How to Create an Organization Chart in Excel

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Excel can draw an organizational chart with SmartArt: CEO at the top, directors and managers below, with boxes you can type into. With one extra step, each box can show the name and title straight from your worksheet, so the chart updates when the data changes.

Works inExcel 2010 and later, Windows and Mac
TimeAbout 10 minutes
Updates automaticallyYes, if you link the boxes to cells

The data

Start with a simple list: one row per person, with their designation, department and name. Here there is a CEO, two directors and a manager under each director.

Excel hierarchy list with CEO, two directors and two managers

Step 1: Insert a SmartArt organization chart

  1. Go to Insert → Illustrations → SmartArt.
  2. Choose Hierarchy on the left.
  3. Pick Name and Title Organization Chart and click OK.
Insert tab with SmartArt button in the Illustrations group
Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog with Name and Title Organization Chart selected

A starter chart appears on the sheet.

Default SmartArt organization chart inserted in Excel

Step 2: Add or remove boxes

Click Text Pane on the SmartArt Design tab. Type one line per person; press Tab to move a line one level down (a manager under a director) and Shift + Tab to move it up. To add a box next to a selected one, use SmartArt Design → Add Shape.

If you only need a one-off chart, you can stop here and type the names into the Text Pane.

Step 3: Convert to shapes so the boxes can link to cells

SmartArt boxes can’t show cell values. To link them to your list, select the chart and click SmartArt Design → Convert → Convert to Shapes. The chart becomes ordinary shapes that keep the same look.

Convert to Shapes button on the SmartArt Design tab

Step 4: Prepare the text for each box

To show the designation and name on two lines in one box, join them in a helper column with a line break, CHAR(10):

=B3&CHAR(10)&C3
Helper column joining designation and name with CHAR(10) line break

In Excel 365 you can also use =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,B3:D3) to join several columns at once.

Step 5: Link each box to its cell

  1. Click the border of a box to select it.
  2. Click in the formula bar and type =.
  3. Click the matching cell in the helper column and press Enter.
Organization chart box linked to a worksheet cell through the formula bar

Repeat for every box. Now when a name changes in the list, the chart changes too.

Finished Excel organization chart with all boxes linked to the source data

Tips

  • A shape can link to one cell only, not a formula. Build the text in a cell first, then link to it.
  • After converting to shapes, you can no longer use the Text Pane. Make the layout right before Step 3.
  • Group the shapes (Ctrl + click each one, then right-click → Group → Group) so the chart moves as one piece.
  • For large organizations, the Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer add-in (Insert → Get Add-ins) can build an org chart from a table automatically. It needs a Microsoft 365 work or school account for most features.

Frequently asked questions

Can a SmartArt org chart update from Excel data automatically?

Not directly. SmartArt text is typed in, not linked. Convert it to shapes and link each box to a cell, as shown above, to make it update.

How do I print the org chart on one page?

Select the cells behind the chart, then Page Layout → Print Area → Set Print Area, and in Page Setup choose Fit to 1 page wide by 1 tall.

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