Ampler Charts lets you refresh a chart’s linked data from Excel, or break the link entirely, so a chart stays current internally and safe to send externally.
Quick answer: Right-click the chart and select Refresh linked data to update it from the source; select Break Excel link from the same menu to remove the link.
How to use it
Refresh from Excel, or break the link, from the menu.
- Right-click on the chart.
- Select Refresh linked data to update the chart from the Excel source.
- To break the link, click Break Excel link from the same menu.
Refreshing pulls the latest data from Excel; breaking the link fixes the chart’s current data and removes the path to the source.
When to use it
Refresh to pull the latest figures from the model; break the link before sending a deck externally, so no path back to internal files travels with the chart.
How consultants use it
Linked data must be current internally but must not leak the model to a client. Three conventions apply:
- Refresh for the latest: the chart is updated from the model before review
- Break before an external send: the link is removed so no path to the source travels out
- Deliberate, not automatic: refresh and break are done as conscious steps
Refresh and break give control over a chart’s link — current inside, safe outside.
Tips & best practices
- Refresh linked charts before an internal review so the figures are current.
- Break links (and clean the deck) before sending externally.
- Check the chart still shows the intended data after refreshing.
Availability
Part of Ampler Charts, included in Ampler for PowerPoint and the Ampler Suite, on Windows desktop PowerPoint.
Frequently asked questions
How do you update a linked chart from Excel?
Right-click the chart in Ampler Charts and select Refresh linked data to pull the latest from the source.
How do you break the Excel link on a chart?
Right-click the chart and choose Break Excel link from the same menu.
Why break a chart’s Excel link before sending a deck?
So no live path back to your internal model travels with the file when it goes to a client.
Does breaking the link change the chart?
No — it fixes the chart’s current data and removes the link; the chart looks the same but no longer updates from the source.