Since Word 16.95, "Automatically resize to fit contents" setting breaks pasting from Excel using "Merge Table"

Question

Since Word 16.95, "Automatically resize to fit contents" setting breaks pasting from Excel using "Merge Table"

auximenes 0

I am seeing the issue described here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5432795/issue-merging-table-data-from-excel-to-word.

My workflow is:

Copy some cells from Excel
Click into an existing table in Word (of the same "width", ie: number of columns as copied) and paste
Select "Merge Table" (Windows) or "Merge With Exsiting Table" (macOS)
Rows are added to the table, with the content of the Excel cells mapped to them as desired

This worked up to 16.94. After 16.95, this process splits the existing table in two and adds a third table in between, making the first row pasted into a new header row. This weird new table will not merge with the other tables in the way an ordinary table can be merged with "Alt + Shift + Up".

I've tracked down that this issue does not occur if "Automatically resize to fit contents" is ON. If it's off (as in our templates), the table splits into three when "merging"!

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Dear auximenes

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

Thank you for your detailed post and sharing your troubleshooting steps. I understand how disruptive this issue is to your workflow.

You have correctly identified a regression in Word for Mac version 16.95, where pasting Excel data into an existing table with "Automatically resize to fit contents" turned OFF causes the table to split into multiple sections, rather than merging the new rows as expected.

When "Automatically resize to fit contents" is disabled, the new paste engine cannot properly merge the incoming Excel data into a fixed-width table. Instead, it inserts the data as a new, separate table, breaking the original table structure.

My latest testing on Word version 16.99 (macOS) and version 2507 (Windows) shows that Microsoft has addressed this issue in part. While the initial paste may still split the table, you may consider upgrading to the latest version as you can now immediately merge the tables back together using a keyboard shortcut:

Windows: Alt + Shift + Up arrow
macOS: Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow

If you are unable to upgrade or are using a version where the merge shortcut does not work, try temporarily enabling "Automatically resize to fit contents":

Before pasting, right-click your table and go to Table Properties.
Under the Table tab, check "Automatically resize to fit contents"
Paste your Excel data and select "Merge With Existing Table"
After pasting, uncheck the option to restore your fixed-width layout.

If the above solutions are not viable, you can revert to version 16.94, where the original paste-and-merge behavior works as expected. You can find more information and download previous Office versions directly here: Office for Mac update history. However, please keep in mind that using an older version means you might miss out on the latest security updates and new features. If you choose this approach, I recommend consulting with your IT team to ensure it aligns with your organization’s policies and security requirements.

While Microsoft has made progress in recent updates, the initial paste behavior is still not fully restored to its previous, seamless state. And your feedback is absolutely critical to help us prioritize and fully resolve this issue.

How to provide feedback: How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365? - Microsoft Support

Your input is sincerely appreciated and plays an important role in shaping future improvements. Thank you for your patience and for continuing to advocate for better support and accessibility in this area.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". User's image Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Flora-T 6,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-18T08:50:53.1533333+00:00

Hi auximenes

Just a quick follow-up to see if everything is resolved.

If you have any updates or still need help, please do not hesitate to comment as I am here to discuss this with you.

If the information I shared was helpful to you, even in part, in resolving the issue, I invite you to mark my initial response as Accepted. It could be very useful for other members of the community who are facing the same problem.

Have a nice day!
Flora-T 6,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-20T12:48:01.9866667+00:00

Good day auximenes

I hope you're doing well.

I just wanted to check in and see if you had a chance to review my previous reply.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out again.
Jack-Bu 5,405 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-27T08:05:00.63+00:00

Dear auximenes

It’s been a while since your last interaction.

I wanted check if you’ve had a chance to review the response provided by Flora. We hope it addressed your questions thoroughly.

If you have any further questions or need additional clarification, please feel free to return and ask at any time.

Additionally, if you feel this discussion has been helpful, please consider marking this thread as accepted by clicking “Accept the answer.” This helps surface the information provided for others encountering similar issues and contributes to building a stronger, more informed community.

Answer 2

auximenes 0

I tried to reply a while ago but the thread just disappeared. Checking again now the issue is not fixed in 16.103.1 – macOS – or Version 2510 (Build 19328.20190 Click-to-Run) – Windows.

Flora-T 6,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-19T14:17:25.4433333+00:00
Hi auximenes

Thanks for the update. From what you’ve shared, it appears the partial improvement we observed in versions 16.99/2507 hasn’t fully addressed the underlying issue in your environment.

Based on my testing on both macOS and Windows, you can paste the data as plain text as a fallback:

On macOS, use Paste Special > Unformatted Text. On Windows, use Paste Options > Keep Text Only.

Next, select the entire pasted text and go to Insert > Table > Convert Text to Table, ensuring the Number of columns matches your Excel selection.
Flora-T 6,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-20T14:20:45.49+00:00

Hi auximenes

Could you tell me if you have any news from you? May I know if my suggestions work on your end?
auximenes 0 Reputation points

2025-11-20T14:25:58.9966667+00:00

Sadly, it's not a useful workaround to create an entirely new table and reformat it – including setting our standardised column widths – rather than be able to use the advertised functionality of "merging tables" when pasting to add rows to an existing table, which as of a few months ago, doesn't work. Setting "Automatically resize to fit contents" to on is a better workaround. It would be nice if the "merge" option when pasting worked properly again!
Flora-T 6,895 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-21T10:49:22.1066667+00:00

Hi auximenes

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I completely understand why recreating and reformatting an entire table isn’t practical, especially when your templates enforce standardized column widths. Based on your scenario, temporarily enabling “Automatically resize to fit contents” remains the most effective workaround for now.

Meanwhile, I strongly recommend submitting feedback directly through Help > Feedback in the Word app or via the Feedback Portal. This ensures telemetry reaches the engineering team and helps prioritize restoring the original merge functionality.

Your input is sincerely appreciated and plays an important role in shaping future improvements. Thank you for your patience and for continuing to advocate for better support and accessibility in this area.

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Since Word 16.95, "Automatically resize to fit contents" setting breaks pasting from Excel using "Merge Table"

2 answers

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