Related guide: Closing the loop in community engagement: a guide to reporting back
Microsoft Word doesn't have a built-in word cloud feature. There is no chart type or button for it in Word or Excel. To get a word cloud into a Word document you have two practical options: make the cloud in a word cloud generator and insert it as a picture, or install a word cloud add-in from the Office Add-ins store and build it inside Word.
If your comments came from Microsoft Forms, Forms may also show its own word cloud in the results, which is handy for a quick look but harder to put in a report.
The short answer
Fastest, no install: paste your comments into a free word cloud generator, download the PNG, then in Word choose Insert > Pictures.
Inside Word: add a word cloud add-in such as Pro Word Cloud from the Office Add-ins store, then generate the cloud from text in your document.
From Excel or Forms: copy the column of comments (or open your Forms results in Excel first) and paste it into a generator, then insert the image into Word.
Method 1: Make the cloud in a free generator, then insert it into Word
This is the route we recommend for engagement work, because you don't need IT to approve an add-in and your comments don't leave your computer. Our free word cloud generator runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded or stored.
Open the free word cloud generator.
Paste your comments into the box, one comment per line. You can copy a column straight from Excel or a survey export. Or upload a CSV file and choose the column that holds the comments.
Adjust the settings. Common words such as "the" and "and" are removed by default. You can switch to two-word phrases, list words to leave out, and choose how many words to show.
Click any word in the cloud to see the comments behind it. This is the quickest way to check that a big word means what you think it means.
Select Download PNG to save the image.
In Word, put your cursor where the cloud should go and select Insert > Pictures. On Windows, choose This Device, then pick the downloaded file.
Resize the image by dragging a corner handle, and add a caption that says what the cloud is from, for example "Most frequent words in survey comments on the draft parks plan", followed by the number of comments.
That caption matters. A word cloud on its own invites readers to guess what it measured. Say where the comments came from and how many there were.
Method 2: Use a word cloud add-in in Word
If you'd rather build the cloud without leaving Word, you can install an add-in. The best known in the Microsoft store is Pro Word Cloud, published by Orpheus Technology. Its store listing says it creates word cloud images from your text and lets you change sizes, fonts, layouts and color schemes.
Microsoft's steps for getting an add-in in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows (from View, manage, and install add-ins for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word):
In Word, select File > Get Add-ins. You can also select Home > Add-ins.
Select More Add-ins to browse the store.
On the Store tab, search for "word cloud".
Select the add-in you want, then select Add.
Open the add-in from the same Add-ins menu. It opens in a pane beside your document.
Follow the pane's prompts to build the cloud from your document's text, then insert or save the image.
A few things to check before you rely on an add-in:
Your organization may block add-ins. Many councils and agencies restrict the store. If the Add-ins option is greyed out or the store won't load, your Microsoft 365 administrator controls that setting.
Read the permissions. The Pro Word Cloud listing says that when the app is used it "can read from your document" and "can send data over the Internet." If your comments include names, addresses or anything sensitive, consider whether that fits your privacy obligations before you paste them in.
Check which versions it supports. Store listings say which apps and platforms each add-in works with. The menus above are Microsoft's Windows instructions; Word on a Mac or Word for the web may look slightly different.
How to make a word cloud from Excel
Excel has no word cloud chart type either. You have two options.
Copy the column into a generator. Select the column of comments in Excel, copy it, and paste it into the word cloud generator. Each cell becomes one comment. If the sheet is large, save it as a CSV and upload the file instead, then pick the comment column.
Use an Excel add-in. The same File > Get Add-ins route works in Excel. Search the store for "word cloud" and check each listing's supported apps, because not every word cloud add-in that works in Word also works in Excel.
Whichever you choose, clean the column first. Remove the header row, blank cells and any "N/A" or "no comment" responses, or they will show up in the cloud.
How to make a word cloud from Microsoft Forms results
Microsoft Forms may show a word cloud for open-text questions on its own. Microsoft announced this in 2021 as part of the Forms "Insights" feature: on the Responses tab, an Insights button can appear under a question, and for open-text questions it may show a word cloud of key phrases. Clicking a phrase shows how many respondents mentioned it and what percentage that is.
Two cautions from Microsoft's own description. You won't always get one: the cloud only appears if Forms finds meaningful results, which is less likely with a small number of responses. And language support started with English and Chinese. The Forms layout also changes from time to time, so if you don't see the Insights button, use the export route below.
To make your own cloud from Forms responses (Microsoft's steps are in Check and share your form results):
Open your form and go to the responses view.
Select Open results in Excel. The arrow next to it also offers Open in Excel Desktop or Download a copy.
In the workbook, find the column for your open-text question and copy it.
Paste it into the word cloud generator, download the PNG, and insert it into Word with Insert > Pictures.
Getting a cleaner word cloud
Most word clouds made from consultation comments look alike: a giant name of the project in the middle, surrounded by "think", "really" and "would". Three habits fix most of that.
Remove filler words. Words like "the", "and", "very" and "would" crowd out the words that carry meaning. Our generator removes common words by default; if you use another tool, look for a stop-word or common-word setting.
Use two-word phrases. Single words lose their context. "Parking" could be a complaint or a request. "Not enough parking" and "parking on verge" tell you more. Switch to two-word phrases when single words feel vague.
Exclude the project name. If the consultation is about the Riverside Park upgrade, "riverside", "park" and "upgrade" will dominate every cloud and tell you nothing. Add them to the leave-out list so the words people chose for themselves come through.
It also helps to make one cloud per question rather than one for the whole survey. Answers to "What do you like?" and "What would you change?" use similar words for opposite reasons, and mixing them blurs both.
Word clouds show what's common, not what people meant
A word cloud counts words. It doesn't know that "safe" in "the path feels safe" and "safe" in "it doesn't feel safe at night" point in opposite directions. It can't tell you that the smallest word on the page came from the only group directly affected by the decision.
So use a word cloud as a starting point, not a finding. It's a good way to show a first impression of the volume and spread of feedback, and to spot words worth reading into. The analysis comes from reading the comments, grouping them into themes and checking each theme against the original words. Our guide to thematic analysis of community feedback walks through that process, and analyzing consultation feedback covers how to keep it defensible.
When you report back, put the cloud next to the themes, not instead of them. Our what we heard report template shows where a visual like this fits and what needs to sit beside it so the community can see their input was understood. If your organization's framework doesn't say how feedback should be analyzed and reported, a free framework audit will show where staff are still left guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft Word have a word cloud generator?
No. Word has no built-in word cloud tool or chart type. You can install a word cloud add-in from the Office Add-ins store (File > Get Add-ins or Home > Add-ins on Windows), or make the cloud in a free generator and insert it with Insert > Pictures.
Can I make a word cloud in Excel without an add-in?
Not inside Excel itself, because there is no word cloud chart type. The simplest route is to copy the column of comments into a free word cloud generator or save the sheet as a CSV and upload it, then download the image.
Why doesn't Microsoft Forms show a word cloud for my question?
Forms only shows its word cloud when it finds meaningful results, and Microsoft notes this is less likely when you have only a small number of responses. Language support also started with English and Chinese. You can open your results in Excel and make the cloud yourself instead.
Is it safe to put community comments into a word cloud tool?
It depends on the tool. Some add-ins and websites send your text to their servers; the Pro Word Cloud store listing, for example, says it can send data over the Internet. Our word cloud generator runs in your browser and doesn't upload or store your comments. Either way, remove names and personal details before you start.