You can place a visualization in any document, presentation, or spreadsheet in the workspace where it was created. This works the same way for visualizations built from Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) data and from Workiva Carbon data.
Inserting a visualization creates a connection to the source, so source updates reach every place it's been used.
Requirements
- A saved visualization
- A role that lets you build visualizations: the Administrator role for GRC, or the BI Builder or BI Administrator role for Workiva Carbon
- Permission to edit the destination document, presentation, or spreadsheet
Insert into a document or presentation
- Open the document or presentation where you want the visualization.
- Place your cursor where you want it, then go to the Edit tab in the toolbar.
- For a chart, click Chart > Insert existing visual. For a table or pivot table, use the Table menu.
- In the dialog, find the visualization you want by sorting, searching by name, or expanding a row to see its details.
- Click Insert next to your selection.
The dialog closes once the visualization is inserted, and it takes on the file's default styling.
Insert into a spreadsheet
Spreadsheets don't have an insert-a-new-table pattern, so you always work within an existing sheet.
- Open the spreadsheet and select the sheet where you want the data to land.
-
Open the Connections panel, then click + > Visualization.
Note: In Workiva Carbon, the Visualization source appears only if your role is BI Administrator or BI Builder. See Roles and permissions for visualizations.
- Find and select your saved table or pivot table, then insert it.
The data lands in the sheet by row, and a pivot table brings its subtotals and grand totals with it. To change what appears, adjust the source in the Visualization Editor and refresh the connection.
For Carbon reporting, this replaces the older extraction workflow. Instead of building and maintaining a Chains connection to move your data out, select the columns you need in a table, save it, and connect it straight to a spreadsheet.
Note: Cell locations inside a connected table aren't guaranteed to stay the same across refreshes. Don't link directly to a cell inside the connected range. Use VLOOKUP or an equivalent lookup keyed on a stable identifier instead, and link to the lookup result.
Customize an inserted visualization
After inserting, you can customize a chart locally without affecting the source. Use the document toolbar to update the title, or the chart properties panel to adjust other styling, the same way you'd customize any chart in a document or presentation.
Connected tables and pivot tables deliver raw data, so the destination file applies its own formatting. Some editing isn't supported inside a connected table, including:
- Bulleted and numbered lists
- Merged cells
- Superscript
- Subscript
- Table styles
- Sorting
Structural changes to a visualization should be made at the source and then refreshed.
Manage a visualization's connection
Inserted visualizations stay connected to their source. Changes you make to the source reach every connected copy the next time you refresh the connection.
- Open the Connections panel.
- Click the arrow icon next to a connection to see the available options.
Connection options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open source data | Opens the source visualization in the Visualization Editor. |
| Go to destination | Jumps to the connection's location in the current file. |
| Rename connection | Updates the connection name in the current file. This doesn't affect the source visualization. |
| View properties | Displays the connection's sheet ID and connection ID for use with Workiva API endpoints. |
| Replace source | Opens the insert dialog so you can replace the current source with another visualization. |
| Remove connection | Disconnects the visualization from its source. It stays in the file as static data but won't receive future updates. |
Refresh a connection
Refresh a single connection, or refresh all of them, from the Connections panel. A refresh updates both the data and the structure to match the latest saved version of the source. It doesn't change the styling applied in the destination file.
Note: If someone switches the source between a table and a chart, the connection breaks on the next refresh and has to be recreated in the destination. The Connections panel tells you when this happens.
Troubleshoot an inserted visualization
If an inserted visualization doesn't load correctly, it appears as a placeholder. This can happen when the source is incomplete or the visualization can't render. To resolve this, try one of the following:
- Delete the placeholder and insert the visualization again.
- Open the Connections panel and select Open source data to finish configuring the source.
- Refresh the page.
If the source has been deleted, or you've lost access to it, the connection shows a broken state. You can remove the connection, replace the source, or keep the last successful data as a static snapshot.