How to Create a Visio Diagram in Excel

Edraw Content Team

Do You Want to Create a Visio Diagram in Excel?

One of the prominent tools that most users use is MS Excel, where they tend to create diagrams that look a lot like Visio. In this elaborated guide, we will walk you through the steps to create a diagram in Excel and how you can easily import VSDX files right in EdrawMax.

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What is Visio? Microsoft Visio is a diagramming tool that Microsoft ships outside its annual Office 365 suite. This diagramming tool is mostly used to create and share diagrams, like flowcharts, Venn diagrams, org charts, network diagrams, P&IDs, and more. Since users have to pay an additional amount to get the annual license fees, they tend to start using different tools to create diagrams. One of the prominent tools that most users use is MS Excel, where they tend to create diagrams that look a lot like Visio. However, due to the lack of templates, symbols, and diagramming abilities, creating a Visio Diagram from Excel is not recommended for professional usage.

In this elaborated guide to creating Visio diagrams, we will walk you through the steps you need to follow to create any diagram in Excel and how you can easily import VSDX files right in EdrawMax to customize and create your personalized Visio diagram.

Create a Cisco network diagram in Visio

1. How to Create a Visio Diagram in Excel

Step1: Install Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer:

Locate Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer from the right section of the box, click Add, click Continue on the One moment box that appears, and on the next box, click Sign in to install Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer. Note: If you cannot find the add-in in the right section, you can type Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer in the Search box present at the top of the left section, and then continue with the installation once found.

open Visio files without Visio in Visio

Step2: Locate and Launch Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer:

Launch Microsoft Excel, go to Insert, click the small triangle available next to the My Add-ins option in the Add-ins group, and click Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer to launch the add-in.

open Visio files without Visio in Visio

Step3: Create a Visio Diagram:

Select a category from the left section of the Data Visualizer box, and click your preferred diagram from the right. Notice how Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer automatically created a diagram, created a table in the Excel sheet, and populated its cells with some dummy values.

open Visio files without Visio in Visio

Step4: Update the Values:

Change any value in the table that the add-in created in the previous step, and click Refresh from the top of the Visio diagram to automatically update the illustration with the modified data.

open Visio files without Visio in Visio

How to Create a Visio Diagram in Excel:

Install Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer;
Locate and Launch Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer;
Create a Visio Diagram;
Update the Values;

2. EdrawMax - A Solid Visio Alternative

Creating Visio diagrams from Excel will be tiresome as Excel does not provide major templates or diagramming elements. Instead of using complicated or complex tools, you should use EdrawMax, which is considered a solid Visio alternative for many reasons. This section will help you understand how to create a Visio diagram in EdrawMax that you can later export in VSDX and even in Excel format.

Step1 Open EdrawMax & Import Visio Files

The very first step that you need to follow is to install EdrawMax in your system. Go to EdrawMax Download and download the software depending upon your operating system. If you need remote collaboration with your office team, head to EdrawMax Online and log in using your registered email address. Once downloaded and installed, head to the 'Import' section on the left and click on 'Import Visio.'