On December 8, 2025, the Visio Data Visualizer add-in will be removed from the Excel add-in store, along with its related Excel templates. However, users will have until March 2, 2026 to save any existing diagrams created with the add-in. After this date, the service powering the Data Visualizer add-in will be shut off and the add-in will be fully retired.
Since its release, the Data Visualizer add-in has enabled Microsoft 365 users to convert spreadsheet data into high-quality Visio diagrams—including flowcharts, cross-functional flowcharts, and organization charts—without a Visio license.
Our goal with this post is to provide users with ample time to prepare and back up their data before the Data Visualizer add-in is removed from Excel and retired.
What this means for you
The Data Visualizer add-in will continue to work and will be fully supported until it is officially removed from Microsoft AppSource, as well as from the ribbon in Excel, on December 8, 2025. At this time, all related templates will be removed from the Excel add-in store and no new diagrams can be created using the add-in.
If no action is taken before the official retirement date of March 2, 2026, users risk losing access to existing Data Visualizer diagrams embedded in Excel. To prepare for the retirement and avoid data loss:
- If you are a Microsoft 365 subscriber, be sure to save any existing diagrams as a Visio (.vsdx) file. Once saved, you can open your Visio file in Visio for the web. Please note that the data connection and refresh capabilities will no longer work after March 2, 2026.
- If you are a consumer user, be sure to convert the diagram to Show as Saved Image (see instructions below) and copy and paste it into your spreadsheet for future reference.
It’s important to note that, while the diagrams embedded in Excel will no longer load as of March 2, 2026, the data in the Excel tables will remain intact.
Step-by-step instructions
For Microsoft 365 subscribers
To preserve your diagrams as Visio files that can be access directly in Visio for the web, even after March 2, 2026, follow the steps outlined below.
1. Open your Excel file containing the Data Visualizer diagram.
2. To view the diagram outside of Excel, select the ellipses (…) in the diagram area and select Open in web.
3. If you’re not already signed in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft 365 work or school account. Select Sign in and then Allow or Accept on any permission prompts.
4. A Visio file corresponding to the diagram will then be created, which you can access from your OneDrive of Visio for the web—even after March 2, 2026.
A screenshot of a confirmation dialogue box after user has selected the Open in web option. User can now select the Open file button to open the file in Visio for the web.For consumer users
If you are not a Microsoft 365 subscriber but enjoyed using the Data Visualizer add-in and want to save your diagrams, we recommend saving your diagrams as images by following the steps outlined below.
1. With the add-in selected, choose the arrow drop-down in the top right corner of the add-in window.
2. Select the option, Show as Saved Image.
A screenshot of the Data Visualizer add-in window showing how to navigate to the Show as Saved Image option. The Show as Saved Image option is highlighted with a blue box.3. The add-in has now been converted into a static image. From here, you can right-click the image, select Copy, and then paste it in a file of your choice to save the diagram.
Alternatively, you can take a screenshot of the diagram using a snipping tool of your choice and then save it as an image.
Explore alternative options
For users who have enjoyed the functionality of the Data Visualizer add-in for Excel, we recommend exploring Visio Plan 2 and the ability to create a Data Visualizer diagram via the Visio desktop app that allows you to create data-backed Visio diagrams.
Learn more about Visio for the web
To learn more about which browsers work with Visio for the web, or how to view diagrams created with a Microsoft 365, Visio Plan 1, or Visio Plan 2 subscription, visit our Visio for the web FAQ.
Thank you to those who used the Visio Data Visualizer add-in and provided comments over the years! Your feedback helped us understand areas where we could improve the experience directly in Excel. Even though the add-in is being retired, we ask that you please keep sharing your suggestions about Visio overall—either via the Visio Feedback Portal or directly in Visio for the web using Give Feedback to Microsoft in the lower right corner.
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