Link and keep source formatting

Question

Hoping you can help with an issue I have come across recently after updating to Office 365.

I have an excel spreadsheet with different data tabs along the bottom. Each one of these tabs holds a different set of data.

I used to be able to copy the range of this data and when I go to paste it into a saved email message I would right click and choose the paste option for link and keep source formatting.

After saving, this would allow me to update the data in the source spreadsheet, save and close it, then after all the different tabs are updated, I would go to my folder where the saved email messages for each customer is and double click on the message to open it.

Outlook would advise that there are links associated with this file and ask if I wanted to update it. I would be able to click yes and the table would update in the saved message. I would then check the data before clicking save and then sending it.

Once set up it is a very efficient way to send updated, individual data to customers.

The problem is when I go to paste it in the email message when setting up, I right click and the option for link and keep source formatting is not there.

I have tried various other methods to remedy this with no success and no-one seems to know what I am trying to describe.

Please help,

Michael

Answer 1

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your post. From your description, do you mean that you don't have the option " Link and keep source formatting" when pasting Excel table to Outlook?

If so, to narrow down this issue, please double click on this saved message and go to the Format Text tab, then set the message format to HTML or Rich Text and try pasting again to check the result:

Also, you may refer to this article: Repair an Office to quick repair your Office applications and check if this helps.

Moreover, to help you further, we need to collect following information:

1. Screenshoots of your Outlook and Excel client version in File > Office Account (Account).
2. A screenshoot of the paste options you see in Outlook.
3. Please kindly check if the option “Link and keep source formatting” is available for you if you paste the Excel table to a Word document.

Regards,

Jennifer

Answer 2

Hi Jennifer.

Please see below screenshots as requested.

Can't seem to paste screenshots in this space, not sure why?

I did the message format thing for both HTML and rich text, but the option is still not available, (It was already on the HTML option by the way).

I have also tried to paste with link and keep source formatting into Microsoft Word as requested, but still not available.

Regards,

Michael

Answer 3

Hello Michael,

Many thanks for your reply. To insert the picture in our forum, you can click the “Insert image” icon in the tool bar like below picture: 

Moreover, as you mentioned this option also not available when pasting the table to a Word document, to narrow down this issue, please kindly try below steps:

1. Create a new empty Excel file from the Excel desktop client, enter some words in the new sheet, then copy it.
2. Open Outlook desktop client and create a new email message.
3. Paste the table to the new email message and check the result.

Please feel free to test above steps at your convenience and share the result and the information I mentioned in my last reply with us, I'll glad and continue to help you.

Best regards,

Jennifer