Mail Merge
- Oluwaseni Jegede (Deactivated)
- Dan Jakubiak
What is Mail Merge?
Mail merge allows personalized document creation for multiple recipients. It enables the sending of generalized emails that appear customized to each recipient or personalized letters addressing recipients by name. A data source, such as a database, outlook contact list, or spreadsheet, is commonly linked to the document.
Using Excel as a Data Source.
1. Open a new document in word
2. Click on the Mailings tab
3. The Click on Start Mail Merge (Located in the Start Mail Merge group)
4. Choose the type that you want to create. Options include Letters, E-mail address, Envelopes, Labels, etc .
5. Click on Select Recipients > Use an Existing List > Locate the Excel Spreadsheet with the contact info that you would like to use.
The Excel Spreadsheet intended to be used for the mail merge must be stored on your local computer. If the spreadsheet is in OneDrive, simply open the file before linking the files. Opening a file in OneDrive will place that file on your computer until 30-days pass without interaction.
6. If the Select table dialogue box opens up. Make sure that the correct Excel Worksheet tab is selected (if you have multiple tabs in the Excel document)
7. Select the First row of data contains column headers, if it is not yet selected. Click OK
In your Excel Spreadsheet, make sure that the columns names match the field names you want to insert in your mail merge. For example, to address readers by their first name in your document, you'll need separate columns for first and last names, instead of having a column that contains both first and last name.
8. Now, you can start typing the email or letter that you want to send out to recipients. When you want to add the field name, click on Insert Merge Field then click the desired column that you want.
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Below is an example of a draft:
9. After you are done with drafting your document, click on Preview Results in the Preview Results group in the Mailings tab to preview an example what a final version would look like for each recipient.
10. Click Finish & Merge to print out the letters to send to the appropriate recipients. You also have the option to edit individual documents
Sending an Email
10. Click Finish & Merge to send out the email to the personalized email addresses. You also have the option to edit individual documents after clicking on Finish & Merge.
11. After clicking on Send Email Messages, The Merge to E-mail dialogue box should open. In the Message options, make sure to select the column that has the email addresses (if it is not yet selected). Add the appropriate subject line and change the mail format to HTML*.
In the Send records section, you have the option to send to all recipients or some recipients.
*Plain text can also be chosen, but this will remove any formatting.
12. To check if the email was successfully sent, check your sent items on outlook.
Using Outlook as a Data Source
Open Outlook and click on Contacts.
Select the group of contacts that you would like to send to
Click on Home (if it is not already selected) and click on Mail Merge. The Mail Merge contacts dialogue box should open up. Adjust the settings according to your desires.
After clicking OK, a word document should open up which would allow you to draft your document.
To insert field name, click on the Mailings tab > Insert Merge Field.
You can Edit the recipient list if you don’t want certain individuals to receive the mass mail. Preview your results once you are ready
After clicking on Send Email Messages, The Merge to E-mail dialogue box should open. In the Message options, make sure to select the column that has the email addresses (if it is not yet selected). Add the appropriate subject line and change the mail format to HTML*.
In the Send records section, you have the option to send to all recipients or some recipients.
*Plain text can also be chosen, but this will remove any formatting.To see if the email was successfully sent, check your sent items in outlook.