons to indicate the number of people or items in a category.

Charts

Insert Graphs and Charts from Data

Recommended Charts

This feature analyzes your selected data and recommends charts that might present that data in a meaningful way. This can be particularly helpful when you're unsure of the best way to visualize your data.

Pre-Made Charts

Excel has an array of pre-made charts like line, bar, column, pie, scatter, and more. Each of these can be used to represent your data in different ways, making it easier to highlight different aspects of your data, such as trends, distributions, or relationships.

Maps

The "Maps" function is used to create geographical visualizations of your data. It can translate your data related to geographic locations into a map, which is a powerful tool for visually representing geographic distributions or variations.

PivotChart

A PivotChart is a graphical representation of a data summary displayed in a PivotTable. PivotCharts are interactive, so you can sort and filter them to analyze your data in different ways. They are particularly helpful when dealing with large datasets, as they can summarize and visualize the data in a way that's easy to understand.

Tours

Plot Geographic Data on a Custom Map

3D Map

This feature allows you to plot geographic and temporal data over a three-dimensional globe or custom map, enabling complex spatial analysis and impressive presentation of geographically-related data points.

Sparklines

Insert cell-sized graphs

Line Sparkline

A Line Sparkline is a simple, small line chart that's drawn without specifying axes. This type of Sparkline is best when you have multiple data points and you want to show trends, ups and downs, over a period of time. For example, you could use Line Sparklines to represent a company's monthly sales data.

Column Sparkline

A Column Sparkline is a small column chart that's drawn without axes or coordinates. It's designed to show variations in the data and its layout makes it easy to compare individual values. Each column corresponds to a data point, and the taller the column, the larger the data value. For example, you could use Column Sparklines to represent the number of units sold each day in a month.

Win/Loss

A Win/Loss Sparkline is similar to the Column Sparkline, but it only shows whether each value is positive (win) or negative (loss), not how much higher or lower the values are. The bars only take on two heights: up and down, ignoring the actual value of the data point. This type of Sparkline is best for showing win/loss scenarios or positive/negative outcomes, such as tracking a team's win-loss record over a season.

Filters

Create Slicers and Timelines from Data and PivotTables

Slicer

A slicer is a visual filter in an interactive, clickable format that allows you to filter data in a more user-friendly way than the traditional drop-down menu system.

Timeline

A timeline is a graphical representation that allows you to filter and view your data based on a timeline, which is particularly useful when working with time-sensitive data.

Links

Insert Hyperlinks

Links

Allows you to insert three different types of links in your workbook:

Hyperlink - Hyperlinks in Excel can be used to link to a web page, a picture, an email address, or a program. This can make your spreadsheets more interactive and useful, especially if you need to reference external resources.

Bookmark - Bookmarks help to create quick navigation points in your workbook, allowing users to jump to specific cells or ranges in a large workbook without scrolling.

Cross-reference - Cross-referencing allows you to create a link to another location in the same worksheet, providing an easy navigation tool within your data.

Comments

Create Comments in Worksheet Cells

Comment

This allows you to add a new comment to a selected cell. These comments are typically used for collaboration and discussion. You can mention co-workers in a comment to draw their attention to it, and the comment will appear in a thread-like view to the side of the cell.

Text

Insert and Edit Text Objects

Text Box

A Text Box in Excel is a rectangular box in which you can insert and format text. You can place the text box anywhere within your Excel spreadsheet and use it to highlight specific information, add notes, or decorate your spreadsheet.

Header & Footer

Headers and footers are sections of the worksheet that appear at the very top and very bottom of the page when it's printed. You can use headers and footers to repeat information on each printed page, such as the document title, author's name, page numbers, dates, or logos.

WordArt

WordArt is a text-modifying feature that allows you to decorate text. You can apply different shapes, outlines, shadow effects, glow effects, and fill colors to your text. It is a useful feature for making text stand out or creating visually appealing headers.

Signature Line

The Signature Line is a feature that allows you to add a visible or invisible digital signature to your Excel document. This is often used in documents that require a signature for approval or confirmation. The signature line may include details such as who must sign, their title, and the date.

Object

The "Object" feature allows you to insert objects like text boxes, charts, shapes, or other Excel features into your worksheet. It also lets you create and insert objects from other applications, such as Word documents or PowerPoint presentations. This is useful when you want to include information or resources from other files without leaving your spreadsheet.

Symbols

Insert and Create Custom Equations and Symbols

Equation

This option allows you to insert mathematical equations and formulas into your Excel document. Once you click on the "Equation" button, Excel provides you with tools to construct complex mathematical equations. These can include fractions, integrals, and mathematical functions. This is especially useful for creating scientific or mathematical worksheets or for performing complex calculations that don't involve data stored in an Excel spreadsheet.

Symbol

Allows you to insert special symbols that aren't on your keyboard, such as currency symbols, mathematical symbols, and special characters (for example, ©, ±, ÷, etc.). This feature is often used when you need to include a non-standard character in your workbook. When you click on "Symbol," a dialog box will open that displays many different symbols. You can then select the one you need and insert it into your worksheet.