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Ultimate Guide on How to Embed Excel in PDF with Ease

  • By Steven
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  • Updated on October 28, 2025
Introduction:
Excel documents make handling data easier, but distributing them can sometimes cause layout distortions or version compatibility issues. To avoid data distortion and enhance readability, many people embed Excel in PDF for smooth and secure document sharing. This lets you keep your Excel data’s accuracy and structure intact while merging it neatly within a well-formatted PDF. This SwifDoo PDF guide post reveals quick and effective techniques to embed Excel files seamlessly into your PDF files.
summary

Recommended Way to Embed Excel in PDF with SwifDoo PDF

SwifDoo PDF is a versatile PDF editor that simplifies document management and enhances productivity. Combining a clean interface with cutting-edge tools, it gives users the ability to edit, annotate, compress, and convert documents effortlessly. As one of the best PDF converters, SwifDoo PDF offers broad format support, making it simple to manage diverse document tasks while maintaining excellent output quality.

When you need to embed Excel in PDF, SwifDoo PDF provides three practical options. Options include using add link to PDF for direct access to the Excel file, attaching the spreadsheet within the PDF, or converting and merging it as a PDF. These flexible methods make it convenient to integrate spreadsheets into PDFs, ensuring a professional, organized document presentation. 

Here’s a review of all the methods to embed Excel in PDF.

Option 1. Embed Excel in a PDF as an Attachment

Step 1. Download SwifDoo PDF for free from the official website or you can get it from the Microsoft AppSource.

Step 2. Once launched, open your PDF document. Then click Annotate in the top toolbar and select Attachment from the secondary menu.

Go to Annotate and click the Attachment option in SwifDoo PDF

Step 3. In the window that opens next, select the Excel file you want to attach and open it. 

Step 4. Now, from the options that appear in the opened window, choose the one that best fits your needs. And click OK.

Click the attachment and choose one option like Open the Attachment to open this file in SwifDoo PDF

Option 2. Embed Excel in a PDF as a Link

Step 1. Install and launch SwifDoo PDF. Add your desired PDF document to the workspace.

Step 2. Click Edit in the top menu bar and select Link from the secondary menu. In the dropdown menu, choose Add or edit link.

Go to Edit and click the Add or edit link option from the Link list in SwifDoo PDF

Step 3. Now, using the cursor, select the area of your PDF where you want the Excel link to appear.

Step 4. Right-click the space, and an Add Links dialog box will appear. Select Open a File and click the three dots to browse the Excel file. 

Select the Open a File option and add your target Excel file into the PDF file in SwifDoo PDF

Step 5. Choose your XLSX file, open it, and click OK to add it as an attachment.

Option 3. Convert Excel into PDF and Combine

Step 1. Download and open SwifDoo PDF on your Windows PC.

  • SwifDoo PDF

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Step 2. Then click Convert in the top menu, then select Office to PDF in the secondary menu. Click + Add Files to add your targeted Excel files to the document and convert them to PDF. 

Switch to the Convert tab and select the Office to PDF option in SwifDoo PDF

Step 3. Now, click Merge PDF on the main screen. You can also find the option under the Home menu. 

Click the Merge PDF option under the Home tab of SwifDoo PDF

Step 4. Click +Add Files > Start to add your newly converted PDF files and merge them into a single document. 

Besides the Combine feature, the Insert feature is another option you can use. Here’s how. 

Step 1. Tap Page in the top menu and click Insert in the secondary menu bar. Select Blank Page or From File from the dropdown menu to add pages from an external PDF file. 

Go to the Page tab to insert the converted Excel file page into the PDF in SwifDoo PDF

Step 2. Decide where in the document you want the page to appear. In the Insert Page window, select a Page Range. You can type the range of pages or page numbers to add specific pages of another PDF document. 

Similarly, choose Where to Insert and pick a desired option. Also, click the Insert to Selected Page dropdown menu and state your additional preferences. 

Customize the inserted page in SwifDoo PDF

Step 3. With everything in place, click Insert to proceed.

How to Embed Excel in PDF Using Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is also a powerful and trusted software solution for managing, editing, and sharing PDF documents with ease. This industry-leading tool delivers powerful capabilities for generating, converting, and securing documents while keeping them professional in appearance. When you want to add attachment to PDF, like an Excel file, Adobe Acrobat makes it easy to integrate spreadsheets directly for improved accessibility and organization.

Learn how to embed Excel in PDF using Adobe Acrobat in a few clicks.

Step 1. Download and launch Adobe Acrobat. Now, open the specific PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2. Go to the Tools menu and select the Edit PDF feature. Choose Attach File from the toolbar. 

Those using legacy versions can attach files by selecting the paperclip icon.

Select the Attach file option in Adobe Acrobat

Step 3. Now, find the Excel file on your computer, then select Open.

Step 4. Place the attachment icon in the desired area on your PDF page. As a result, anyone opening the PDF can easily click the attachment icon to access or download the Excel file.

Step 5. Furthermore, to enhance security, you can add a note describing the attachment or apply a password to the PDF. Lastly, hit Save to ensure your PDF is saved with the changes.

Final Words

Learning how to embed Excel in PDF makes sharing data-driven documents more professional and convenient. Adobe Acrobat is well-known, but Adobe Acrobat alternatives like SwifDoo PDF may offer a faster, more straightforward, and affordable option. With its user-friendly interface and versatile features, SwifDoo PDF empowers you to merge, link, or attach Excel files seamlessly, ensuring your PDFs remain organized, informative, and visually cohesive.

FAQs

  • Q: Can you embed a PDF into Excel?
    Yes. You can easily insert a PDF into Excel by embedding it as an object or, for data, using the "Get Data" feature to import tables. Navigate to the Insert tab, click on Object, pick Create from File, and browse to your PDF to embed it. And choose to either display it as an icon or a preview image. To import data from a PDF, navigate to the Data tab, click Get Data > From File > From PDF. After selecting the table(s) you need, load them into your workbook.
  • Q: How can I embed a file into a PDF?
    Using advanced PDF editors like SwifDoo PDF and Adobe Acrobat, it's pretty easy to embed a file into another file. Such software generally uses the Attach File or Insert Pages features that can be found in the file, document, or comment menus. However, the specific steps depend on the software you're using. Typically, this means finding the right menu, choosing the file on your computer, and saving the PDF to finish.

Steven is a dedicated contributor at Swifdoo.com. He possesses a deep understanding of various technology domains, including PDF software, program components, and video recording software technologies. He is committed to providing you with the latest insights and solutions to technology-related issues.

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