How to Create an Org Chart in Excel (+ Free Template)

You have 50 names in a spreadsheet. Someone wants an org chart by tomorrow.

You already have the data: names, titles, who reports to whom. It's all in Excel. The logical move is to turn that data into a chart right there, without switching apps or learning new software.

Excel can do this. Sort of. SmartArt has been building hierarchy diagrams since 2007. But here's what the tutorials skip: Excel's org chart feature doesn't actually connect to your spreadsheet data. You'll type every name twice, once in your data and once in the SmartArt boxes. And when Sarah gets promoted next month, you'll update both places manually. Or forget, and your chart becomes a lie.

This guide covers two paths. The SmartArt method works for small teams when you need something fast. The CSV export method works when you have real data and want a chart that stays accurate. Pick based on your pain threshold.

How to create an org chart in Excel using SmartArt

SmartArt is Excel's built-in diagram tool. It handles the layout automatically, which is both its strength and its limit.

Step 1: Insert the SmartArt graphic

Open your Excel file. Go to Insert > SmartArt (or Insert > Illustrations > SmartArt depending on your version).

In the dialog box, click Hierarchy on the left. You'll see about 15 templates. Most are decorative variations on the same concept.

Choose Organization Chart (the first option). Click OK.

A starter diagram appears with placeholder boxes.

Step 2: Use the Text Pane for faster entry

Here's where most tutorials fail you. They tell you to click each box and type. That's slow.

Instead, look for the small arrow on the left edge of the SmartArt graphic. Click it to open the Text Pane. This is your outline view.

Type names here like a bulleted list:

Each bullet becomes a box
Press Tab to demote someone (make them report to the person above)
Press Shift+Tab to promote them back up
Press Enter to add a new person at the same level

If you already have names listed somewhere, you can copy and paste them into the Text Pane. Excel interprets indentation as hierarchy. This is as close as SmartArt gets to importing data.

Step 3: Add names and titles

For each person, you can add multiple lines within a single box. In the Text Pane, type the name, press Shift+Enter (soft return), then type the title.

Example:

Sarah Chen
Chief Executive Officer

The text auto-sizes to fit the box. If it shrinks too small to read, that's a sign your chart is getting too big for SmartArt.

Step 4: Delete the assistant box

SmartArt inserts a default "assistant" position off to the side of the top role. If you don't have an executive assistant to map, click that box and press Delete. It throws off the symmetry otherwise.

Step 5: Fix the layout

By default, SmartArt uses a "hanging" layout that stacks direct reports vertically. This saves horizontal space but makes charts harder to read.

To fix it:

Click the manager's box (the one above the vertically stacked people)
Go to SmartArt Design tab (or SmartArt Tools > Design in older versions)
Click Layout and choose Standard for horizontal arrangement

Now direct reports appear in a row instead of a column.

Step 6: Style the chart

Under the SmartArt Design tab (labeled "SmartArt Tools > Design" in some versions), you'll find color schemes and 3D effects. The Change Colors button offers preset palettes. The SmartArt Styles gallery adds gradients and shadows.

Keep it simple. A clean org chart communicates structure. A chart with 3D bevels and rainbow gradients communicates that someone discovered the formatting menu.

Keyboard shortcuts for Excel org charts

Working in the Text Pane is faster than clicking boxes. These shortcuts help:

Action	Shortcut
Demote (make subordinate)	Tab
Promote (move up a level)	Shift+Tab
Add person at same level	Enter
New line within same box	Shift+Enter
Delete selected box	Delete
Open SmartArt dialog	Alt, N, M

Build your entire structure with Tab and Enter first. Style it after.

Where Excel org charts work well

To be fair, SmartArt handles certain situations fine:

Small teams. Under 20 people, the chart stays readable and updates are manageable.

Two or three levels. CEO, managers, individual contributors. Classic pyramid. SmartArt does this well.

One-time use. A slide for tomorrow's board meeting. A diagram for a proposal. Something you'll build once and archive.

Charts embedded in Excel. If the org chart lives inside a larger Excel report, keeping it in SmartArt avoids format conversion headaches.

For a 15-person startup creating an investor deck, SmartArt gets the job done.

Where Excel org charts get painful

The problems compound as your organization grows:

No data connection. This is the big one. Your employee data is right there in Excel, but SmartArt can't read it. You have a spreadsheet with 80 names, titles, and managers. SmartArt's response: type them again, one box at a time. Every time someone joins, leaves, or moves teams, you update the chart manually. Miss one, and the chart lies.

Depth and size limits. Here's where it gets frustrating: Microsoft's documentation claims org chart layouts have "unlimited" shapes. In practice, users hit walls. One source reports limits of 6 levels deep and 100 entries maximum. Microsoft community threads confirm users hitting caps around 100-300 nodes, with entries beyond the limit marked with a red X and hidden from the chart. Microsoft's own support recommends Visio for larger organizations. For a 75-person company with names and titles displayed, you're already approaching the edge.

Text shrinks to illegible. As you add people, boxes shrink to fit. Past 30-40 people, names become microscopic. SmartArt can't wrap to a new row or page.

No dotted lines. Matrix organizations, dual reporting, cross-functional relationships: SmartArt doesn't understand them. You can manually draw dashed lines using Shapes, but they won't stay attached when you move boxes.

Every change is manual. Promotions, new hires, departures, reorgs. Each requires editing the SmartArt by hand. For organizations with monthly turnover averaging 3-4%, the chart decays constantly.

A faster way: build an org chart from Excel data

If you have employee data in Excel (and you probably do), there's a better path. Export it as CSV, import it into a dedicated org chart tool, and let the software build the hierarchy automatically.

This is what Org Chart Studio was designed for.

Step 1: Prepare your Excel data

You need three columns minimum:

Name	Title	Manager
Sarah Chen	CEO
Marcus Johnson	VP Engineering	Sarah Chen
Priya Patel	VP Operations	Sarah Chen
David Kim	Senior Developer	Marcus Johnson
Ana Rodriguez	Developer	Marcus Johnson
James Wilson	Operations Manager	Priya Patel

The Manager column does all the work. It tells the software who reports to whom. Sarah Chen has no manager, so she sits at the top. Everyone else points to exactly one person who exists in the Name column.

You can add a Department column too. It imports as a field displayed on each card.

Step 2: Export to CSV

Go to File > Save As (or File > Export in newer versions).

Choose CSV (Comma delimited) or CSV UTF-8 as the format.

Save the file. Excel will warn you about losing formatting. That's fine. You want the data, not the colors.

Step 3: Import into Org Chart Studio

Go to orgchartstudio.com/studio. No account needed to start.

Open the command palette on the left. Click Import. Select your CSV file.

Step 4: Map your columns

The import dialog asks which column is which:

Which column contains names?
Which column contains managers?
Which column contains titles?

Select from the dropdowns. The tool validates your data and flags issues like circular reporting (someone who reports to their own subordinate) or managers who don't exist in your list.

Step 5: Generate your chart

Click import. Your org chart appears.

Everyone is positioned correctly based on reporting relationships. No dragging boxes. No drawing connector lines. The auto-layout handles it.

From here you can:

Drag to reorder siblings left to right
Drag a card onto another person to reparent them
Double-click to edit names or titles
Adjust spacing with five layout presets

The whole process takes about five minutes. Most of that is finding the CSV file on your computer.

Troubleshooting common import issues

Real-world spreadsheets have messy data. Here's how to handle the common problems:

Typos in manager names. If someone's listed manager is "Jon Smith" but the employee record says "John Smith," Org Chart Studio's fuzzy matching catches it. The import flags the mismatch and suggests the closest match (within two character differences).

Missing managers. If a manager name doesn't exist in your employee list, that person becomes a "marooned node" floating outside the tree. The tool shows you which records are affected. Fix the spelling in your CSV, or add the missing person, then reimport.

Circular references. If Person A reports to Person B who reports to Person A, the validation catches it. Someone's manager field is wrong. Check your data.

Blank manager fields. If someone has no manager listed, they become a root node at the top of a tree. Most orgs have one CEO with a blank manager. If you have multiple blank entries by accident, you'll get multiple separate trees.

Extra columns. The import ignores columns it doesn't need. Phone numbers, employee IDs, start dates: they won't break anything. Just map the columns you want.

Free Excel org chart templates

We've created two templates depending on your situation:

Template 1: Excel SmartArt template

Download Excel Org Chart Template (.xlsx)

A pre-formatted SmartArt org chart inside an Excel file. Replace the placeholder names with your team. Use the Text Pane for faster editing.

Best for: Quick charts under 20 people that need to stay inside Excel.

Template 2: CSV import template

Download CSV Import Template (.csv)

A structured data template ready for Org Chart Studio:

Open the CSV in Excel
Replace the sample data with your team
Keep the headers (Name, Title, Manager, Department)
Save as CSV
Import at orgchartstudio.com/studio

Best for: Teams with existing employee data who want a chart that builds automatically.

Org Chart Studio vs. Excel SmartArt

Feature	Excel SmartArt	Org Chart Studio
Data import	No	Yes (CSV with fuzzy matching)
Auto-layout	Yes	Yes
Practical limit	6 levels, 100-300 nodes	100 per chart (free tier)
Drag to reparent	No	Yes
Fields per card	1-2	3 (name, title, department)
Dotted lines	Manual workaround	On roadmap
Price	Free (with Office)	Free tier, export passes from $5

For small teams already in Excel, SmartArt works. For teams with real employee data who update charts regularly, the CSV workflow saves hours.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make an org chart in Excel from existing data?

Not directly. SmartArt doesn't connect to spreadsheet cells. You have to type or paste names into the Text Pane manually. For automatic chart generation from data, export your spreadsheet to CSV and use a tool like Org Chart Studio that supports data import.

How many people can an Excel org chart handle?

Microsoft's documentation claims "unlimited," but users consistently hit walls in practice. Reports suggest limits around 100-300 nodes and 6 levels of hierarchy. Entries beyond the limit get marked with a red X and hidden. For readability, you'll struggle past 20-30 people anyway. Microsoft recommends Visio for larger organizations. For teams over 50, consider dedicated org chart software or split by department.

Can I add photos to an Excel org chart?

Yes. Choose the "Picture Organization Chart" layout in SmartArt. Each box gets a photo placeholder. Click to insert images. It works, but formatting 30+ photos is tedious.

How do I show dotted-line relationships in Excel?

SmartArt doesn't support them natively. You can draw a dashed line using Insert > Shapes, but it won't stay connected to boxes when you move things. Matrix structures need a dedicated tool.

How do I update an Excel org chart when someone changes roles?

Open the Text Pane (click the arrow on the SmartArt edge), find the person, edit their text or use Tab/Shift+Tab to change their position. For frequent updates, maintaining separate source data and reimporting (via CSV) is more reliable.

Can I create an org chart from an Excel employee list automatically?

Not within Excel itself. The workaround is to export your Excel data as CSV, then import it into a tool designed for this. Org Chart Studio maps columns to name, title, and manager fields, then generates the chart automatically.

Need an org chart from your Excel data? Import your CSV into Org Chart Studio. Free to start. No account required.