How to Update Excel Links in Microsoft Publisher Documents
Question details
The user needs to update or fix unresponsive links to Excel charts, tables, or hyperlinks within a Microsoft Publisher document.
- Product
- Microsoft Publisher
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing linked Excel data objects or exporting a publication as a website with functional hyperlinks.
- Observed behavior
- Links to Excel data are not updating as expected, commands for updating linked data may be missing, or web-published hyperlinks appear broken due to missing support folders.
Verify whether the unresponsive links in your Publisher document are OLE data links to Excel spreadsheets or standard URL hyperlinks, as the troubleshooting steps differ for each type.
Update Excel Data Links and Linked Objects
Use Publisher's link management tools to inspect and manually update embedded or linked Excel charts and tables.
When you insert an Excel chart or table into Publisher using OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), changes in the source file should reflect in Publisher. If they do not, manual synchronization is required.
Open your Microsoft Publisher document and click directly on the Excel chart or table that is not updating.
Navigate to the Edit menu or right-click the object to find the 'Edit Links' or 'Link Management' dialog box. This will display the source file path of your Excel data.
Select the specific link from the list and choose the option to update it. This forces Publisher to sync the latest data from the source Excel file.
Fix Broken Web Publication Hyperlinks
Ensure that all supporting files are correctly uploaded when publishing a document as a website to prevent broken links.
Try WPS Office for Seamless Document and Spreadsheet Management
If you frequently encounter compatibility issues with linked objects or complex menus in Microsoft Publisher, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, robust suite that offers excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, making document creation and data linking straightforward.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button.
- 2. Install the Software: Run the lightweight installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to set up the suite.
- 3. Open Your Existing Files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Microsoft Office files seamlessly without losing formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Excel charts not updating in Microsoft Publisher?
This usually happens if the link to the source Excel file is broken, the file was moved to a different folder, or the update setting is set to manual rather than automatic. You can fix this via the Edit Links dialog in Publisher.
What is the index_files folder in Microsoft Publisher?
When you export a Publisher document as a website, Publisher creates an 'index_files' folder to store supporting content like images and linked objects. This entire folder must be uploaded to your web server for your hyperlinks and images to display correctly.
Can I stop Publisher from putting supporting files in a separate folder?
Yes. Open your Web publication, navigate to Tools > Options > Web, and uncheck the 'Organize supporting files in a folder' option. This forces Publisher to save all web assets in a single directory.
Does WPS Office support Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files?
WPS Office does not natively open .pub files. However, you can export your Microsoft Publisher documents to PDF format and then open, view, or edit them using WPS PDF, or easily recreate similar document layouts in WPS Writer.
