Tables in PPTX Template

Learn how to populate PowerPoint tables with data using placeholders and automatic table population.

Two Ways to Populate Tables

Method 1: Placeholders in Table Cells

You can use placeholders in any table cell to populate tables with dynamic data.

  1. Create a table in your PowerPoint slide
  2. Insert placeholders in table cells: {{column_name}}
  3. Each row in your data will create a new slide with the table populated

Method 2: Automatic Table Population (Recommended)

For Excel tables or JSON collections, you can automatically populate entire tables:

  1. Create a table in your PowerPoint slide with just the header row
  2. Name the table using the Selection Pane (Alt+F10)
  3. Set the table name to a placeholder expression that references your data source
  4. The table will be automatically populated with all matching data

Example

Template Table:

Name Email Department
{{name}} {{email}} {{department}}

Data:

[
  {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "department": "Engineering"
  },
  {
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "email": "jane@example.com",
    "department": "Product"
  }
]

Result:

  • Slide 1: Table with John Doe's information
  • Slide 2: Table with Jane Smith's information

Table Formatting

Table formatting is preserved during merging:

  • Cell borders and colors
  • Background colors
  • Text formatting (bold, italic, colors)
  • Column widths and row heights
  • Alignment

Automatic Table Population

Excel Tables

To automatically populate a table from an Excel table:

  1. Format your Excel data as a table (Ctrl+T) and name it (e.g., "SalesData")
  2. In PowerPoint, create a table with just the header row
  3. Open Selection Pane (Alt+F10), select your table, then right-click → View Alt Text
  4. Set the Description field to: {{type=table data=xlsx.Sheet1!SalesData}}

Example:

{{type=table data=xlsx.Sheet1!Table1 columns="months,chips,chocolate"}}

The columns parameter specifies which columns to include and their order. If omitted, all columns are included.

JSON Collections

To populate a table from a JSON collection:

  1. In PowerPoint, create a table with just the header row
  2. Name the table (Selection Pane → Alt+F10) to: {{json.items}} or {{items}} (if in context)

Data:

{
  "items": [
    {"product": "Widget A", "price": "$29.99", "stock": 100},
    {"product": "Widget B", "price": "$39.99", "stock": 50}
  ]
}

Template: Set table name to {{json.items}} or {{items}}

Filtering Table Data

You can filter table data using the dataFilter parameter:

Example with Excel:

{{type=table data=xlsx.Posts_Reels!PostsReelsTable dataFilter="Influencer ID eq {{Influencer ID}}" columns="Content Type,Content URL,Engagements"}}

This filters rows where "Influencer ID" matches the current row's "Influencer ID" value.

See: How to create influencer activity report with Excel and PowerPoint? for a detailed example.

Working with Multiple Rows

If your data contains arrays, you can create tables with multiple rows per slide.

Example (Manual Method)

Data:

{
  "employee_name": "John Doe",
  "projects": [
    {"name": "Project A", "status": "Complete", "deadline": "2025-01-15"},
    {"name": "Project B", "status": "In Progress", "deadline": "2025-02-20"},
    {"name": "Project C", "status": "Planning", "deadline": "2025-03-10"}
  ]
}

Template Table:

Project Name Status Deadline
{{projects[0].name}} {{projects[0].status}} {{projects[0].deadline}}
{{projects[1].name}} {{projects[1].status}} {{projects[1].deadline}}
{{projects[2].name}} {{projects[2].status}} {{projects[2].deadline}}

Dynamic Table Rows

For dynamic numbers of rows, use automatic table population:

  1. Excel Tables: Reference an Excel table - all rows will be included automatically
  2. JSON Collections: Reference a JSON array - all items will be included automatically
  3. Filtered Tables: Use dataFilter to show only relevant rows

The table will automatically expand to include all matching rows - no need to pre-create rows in your template.

Best Practices

1. Consistent Column Headers

Use clear, descriptive column headers that match your data structure.

2. Handle Empty Cells

  • Empty data values will result in empty cells
  • Consider using default values or placeholder text
  • Design your table to look good with empty cells

3. Table Size

  • Keep tables readable - avoid too many columns
  • Consider splitting large tables across multiple slides
  • Use appropriate font sizes for readability

4. Data Alignment

  • Align numeric data to the right
  • Align text data to the left
  • Center-align headers for better appearance

Common Use Cases

Employee Directory

Name Title Email Phone
{{name}} {{title}} {{email}} {{phone}}

Product List

Product Price Quantity Total
{{product_name}} {{price}} {{quantity}} {{total}}

Financial Report

Month Revenue Expenses Profit
{{month}} {{revenue}} {{expenses}} {{profit}}

Formatting Tips

Header Row

  • Make header row bold and use a different background color
  • This helps distinguish headers from data rows

Alternating Row Colors

  • Use alternating row colors for better readability
  • This formatting is preserved from your template

Borders

  • Add borders to make tables more structured
  • Consider using subtle borders for a cleaner look

Troubleshooting

Table Not Populating

  • Check Placeholder Names: Ensure placeholder names match data field names exactly
  • Check Cell Selection: Make sure placeholders are in the correct cells
  • Check Data Format: Verify your data contains the expected fields
  • Check Table Name: For automatic population, ensure the table name (in Selection Pane) matches the placeholder expression
  • Check Alt Text: For automatic population, ensure the Alt Text Description field contains the correct expression
  • Excel Table Names: Verify Excel tables are properly formatted and named (use Name Manager: Ctrl+F3)

Formatting Issues

  • Lost Formatting: Ensure formatting is applied to the entire cell, not just part of it
  • Column Width: Column widths from template are preserved
  • Text Overflow: Long text may overflow cells - consider auto-fit options

Empty Cells

  • Empty data values result in empty cells
  • This is expected behavior
  • Consider using default values in your data source

For more information, see Basic Placeholders.