# Embed blocks
> Embed editable content in another Office product while retaining its native capabilities.
- Human documentation: [https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features/shared/embed](https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features/shared/embed)
- Agent Markdown: [https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features/shared/embed.md](https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features/shared/embed.md)
- Requested language: `en-US`
- Content language: `en-US`
- Documentation version: `1.3.0`
- Source: [features/shared/embed.mdx](https://github.com/dream-num/documentation/blob/dev/content/docs/features/shared/embed.mdx)
---
Embed blocks place one Univer product inside another: maintain budgets and tasks in a project document, review a working spreadsheet on a slide, or bring plans and notes together on a canvas. Child content retains its data model and native editor; activation switches focus and menus to that content.
## How it works: host and child Units
The **host Unit** stores placement, size, the child Unit reference and the default view. The **child Unit** stores the actual cells, paragraphs or records. Embed resolves the reference, loads the child Unit and mounts its editor in the host. A [Unit](https://docs.univer.ai/guides/sheets/getting-started/quickstart.md#unit) can be a workbook, document, presentation, relational table or canvas.
```mermaid
flowchart LR
A["Host Unit
Document, page or canvas"]
B["Embed descriptor
Placement + child reference"]
C["Resolve reference
Load child Unit"]
D["Native child editor
Display and interaction"]
E["Edit / save
Update child Unit"]
A --> B --> C --> D --> E
```
The relationship and the content are persisted separately. Editing a cell in an embedded spreadsheet updates the child Sheet. Moving or resizing the block updates its host anchor.
## Supported locations
| Host product | Embed locations | Typical use |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sheet | Floating object or workbook tab | Keep a brief beside a calculation model, or switch to a task database. |
| Doc | Body content block | Combine narrative, budgets and tasks in a project page. |
| Slide | Floating object or presentation page | Review editable source data alongside the conclusion. |
| Relational Table | Table-list entry | Keep project documentation within a business database. |
| Canvases | Floating canvas object | Bring data, proposals and discussion onto one canvas. |
## Five host examples
These English examples were authored through the Facade API and captured in a browser. Each case uses independent child Units. All content and figures are sample data.
### Sheet: calculations and a decision brief
The control center summarizes spend on the left and embeds a complete Doc on the right. Its Launch tracker tab opens a Relational Table. Use this for pricing, operations or financial workbooks that need assumptions, calculations and a written decision together. A familiar interaction is [inserting a document object in Excel](https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/excel/insert-an-object-in-your-excel-spreadsheet).
### Doc: a project page with budgets and tasks
The body contains a budget Sheet followed by a Relational Table, so readers can inspect the model and maintain tasks in context. This resembles [Notion's inline databases](https://www.notion.com/help/guides/full-page-vs-inline-databases); the budget here retains the Sheet formula engine, while tasks retain Relational Table fields and views.
### Slide: source data in a review
A budget Sheet and task Relational Table share a slide with a formula-driven budget metric. The interaction is comparable to [embedding Excel in PowerPoint](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/powerpoint/insert-and-update-excel-data-in-powerpoint): reviewers can return from the conclusion to an editable data model. The pictured budget has been updated to $62,100.
### Relational Table: a brief within the database
A Launch brief Doc appears beside the task table in the table list. Switch between structured work and its written context in a CRM, project tracker or operations database. This is a table-list entry; it does not automatically create a document for each record.
### Canvases: a shared planning surface
The canvas combines a budget Sheet, a proposal Doc and a formula-driven spend summary. Use it for project rooms, reviews and research canvases that need source data and context available during discussion.
## How formulas stay connected
**Embedding provides display and editing; references provide calculation.** Inserting a block does not create a summary formula. With cross-Unit references configured, Sheet cells and formula-driven Shapes in Doc, Slide and Canvases can read Sheet ranges or Relational Table fields. Relational Table formula fields can also reference a Sheet. When source data and change notifications are available, relevant edits trigger recalculation.
```mermaid
flowchart LR
A["Edit embedded Sheet / Relational Table"]
B["Child Unit data changes"]
C["Update references and dependencies"]
D["Recalculate formula"]
E["Update cell / formula Shape"]
A --> B --> C --> D --> E
```
| Scenario and formula | Verified result |
| --- | --- |
| Slide budget total: `=SUM('[Leadership Budget]Budget'!C5:C8)` | Changing `C7` from 17,100 to 18,000 updates the total from **61,200 → 62,100**. |
| Sheet total from Relational Table: `=SUM([Control Tasks]!Launch_tasks[Cost])` | Changing one Cost from 4,000 to 4,500 updates the total from **18,000 → 18,500**. |
Formula names are readable qualifiers; integrations must also persist their stable Unit IDs. Use `getFormula().buildReference()` to generate a reference and its host-owned external mapping. For a table in Relational Table, use `table.getFormulaName()` rather than concatenating a display name or ID. Formula-driven Shapes use `shape.setFormula({ formula, externalReferences })`; read results after calculation completes. See [Formula Facade](https://docs.univer.ai/reference/facade/formula.md#buildreference), [Shape Facade](https://docs.univer.ai/reference/facade/shape.md#setformula) and [Relational Table formulas](https://docs.univer.ai/guides/bases/features/core/formulas.md).
## Create and integrate
Register the host and child products and their UI in the same Univer instance, then add Embed and Embed UI. This example inserts an existing Sheet into a Doc body; `hostDocument` and `budgetWorkbook` are the corresponding Facades.
```ts
import '@univerjs-pro/embed/facade'
const block = univerAPI.createEmbed({
host: {
unitId: hostDocument.getId(),
surface: univerAPI.Enum.FEmbedHostSurface.DocBlock,
},
content: {
unitType: univerAPI.Enum.UniverInstanceType.UNIVER_SHEET,
ref: `#unit=${encodeURIComponent(budgetWorkbook.getId())}&type=sheet`,
},
})
const embeddedWorkbook = await block.loadAsync()
```
`createEmbed()` creates the relationship and host anchor. `loadAsync()` loads the child Unit and returns its Facade. Use `displayTarget` to choose the initial worksheet, Slide page or Relational Table view. For plugins, styles, locales and loaders, see the [embedding guide](https://docs.univer.ai/guides/fundamentals/features/embed.md); for other surfaces and methods, see [Embed Facade](https://docs.univer.ai/reference/facade/embed.md).
## Persistence, collaboration and scope
- **Save separately:** the host Snapshot retains references, placement and display settings; it does not automatically package the latest child content. Removing a block does not delete its child document.
- **Collaborative loading:** Server SDK provides child snapshots and collaboration services. With `@univerjs-pro/collaboration-embed`, the browser loads and joins the child's collaboration session. Parent and child retain their own changes and versions.
- **Access and permissions:** the application resolves references, loads data and authorizes access. Access to the host does not automatically grant editing rights to the child.
- **Current scope:** different Sheet, Doc, Slide, Relational Table and Canvases types can be embedded. PDF, same-type embedding and further nesting are excluded. Within one Univer runtime, a child Unit can belong to only one active embed.
Use [two-way binding](https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features/shared/binding.md) to drive your application's own inputs, metrics and charts from a spreadsheet. Use Embed Block when you need the child product's editor.
[Back to features](https://docs.univer.ai/overview/features.md)