Quick answer: To turn a picture of a table into editable data, go to Data > From Picture > Picture From File (or Picture From Clipboard for a screenshot), check the preview and insert it. To put an image inside a cell, use Insert > Illustrations > Pictures > Place in Cell. Both features need Microsoft 365 (Place in Cell also works in Excel 2024); older versions can still insert a picture that floats over the cells.
Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, Excel 2024, and the Excel mobile apps. The “over cells” method also works in Excel 2021, 2019 and 2016.
In this guide
Which method do you need?
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Turn a photo or screenshot of a table into numbers and text you can edit | Data from Picture |
| Show a product photo or logo inside a cell, so it sorts and filters with the row | Place in Cell |
| Add an image that floats on top of the sheet (logo, diagram, signature) | Place over Cells (classic insert) |
Convert a picture of a table into Excel data
On Windows
- Click the cell where the top-left corner of the table should go.
- Go to the Data tab and select From Picture.
- Choose Picture From File and pick the image, or take a screenshot of the table first with Win + Shift + S and choose Picture From Clipboard.
- A pane opens while Excel reads the image and then shows a preview. Values it isn’t sure about are highlighted for review; check and correct them.
- Insert the data into the sheet.
On a Mac
Go to Data > Data from Picture and choose the image file, or take a screenshot with Shift + Ctrl + Cmd + 4 and use Picture From Clipboard. With Continuity Camera set up, you can also right-click a cell and choose Scan Documents to photograph a page with your iPhone.
On a phone or tablet
In the Excel app, tap Insert > Data from Picture, frame the table until a red border surrounds it, and tap the capture button. Crop if needed, review any flagged values (Ignore or Edit), then tap Insert. In the Microsoft 365 app, the same feature is under Actions > Image to Table.
Tips for accurate results
- Crop the picture so it contains only the table you want.
- Photograph the page straight on, not at an angle, in good light and in focus.
- Printed tables convert much better than handwriting.
- Always check the result, especially numbers like 1/7, 0/O and decimal points, before you rely on it.
- Microsoft supports a set list of languages for this feature, including English and most major European languages.
If Data from Picture is missing
- It’s a Microsoft 365 feature, so one-time-purchase versions such as Office 2021 may not have it. If your Microsoft 365 copy shows licence warnings, see “Product Activation Failed” in Office first.
- On Windows it needs Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 1903 or later, plus the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. Installing pending updates usually covers both; see this guide if Windows Update won’t connect.
- Update Office: in Excel go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now and restart Excel.
- The button can sit under a collapsed group on narrow windows; maximise Excel and look on the Data tab again.
Insert a picture in a cell
In Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024, a picture can live inside a cell, so it moves, sorts and filters with its row.
- Select the cell.
- Go to Insert > Illustrations > Pictures > Place in Cell.
- Choose This Device, Stock Images or Online Pictures, pick the image and select Insert.
If you select several pictures, Excel fills the cells downwards from the active cell and overwrites anything already in those cells. To paste a copied image into a cell, right-click the cell and choose Paste Picture in Cell under Paste Options; a normal Ctrl + V places it over the cells instead.
To switch an existing picture, right-click it and select Place in Cell, or right-click a picture in a cell and choose Picture in Cell > Place over Cells. For images that are already online, the IMAGE function shows a picture from a web address in a cell, for example =IMAGE("https://example.com/logo.png").
Add alt text for screen reader users: right-click the picture and select View Alt Text. Supported formats include JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF (not animated), TIFF, ICO and WEBP.
Insert a picture over cells (any Excel version)
- Go to Insert > Pictures and choose This Device (or Place over Cells in Microsoft 365).
- Drag the picture into place and resize it with the corner handles; hold Alt while dragging to snap it to the cell grid.
- To keep it attached to its cells when you resize rows or filter, right-click it, select Format Picture, open Size & Properties and under Properties choose Move and size with cells.
Working in other Office apps too? See how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook.
Related guides
- “Product Activation Failed” in Word and Office: how to fix it
- “We couldn’t connect to the update service”: 7 fixes
- How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook
Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:
Frequently asked questions
Can Excel convert a PDF to a table this way?
Data from Picture works with images, not PDFs. Take a screenshot of the PDF table and use Picture From Clipboard, or in Microsoft 365 use Data > Get Data > From File > From PDF for text-based PDFs.
Does it work with handwriting?
Sometimes, if the writing is neat, but results are much less reliable than with printed tables. Expect to correct more values.
Why does my picture cover the cells instead of sitting in one?
A normal insert or paste places pictures over cells. Use Place in Cell or Paste Picture in Cell, which need Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024.
Is Data from Picture available in Excel for the web?
Microsoft’s instructions cover Windows, Mac and the mobile apps. If you don’t see it on the web, use the desktop or mobile app instead.
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