Mail merge is a useful feature in Microsoft Office that allows you to create personalized documents, such as letters, envelopes, or labels, by combining a main document with a data source, such as an Excel worksheet or an Access database. Mail merge can save you a lot of time and effort, especially when you need to send a large batch of similar documents to different people or organizations.
How to Mail Merge Excel to Word?
Mail merging Excel to Word is a common task that many people need to do for various purposes, such as creating mailing labels, form letters, or invoices. Here are the steps you can follow to do mail merge in Microsoft Office:
Step 1. Prepare Your Data
The first step in mail merging is to prepare your data source, which can be any type of tabular data, such as a worksheet, a CSV file, or a database table. In this case, we will use an Excel worksheet as our data source.
To prepare your data for mail merge, you need to ensure that it is clean and consistent, with headers in the first row and data in the subsequent rows. You can also filter or sort your data if needed.
For example, suppose you have an Excel worksheet that contains the following data:
| Name | Address | City | State | Zip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Smith | 123 Main St. | Anytown | CA | 12345 |
| Jane Doe | 456 Elm St. | Someville | NY | 67890 |
| Bob Johnson | 789 Oak Ave. | Othercity | IL | 24680 |
Step 2. Create Your Main Document
The second step in mail merging is to create your main document, which can be any type of Word document, such as a letter, an envelope, or a label. In this case, we will use a form letter as our main document.
To create your main document, you need to insert placeholders for the data that you want to merge from your data source. The placeholders are called “fields” and are enclosed in chevrons, such as <
For example, suppose you want to create a form letter that greets the recipient by their name and address, and then thanks them for their recent purchase. You can create a Word document that looks like this:
Dear <
> Thank you for your recent purchase from our online store. We appreciate your business and hope that you are satisfied with your purchase.
Your order will be shipped to:
<
><
>, < > < > If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected]. We are always here to help.
Best regards,
The Example Team
Step 3. Connect to Your Data Source
The third step in mail merging is to connect to your data source, which can be done by using the Mailings tab in Word and the Select Recipients command. You can choose a data source from various types of files, such as Excel, Access, or Outlook, or you can create a new data source from scratch.
For example, to connect to your Excel worksheet, you can click on the Select Recipients button and choose the Use an Existing List command. Then, you can browse to your Excel file and select the worksheet that contains your data. You can also preview your data and select the fields that you want to merge.
Step 4. Insert Your Fields
The fourth step in mail merging is to insert your fields into your main document, which can be done by using the Mailings tab in Word and the Insert Merge Field command. You need to make sure that your fields match the field names in your data source exactly, including the case and the spaces.
For example, to insert the fields in our form letter, we can click on the Insert Merge Field button and select the field names from our Excel worksheet, such as <
Step 5. Preview and Complete Your Merge
The fifth and final step in mail merging is to preview and complete your merge, which can be done by using the Mailings tab in Word and the Preview Results and Finish & Merge commands. You can preview your merged documents, and make any final adjustments or corrections if needed.
For example, to preview our form letters, we can click on the Preview Results button and cycle through the records in our Excel worksheet to see how the fields are merged. If we are satisfied with the results, we can click on the Finish & Merge button and choose whether to print, email, or save the merged documents as a new file.
FAQ
Q1. Can I use mail merge to create personalized emails?
A1. Yes, you can use mail merge to create personalized emails in Microsoft Outlook, by following a similar process as for mail merging in Word. You need to create a new message, insert fields for the data that you want to merge, and select the recipients from your data source. You can also preview and send your merged emails.
Q2. Can I mail merge with images or graphics?
A2. Yes, you can insert images or graphics into your mail merge documents, by using the Insert Picture command in Word and selecting a field that contains a file path or a URL to the image. You can also use the Mail Merge Wizard in Word to select images from a data source, such as a database or a directory.
Video Tutorial
Here is a video tutorial on how to do mail merge in Microsoft Office:
