Excel IMAGE function – quick way to insert picture in cell with formula
Learn an easy way to add pictures directly into a cell using the new IMAGE function!
For a long time, adding pictures to Excel was tricky and time-consuming. But now, with the IMAGE function, you can insert pictures into cells with just a simple formula. You can even use images in Excel tables, move, copy, resize, sort, and filter them just like regular cells. Instead of floating above your spreadsheet, the images become a real part of it.
Table of Contents
Excel IMAGE function
The IMAGE function in Excel lets you insert pictures directly into cells using a URL. It supports file formats like BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, and more.
This function has 5 parts, but you only need to use the first one. Here’s how it works:
Here’s what each part means:
- Source (required): The web link (URL) of the image, using “https”. You can type the link in double quotes or refer to a cell that contains the URL.
- Alt_text (optional): A description of the image.
- Sizing (optional): Controls how the image fits in the cell:
- 0 (default): Fits the image in the cell while keeping its shape.
- 1: Stretches the image to fill the cell, ignoring its shape.
- 2: Keeps the original image size, even if it goes outside the cell.
- 3: Lets you set a custom height and width.
- Height (optional): The image height in pixels.
- Width (optional): The image width in pixels.
With this function, adding images to Excel has never been easier!
IMAGE function availability
IMAGE is a new function, which is currently available only to Microsoft 365 users for Windows, Mac and Android as well as in Excel for the web.
Basic IMAGE formula in Excel
To create a basic IMAGE formula, you only need to provide the first part—the image URL. Just keep these points in mind:
- The link must use HTTPS (not HTTP).
- Put the URL inside double quotes, just like regular text.
- You can also add a description of the image as the second part.
For example: =IMAGE(“https://clipart.com/thumbs.php?f=/081/batch_10/300614_helephant_tnb.png”,”Elephant”)
If you skip the third part or set it to 0, the image will automatically fit inside the cell while keeping its original shape. If you resize the cell, the image will adjust too.
When you hover over the cell with an IMAGE formula, a small preview (tooltip) appears. To make this preview bigger, drag its lower-right corner
To fill the whole cell with an image, set the 3rd argument to 1. For example:
=IMAGE(“https://clipart.com/thumbs.php? f=/081/batch_10/300614_helephant_tnb.png”, “Elephant”, 1)
Normally, this works nicely for abstract arts images that look well with almost any width-to-height ratio.
If you want to set a custom height and width for your image (using the 4th and 5th parts of the formula), make sure the cell is big enough to show the whole picture. If the cell is too small, only part of the image will appear.
Once the image is in the cell, you can easily copy it:
- Just copy the formula to another cell.
- Or, reference a cell that already has an IMAGE formula, just like a regular cell.
For example, to copy an image from cell C4 to D4, just type:
How to insert pictures in Excel cells - formula examples
Introducing the IMAGE function in Excel has “unlocked” many new scenarios that were previously impossible or highly complicated. Below you will find a couple of such examples.
How to make a product list with pictures in Excel
With the IMAGE function, adding product pictures to an Excel list is super easy! Just follow these steps:
- Create or import your product list.
- You can make a new list in Excel, import one from a CSV file, or use an Excel product inventory template.
- Upload your product images online.
- Store them in a folder on your website so each image has its own URL.
- Create the IMAGE formula for the first product.
- In the formula, you only need the first part (the URL of the image). The second part (description) is optional.
- Copy the formula down the Image column.
- This quickly applies the same setup to all your items.
- Update each IMAGE formula with the correct file name.
- Since all images are in the same folder, you only need to change the file name (and the description, if needed).
For example, if the Toy product is Elephant, enter this in E3:
=IMAGE(“https://clipart.com/thumbs.php?f=/081/batch_10/300614_helephant_tnb.png”)
Now, your product list in Excel will have clear images for easy viewing!
How to return an image based on another cell value
In this example, we’ll create a drop-down list where you can select an item, and the related picture will appear in the next cell.
Since we want the drop-down list to update automatically when new items are added, we need to turn the data into an Excel table first:
- Select your data and press Ctrl + T to make it a table.
- Once the table is created, give it a name (we named ours “Animal List”).
Next, we create named ranges for the Item and Image columns (without including the headers):
- Items refers to → =Image
- Images refers to → =Drop Down list
Now, whenever you select a new item from the drop-down, the matching image will show up right next to it!
to set up the drop-down list, follow these steps:
- Click on the cell where you want the drop-down menu.
- Go to the Data tab at the top.
- In the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.
- In the settings, choose List as the validation type.
- For the Source, type =Items (A6 to A15)
Now, the drop-down will show all the items from your list automatically!
In the cell where you want the image to appear, enter this Vlookup formula:
=VLOOKUP(A2,A5:D15,4,0)
Here’s how it works:
- A2 → This is the drop-down cell where you select an item.
- A5 to D15 → This tells Excel to search for the selected item in the ITEM column.
- Index Column No→ This tells Excel to return 4 the matching image from the IMAGE column.
Since we are looking up values in a table, we use structured references instead of regular cell ranges.
Now, when you pick an item from the drop-down list, the correct image will automatically appear in the next cell!
How to make a dropdown with pictures in Excel
Earlier versions of Excel didn’t allow pictures in a drop-down list. But with the new IMAGE function, this is now possible! You can create a drop-down of pictures in just 2 simple steps:
- Go to Data Validation TAB
- Select the List
- Select the source D9 to D18
- And press enter
Now, your drop-down will display images alongside their names, making your list more interactive
You can also get more details about the selected item using these simple formulas:
- Get the Animal Nature:
‘=XLOOKUP(A2,’Drop-down’!$D$8:$D$18,’Drop-down’!$B$8:$B$18,””,0)
Since the data is stored in a table, the formula uses table and column names instead of regular cell ranges. This makes it easier to manage and update.
Now, when you select an item from the drop-down with images, Excel will automatically show its Nature of Animal
Excel IMAGE function known issues and limitations
The IMAGE function is still in beta, so it might not work perfectly yet—and that’s totally normal! 😊
Here are a few things to remember:
- You can only use images from websites that start with “https”.
- Images from OneDrive, SharePoint, or your local computer won’t work.
- If a website needs you to log in to see the image, Excel won’t show it.
- Switching between Windows and Mac might cause the image to disappear or not show correctly.
- GIFs are allowed, but they won’t move—they’ll show as still images.
And that’s it! Now you know how to add pictures inside cells using the IMAGE function.
Thanks for reading—see you on our blog next week!
