So you want to drop interactive charts into a Prezi deck for a business meeting, but you don’t want to spend hours fumbling with clunky exports and dead-end workarounds. Good news: it’s totally doable, and you don’t need to be a developer to pull it off. You just need to know what works, what doesn’t, and which corners not to cut.
This guide is for people who actually use analytics in their day jobs—sales, ops, product, marketing—and want to make their Prezi presentations more than just a parade of static screenshots. Ready to stop losing your audience at “let me show you this chart”? Let’s get to it.
Why Interactive Charts Matter in Prezi
Static charts are fine if you want people to doze off. The real value comes from letting your audience poke around—hover, filter, drill down, see live numbers update. Embedding interactive charts in Prezi means your deck isn’t just a prettier PowerPoint. It’s a tool for actually exploring the data together.
But here’s the catch: Prezi wasn’t built with native interactive chart widgets. You have to bring them in from other tools, and some of those tools play nicer with Prezi than others.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Before you burn hours Googling, here’s the honest rundown:
- What works: Embedding interactive charts from web-based tools that provide embeddable HTML/iframe code (like Google Data Studio, Tableau Public, Power BI with a public link, or Flourish).
- What doesn’t: Trying to embed Excel or Google Sheets charts directly as live objects—Prezi won’t update them live. Uploading screenshots: static, boring, and not interactive.
- What to ignore: Any “plugin” or “add-on” that claims to make Prezi fully interactive—these rarely work, and often break.
If your charting tool can spit out an embed-friendly iframe, you’re golden.
Step 1: Prep Your Interactive Chart
Pick your chart tool: Google Data Studio (now called Looker Studio), Tableau Public, Microsoft Power BI (free tier), and Flourish are popular, and they’re all web-based.
Build your chart:
- Make it simple. Prezi’s viewer window isn’t huge. Avoid 20-filter dashboards.
- Test it. Click around—does it work smoothly? If it’s laggy or cluttered now, it’ll only get worse embedded.
Get the embed code:
- Look for a “Share” or “Embed” option in your chart tool.
- You want the HTML <iframe> code snippet, not just a link.
- If your tool only gives you a public URL, there’s a workaround—see the Pro Tip below.
Pro Tip:
If your chart tool only gives you a public URL (not an embed code), you can often create a basic iframe embed yourself:
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Just swap in your chart’s URL.
Step 2: Add the Chart to Prezi
Prezi has a few products, but let’s assume you’re using Prezi Present (the main slide-based tool). If you’re on Prezi Video or Prezi Design, skip to the “Gotchas” section below for special notes.
Here’s the process:
- Open your Prezi presentation.
- Choose where you want the chart.
- If you want it big and center-stage, pick a main frame.
- For side-by-side with other content, use a smaller frame.
- Insert an embed object:
- Click “Insert” in the top menu.
- Choose “Embed” (sometimes labeled as “Embed code” or “Media”).
- Paste your iframe embed code.
- Resize and position the chart window.
- Drag the corners to fit your layout.
- Remember, if you go too small, buttons and filters inside the chart get cramped.
- Test it inside Prezi.
- Click “Present” (or “Preview”) and interact with the chart.
- Make sure filters, tooltips, and links work. Sometimes, interactive elements won’t work perfectly—more on this in a second.
Heads-up:
Prezi disables some embeds for security (especially anything that tries to run scripts or isn’t from a whitelisted domain). If your chart isn’t showing up, check if your chart tool is on Prezi’s allowed list. Google, Tableau, and Flourish usually work. Some custom tools won’t.
Step 3: Polish and Troubleshoot
Getting the chart in is only half the battle. Here’s what to check before you call it done:
Make Sure It’s Shareable
- Is your chart “public” or “unlisted”? If it’s private or behind a login, your audience won’t see it in Prezi.
- Try opening your Prezi on a different device or browser (where you’re not logged into the chart tool) to see if it loads.
Mobile and Tablet? Don’t Assume
- Prezi’s embeds look decent on desktop, but on tablets or phones, interactive charts can get squished or glitchy.
- If your audience is remote or on the go, test on multiple devices.
Loading Speed
- Some charts (Tableau, Power BI) can be slow to load, especially on weak Wi-Fi.
- If you must use a heavy dashboard, warn your audience or show a screenshot as a backup.
Interactivity Limits
- Prezi’s embed viewer is a “window” to your chart, but not every feature works. Advanced stuff like custom pop-ups, logins, or deep drill-downs may not.
- If you need serious drill-down, link out to the full chart (add a “View Full Dashboard” button).
Pro Tip:
If your chart just won’t embed, or if it’s key to your pitch and you can’t risk a tech fail, keep a static image as a fallback. It’s not interactive, but it’s better than a blank box.
Step 4: Make It Presentable
You’ve got the chart in Prezi. Now tidy up so it’s actually useful in a meeting:
- Label your embeds. Don’t assume people know what they’re looking at—add a title, quick explainer, or guide.
- Add cues for interaction. If your audience is live (not just watching), tell them “Try clicking the filters on the right,” or demonstrate it.
- Limit distractions. Hide toolbars, legends, or features you don’t need in your chart tool before embedding. Less clutter = more focus.
Gotchas, Workarounds, and Real Talk
Here’s what most guides won’t tell you:
- You can’t embed everything. Some tools (like private Power BI dashboards or proprietary enterprise charts) just won’t work without a login. If your data’s sensitive, embedding may not be an option.
- Prezi Video and Prezi Design are different beasts. Prezi Video doesn’t support interactive embeds at all. Prezi Design can embed charts, but it’s more limited—test early.
- Interactivity isn’t magic. People still need a story. Don’t just throw a dashboard up and hope folks will click around. Guide them.
- “Live” data can lag. Just because you embedded a chart doesn’t mean it updates in real time. Most tools push updates when you republish, not instantly.
- Don’t count on audio/video embeds inside chart iframes. They usually won’t play, so avoid charts with embedded videos.
Example Walkthrough: Embedding a Google Looker Studio Chart
Let’s make this real. Here’s a quick example using Google’s free Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio):
- Create your chart in Looker Studio.
- Keep it simple; don’t go dashboard-crazy.
- Click “Share” > “Embed report.”
- Set access to “Anyone with the link.”
- Copy the iframe code.
- In Prezi, click “Insert” > “Embed.”
- Paste the code, resize, and position.
- Test it in Present mode.
- Make sure filters and hovers work.
- Share your Prezi link.
- Open it in incognito/private mode to double-check that it loads for everyone.
Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Don’t overthink it. A single, well-chosen interactive chart beats a dashboard buffet every time—especially in a meeting. Start small, test on a few devices, and don’t be afraid to use a backup screenshot if something refuses to play nice.
Remember: the best business analytics presentations don’t just show data—they help people ask better questions. With Prezi, a little interactivity goes a long way. Now get your charts in there and let the data do the talking.